Survey Question

G

Gkalas

New Member
Mar 8, 2014
8
Annapolis
Boat Info
2004 Sea Ray 280 Sundancer
Engines
Twin 4.3l Mercruiser I/O
I have a deposit on a 2004 280 Sundancer and while we are waiting for the weather to get better to do a sea trial and have a survey done, I am wondering if getting a survey is absolutely necessary given my situation. I realize being on the safe side of things is the way to go, but some people have mentioned to me that they would not pay for a survey given where I am purchasing from. In any case, please let me know your experiences so I can feel better about what I decide to do. I am purchasing the boat from a reputable Sea Ray dealer who owns the boat and has done a good deal of work on it. The boat has 975 hours on it and the previous owner has provided all the service records and it appears that although the boat has a good amount of hours on it, the boat was well taken care of. The sales people tell me they do a thorough inspection on the boats they own that is comparable to a survey, and showed me the list of work that was done. Some friends of mine that have had experiences with this specific dealer agree that this dealer only buys and sells boats that are in great shape and feel that I would be wasting my money paying for a survey. I realize there is a good amount of detail that I am not providing here about the service work, but just wondering if skipping a survey should even be considered? I am not handy with boats and will pay for any work that needs to be done. Let me know your thoughts please.
 
Have it surveyed. The survey will tell you a lot more than a salesperson can ever see unless they are trained in using a phenolic hammer listening for delamination in the hull or have a moisture meter.
 
I agree with Ray.

This is a 10 year old boat, so there are a lot of potential issues that can cost you a small fortune. While she might be sound mechanically, what about all the sealant, bedding and caulking that prevents moisture from entering the structure? The deck on this boat is cored, so every hole drilled or cut in to or thru the deck is a source for core rot if the bedding has failed….and there are a lot of them: Windlass, rail stanchions, windshield, hatches, hand rails, running lights, cleats, etc. A deck core repair can easily run into thousands of $$ and a survey is a minor bit if insurance/assurance that you are buying a sound boat. If the survey does turn up some issues, this dealer sounds like he is the type that will "own" the problem and repair the boat for you to make the sale happen.

Good luck with it…………
 
A good survey for a 280 shouldn't cost more than $300-$400 dollars, if that much. Hire your own surveyor. They are there to protect your investment. The dealer is not. A good surveyor is going to check every nook and cranny. You can sign a contract with the dealer with the stipulation of a satisfactory survey and sea trial. Satisfactory is what is acceptable to you. If you are financing it, the bank will probably want a survey any way, as well as the insurance company. If the dealer tries to talk you out of a survey, get suspicious.
 
If your not handy with boats skipping a survey is a BIG ($) mistake.
Your really going a trust a sales person........?

If you knew how to check it out yourself and were ready to fix problems after the sale yourself....maybe skipping a professional survey would work out.

Keep in mind a cheap survey might not be worth it.
Ensure the guy knows his stuff, its not hard to become a surveyor and some aren't worth hiring.
 
Last edited:
I'm wondering why you would ask this question.

Are you in some hurry to purchase or just trying to save money? Like others have already said, you are taking a risk not having the boat inspected. In fact, some insurance companies use the survey to determine value and determine if the vessel is insurable. So you might need to get a survey done just for that reason alone.

Clarks Landing? Nice people, but you really need an outside objective report for a vessel of that age.
 
My advice to people buying a boat is this....
"The wrong boat, even at the best price in the world, is still the wrong boat."

Don't skip the survey. Go to the NAMS or SAMS websites I gave the links to below and select a surveyor. He's in your corner and will inspect the boat in ways (and places) you never thought of. It definitely will be worth your time and money. When you are interviewing surveyors, explain to them that you want a buyer's survey and you would also like them to check engine compression, the transmission, etc. As a side tip, when the surveyor does the engine compression check, have a set of new spark plugs there for him to put back into the engine in place of the old ones. If you end up not buying that boat, you're out about $20 for the plugs. If you buy it, you now have new plugs installed.

NAMS Surveyor site
http://www.namsglobal.org/find-a-marine-surveyor/
SAMS Surveyor site
http://www.marinesurvey.org/
 
Thanks for all the good information. It sounds like the survey is a must, which is what I suspected but wanted to make sure I wasn't wasting any money. Thanks for the tips on the spark plugs and the link to the surveyor's site as well; I will definately take advantage of that info. Glad I found this forum and look forward to learning more.


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I have to get my boat surveyed every 5 years for insurance. With a 10 year old boat you probably will not get insurace without a survey. They find things you would ever know to look for. It will save you money as the bad items can be reduced off the selling price.
 
mjmason1 said:
A good survey for a 280 shouldn't cost more than $300-$400 dollars, if that much.
Click to expand...

That seems to be a low survey cost number. My survey on the 270 was near $750 in 2010 and worth EVERY penny, even though it did not reveal any major defects. Some folks act like blackjack players, saying after the dealers bust hand is shown I should have stayed my hand, even though the best odds are to hit. Same here, the best odds are to "take the hit", have the survey and know you did your best, even if the survey reveals nothing critical is wrong. If one doesn't have the survey they will always worry about the unknown that may not even exist.

Good Luck,

MM
 
A - Who are the people telling you not to get a survey?
B - Why does the dealer own the boat?
C - All the service records in the world don't ensure you that the 975 hours hasn't consisted of abuse.
D - Most sales people don't do ANY inspections,,,, they talk.
E - Most dealers DO only want to buy boats that are in great shape,,, but they get burnt too every once in a while.
F - Will those who FEEL the survey is a waste of money be willing to pay for any immediate major repairs that come up?
G - If you are not handy with boats then your whole deal hinges on hearsay.

You have chosen well.
 
It sounds as if you've made the right decision on getting a survey. So I won't add but I do want to give you my story.
I too found a great boat at a dealer. I sing his praises very chance I get, he did more for my Sea Ray to get her right than ANY dealer could or would! If I found it...he fixed it! I had two surveys done, the boat then the motors and trans. It was a great addition to my assurance to my wife. As for past records, I found the PO here at CSR. This one site has been the greatest addition to my boat and my boating.

Plugs, dist caps, rotors, sensors, and wires I got from GoToMarine. You should also check BOE.
 
You have heard from some very experienced boaters. It sounds like you have decided to take their advice. Good decision. I would like to suggest that you be present for the survey. Even though you say you don't plan to do any work yourself, a lot can be learned during the survey.

Good luck with the purchase! Welcome to CSR!
 
mwph said:
You have heard from some very experienced boaters. It sounds like you have decided to take their advice. Good decision. I would like to suggest that you be present for the survey. Even though you say you don't plan to do any work yourself, a lot can be learned during the survey.

Good luck with the purchase! Welcome to CSR!
Click to expand...

Very true! Make the time to be there!
 
I bought a couple of boats from Clarks Landing, if this is the dealer you are referring too. I have always gotten surveys, protect yourself rather than taking their word for it.
 
I know this is an old thread, but I’m curious if you bought the boat!? Anyway, for anyone else suffering this dilemma, everyone here has given good advise. I myself went through 2 full suveys and ended up passing on both of them. The thrid time was the charm, I bought it and so far so good.

Yes, those first two surveys were expensive, haul out and paying for the surveyor, about $750+ each. But I was there and learned a tremendous amount doing this. Both were from the same year (1998) as the boats I ended up buying, even though they were different models. The first a 330 DA and the other a 310 DA. The first ended up with bad compression on starboard. The surveyor also knew the owner and gave me some background of him and the boat. The 310 was another creature all together and was solid mechanically, but it needed a lot of little things that just started to add up. That surveyor who did the second boat ended up doing my final survey and I bought it.

Its good insurance to see what you are getting. And, as many here have mentioned, the insurance companies will also require you 99 out of 100 times to get this before they insure your boat. Good luck to all in the pursuit of their boat!
 
Hifirush said:
I know this is an old thread, but I’m curious if you bought the boat!? Anyway, for anyone else suffering this dilemma, everyone here has given good advise. I myself went through 2 full suveys and ended up passing on both of them. The thrid time was the charm, I bought it and so far so good.

Yes, those first two surveys were expensive, haul out and paying for the surveyor, about $750+ each. But I was there and learned a tremendous amount doing this. Both were from the same year (1998) as the boats I ended up buying, even though they were different models. The first a 330 DA and the other a 310 DA. The first ended up with bad compression on starboard. The surveyor also knew the owner and gave me some background of him and the boat. The 310 was another creature all together and was solid mechanically, but it needed a lot of little things that just started to add up. That surveyor who did the second boat ended up doing my final survey and I bought it.

Its good insurance to see what you are getting. And, as many here have mentioned, the insurance companies will also require you 99 out of 100 times to get this before they insure your boat. Good luck to all in the pursuit of their boat!
Click to expand...

I did end up buying the boat and it turned out to be in great shape but there were a few things that the surveyor caught that saved me some money. All in all, the survey ended up being worthwhile. I spent about $600 to save a few thousand; no brainer having one done in my opinion. Thanks to everyone who gave me the advice that they did.
 
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