Help
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about Marine Inspect.
Last updated: 12 October 2026
Boat owners and buyers
Does Marine Inspect carry out surveys?
The surveyors are independent professionals. You agree the survey, the fee and the terms with them directly.
Is it free?
Yes. Searching is free, and so is a boat owner account.
How do I choose between two surveyors?
Ask each the seven questions, and ask to see a sample report.
What is the difference between a survey and a BSS examination?
A Boat Safety Scheme examination checks an inland boat's gas, fuel and electrical installations against a fixed list. A survey looks at the whole boat, the hull and engine included. Many narrowboat buyers arrange both.
Do I need a survey for insurance?
Insurers often ask for one on an older boat, and may ask for one at renewal. Ask your insurer what they need. A recent pre-purchase survey may be enough.
What does a boat survey cost?
Each surveyor sets their own fee. Most price a survey by the boat's length and the kind of survey, and a survey out of the water adds the yard's charge for the lift. Ask two or three surveyors for a quote, and what it covers.
How long does a survey take?
Most pre-purchase surveys of a yacht or narrowboat take the best part of a day on the boat. The written report follows, often within a few days. Your surveyor will tell you both before you book.
Can one surveyor do more than one kind?
Often, yes. Many surveyors offer pre-purchase, insurance and valuation surveys. Each listing shows the surveys that surveyor offers.
Brokers
Does it cost anything?
No. It is free for you and for your buyers.
Do I need an account?
No. The link, the card and the paragraph are yours to use.
Does Marine Inspect recommend surveyors?
The directory lists independent surveyors. Your buyer chooses, and agrees the survey with them directly.
Surveyors
What is Marine Inspect?
What is Marine Inspect and who is it for?
Marine Inspect is a platform built specifically for yacht and small craft surveyors. It combines a mobile app for field surveys with a web portal for reviewing, editing, and generating professional reports, covering the full workflow from the first checklist item to PDF delivery to your client.
Do I need to be tech-savvy to use it?
No. The mobile app is designed to be picked up and used on a vessel without any training. The checklist guides you through each section; you mark items, add notes, and take photos as you go. Report generation is a single click on the portal.
Is there a free trial?
Yes. Every new account includes 3 free report credits with no payment required. You can complete surveys and generate reports straight away to see the output quality before committing to a plan.
Getting started
What do I need to get started?
An iPhone, iPad, or Android phone or tablet and a web browser on a laptop or desktop. Sign up at marine-inspect.co.uk, install the mobile app on iPhone, iPad, or Android (or use the web app in any browser), and you are ready to survey.
How do I set up my branding?
Before generating your first report, add your company name, address, contact details, professional credentials (IIMS, YDSA, etc.), and logo via Settings → Company Details on the portal. Your branding appears on every report you produce from that point forward.
Can I use Marine Inspect on Android?
Yes. There is a native Marine Inspect app for Android on Google Play, with the same feature set as the iOS app, including offline surveying, GPS photo capture, and on-device voice dictation. You can also use the web app in any browser on Android, a laptop, or a desktop, handy for report work on a larger screen.
Surveys & the mobile app
How does the survey workflow work?
- Create a new survey on the mobile app and enter the vessel details.
- Work through the structured checklist and mark each item Pass, Fail, Needs Attention, or N/A.
- Attach photos and add notes (by typing or voice dictation) as you go.
- Once back online, tap Upload on the survey card to sync everything to the portal.
- Review, edit, and complete the survey on the portal, then generate your report.
Can I work without an internet connection?
Yes. The mobile app stores all data locally (checklists, notes, and photos) so you can conduct a full survey with no signal. Marinas and boatyards are not always well-connected, and the app is designed with that in mind. When you are back online, tap Upload on the survey card to sync your work to the portal.
Can I dictate notes hands-free?
Yes. The mobile app includes built-in voice dictation on both iOS and Android. Tap the microphone button on any checklist item, speak your observation, and the transcribed text is inserted into the notes field. This is particularly useful in confined spaces like engine rooms where typing is impractical. Dictation works offline on both platforms.
Can I attach photos to checklist items?
Yes. Tap the camera icon on any checklist item to take and attach photos directly. Photos are geo-tagged with GPS coordinates and timestamped automatically. You can attach multiple photos per item, and they are included in the generated report alongside the relevant findings.
Reports
What report types can Marine Inspect generate?
Seven professional formats, each designed for a specific audience:
| Report type | Audience |
|---|---|
| Standard Survey Report | Client / buyer's solicitor / underwriter |
| Defect Schedule | Broker / legal representative |
| Defect Photo Report | Loss adjuster / insurer |
| Owner's Condition Report | Client (plain English) |
| Insurance Renewal Summary | Marine insurer |
| Broker Pack | Vessel broker and prospective buyers |
| Valuation Certificate | Finance house / solicitor / insurer |
How long does report generation take?
Typically 30 seconds to 3 minutes depending on report type and the size of the survey. Generation runs on the server, so you do not need to keep the browser open while it completes.
How good is the generated draft?
The system reads your checklist results, defect categories, and field notes across all sections and produces a professionally structured narrative, including an executive summary, section-by-section findings, a defects register with IIMS A/B/C categories, prioritised recommendations, and a seaworthiness conclusion. Your field notes do not need to be well-written; the draft translates rough observations into polished report language. You review, edit, and add your professional judgement before approving.
Can I edit the report before delivering it?
Yes. Every generated report opens in a full editor. You can rewrite any section, adjust findings, and add professional commentary. Your edits save automatically as you work. When the report is ready to deliver, click Approve.
Can I generate multiple report types from the same survey?
Yes. You can generate as many report types as you need from a single survey.
Are reports tamper-proof?
They are tamper-evident. Approving a report seals the survey: its seal is a cryptographic fingerprint of your findings, notes and photos, and any later change to the survey has to be reopened with a reason, which the report records. A QR verification code in the appendix lets clients, underwriters, and brokers see the approval on record and compare it with their copy.
Can I apply my own branding?
Yes. Your company name, logo, address, and professional credentials appear on every report automatically once set up in your profile.
Credits & billing
What plans are available?
See the pricing page for current plans and prices.
Do purchased credits expire?
No. Credits bought as a Starter or Professional pack never expire and carry forward indefinitely.
What happens if I run out of subscription reports for the month?
Your purchased credit balance is used as an overflow. If you have no purchased credits either, report generation is paused until the next billing cycle or until you buy a top-up pack.
Can I cancel a subscription?
Yes, at any time. Open Settings from the account menu on the portal and go to the Billing section to cancel, change plan, or download invoices. Your subscription remains active until the end of the current billing period and your purchased credit balance is unaffected.
What payment methods are accepted?
All major credit and debit cards, processed securely by Stripe. All prices exclude VAT. We add UK VAT at checkout when your business is in the UK, based on the country in your Company Details.
If your business is in Jersey, Guernsey, the Isle of Man or Gibraltar, select that in your Company Details rather than United Kingdom. Each has its own rules, and we will charge the right amount.
Data & privacy
Where is my data stored?
Survey data and photos are stored with Amazon Web Services in London, encrypted in transit and at rest. A small number of trusted providers help run the service, such as Stripe for payments and Anthropic for report drafting. Some are based outside the UK, and each is covered by the safeguards data protection law requires. The Privacy Policy lists them all.
Can I export or delete my data?
Yes. From Settings on the portal you can download a full export of your surveys and account data, or permanently delete your account. Deletion removes your personal data within 30 days as required by UK GDPR.
Getting help
Where can I get help?
- Support: marine-inspect.co.uk/support
- Email: support@marine-inspect.co.uk
Ready to generate reports?
Start with 3 free credits. Buy a credit pack or choose a monthly or annual plan.
