THE SURVEYOR
The marine surveyor who chooses to specialise in wooden boat surveys will ideally already posses a great deal of experience and extensive knowledge of all the various designs and construction methods available to the wooden boatbuilder. A sound understanding of the different nuances of individual designers, both past and present, is also an essential requirement because construction techniques may vary greatly from one designer to another.
When considering the survey, quite a different approach is needed when assessing either an old workboat, a cruising yacht, a famous Traditional Classic yacht or a Modern Classic yacht in the new Spirit of Tradition class.
In today’s modern and often “high- tech” marine industry, the Wooden Boatbuilder and Wooden Boat Surveyor are very much specialists in their field. In fact, very often marine surveyors specialising in wooden boat surveys would probably have started their careers as traditional wooden boatbuilders and progressed through the industry to become qualified surveyors. Many, if not all of the Institute’s senior surveyors fall into this category and are therefore well placed to offer you support if requested.
THE SURVEY
During the last twenty-five to thirty years, the marine industry has seen a huge resurgence worldwide in new wooden boat building and traditional classic yacht restoration. Visiting an International Wooden Boat Show and regatta, or flicking through the pages of Classic Boat magazines indicates that the current trend of traditional and modern wood construction in the UK and abroad seems set to continue for some years. Many of the new boats being built in Europe and the USA are often based on or are exact replicas of classic yacht designs and most likely will be constructed using traditional plank- on-frame methods.
There are many other craft both large and small being built today that reflect modern trends in design and construction. The most notable of this type are the Cedar Strip-Plank and West Epoxy system and whilst the majority of vessels being built this way would be in the 30 to 50 feet range, it is not uncommon now to come across larger yachts of between 70 and 150 feet. In fact, the demand for larger, custom-built yachts of around 80 to over 100 feet has been steadily increasing globally.
Classic yacht restoration has also been a steadily growing area of the industry during the last three
decades, especially in England, the United States and Scandinavia. There are many well-known UK wooden yacht designs from all over the country still sailing and more being salvaged from muddy creeks, old sheds and boatyards, bound for restoration. Interestingly, many designs of early wooden cruising yachts would have been based on the lines of robust and seaworthy regional fishing or pilot boats. The Itchen Ferry, Falmouth Quay Punts and West Country Pilot Cutters are typical of these and many examples of this type survive to this day as well as a variety of new- build replicas.
THE CONTRACT
Your first point of contact for a survey will of course be from a client requesting that you inspect his vessel for condition in order for him to obtain insurance, or to carry out a pre-purchase survey. Subsequently, you will ask him to send you details of the vessel via email with the type of survey he requires, along with his contact details and postal address. You will then send him your Terms of Business (TOB) with the costs of your fee and explain the limitations of your survey.
Another possible scenario is that an owner’s vessel requires repairs to be carried out and he is contacting you for advice which will necessitate you visiting the vessel for an inspection before agreeing the way forward. Either way, the owner will be looking to you for your ‘expert’ advice on every aspect of his boat and how you operate your business. This is a crucial stage in any potential business arrangement where you are able to demonstrate your professional skills so that the owner gains confidence in your abilities and track record.
The initial survey may well lead to you overseeing the repairs based on whatever recommendations you have made in your report.
52 | The Report • December 2018 • Issue 86
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