Sailboat · Pre-Purchase
Calypso Dawn sample report (PDF, opens in a new tab)
A 2005 Moody 346 sloop, ashore on stands at Poole.
25 pages · PDF, 1.5 MB
Sample reports
Sample survey reports, in full.
Two pre-purchase surveys, one on a yacht and one on a narrowboat, from the first page to the signature. Both written in Marine Inspect.
Narrowboat · Pre-Purchase
Meadow Lark sample report (PDF, opens in a new tab)
A 60 ft cruiser stern by Aintree Boats, out of the water at Stoke Bruerne.
28 pages · PDF, 1.9 MB
Inside a report
What a survey report covers.
Both reports follow the same order, from what the surveyor could reach to what they recommend and sign.
Scope and limitations
Where the boat lay, what the surveyor could reach, and what was left out.
Executive summary
The boat's overall condition, and the findings that matter most.
Findings by section
Each part of the boat as found, from hull and deck to engine, electrics, gas and safety equipment, with photographs.
Defects register
Every defect, with its category and the recommended remedy.
Recommendations
What to put right, grouped by category, most urgent first.
Conclusion and seaworthiness
The surveyor's overall opinion of the boat, and what it rests on.
Sign-off
Who the report is for, the surveyor's name and membership, and their PI insurance.
Photographic evidence
Every photograph, captioned and time-stamped, section by section.
Survey integrity record
A fingerprint of the survey and its photographs, and a link that checks the report online.
Readers ask
Good questions.
Will my surveyor's report look like this?
Each surveyor has their own format and their own way of writing. Most full reports cover the same ground: the boat's condition, each defect and its category, and what to do next. Ask to see a sample before you instruct a surveyor.
What do Category A, B and C mean?
In these reports, Category A needs putting right before the boat is used. Category B is significant, to be put right at the next service interval or before the next use. Category C is minor or cosmetic, to be dealt with when convenient.
How were these reports written?
In Marine Inspect. The surveyor works through a checklist on board, with photographs and notes, then reviews a structured draft at the desk and signs it off.
One like this, for your boat.
Search independent marine surveyors near her. If you survey boats, walk one and draft a report of your own.
