in his/her recommendations and how far one should go before entering the realm of consultancy. I for one (and I am sure Mike also), would be interested to hear your views on this subject. One statement often included from disgruntled clients is along the lines of “If I had known the severity of the defect and the cost implications, I would never have purchased the vessel”. I do not consider that it is the surveyor’s place to advise someone either to purchase or not purchase a vessel. It is the surveyor’s job to inspect the vessel as closely as possible (within stated limitations) and record any present or potential defects, their cause and what actions should be taken in light of their severity. What you should take into consideration is that what you personally consider to be quite a minor defect, someone else may consider to be a very serious defect. I have heard it said “yes is has hull blisters, but in my experience no boat has ever sunk through osmosis”. Perhaps not, but the hull repair in question turned out to include, lift out, clean off, mast removal, transport to a repair facility, gel peeling, hot vac treatment, infra- red lamp drying for a month, preparation, lamination, filling fairing, gel application, preparing, priming, painting, transport to hoist, mast replacement and
launching with associated cost of materials, waste disposal, storage and office administration!
Following submission of his/her report, which includes all the necessary factual information, the surveyor may sometimes be contacted by his/her client to comment on the potential cost of rectifying the defects found. I believe this is where surveying ends and consultancy begins. Before the surveyor sets foot down the consultancy path, he/she should consider the implications. If you advise a repair cost which fails to cover the eventual cost of the repairs, you may be sued for compensation. Also, some things which you may consider to be repairable may turn out to be a constructive total loss. You may recommend a particular repairer who then turns out to be unsatisfactory and although not your fault it could still damage your professional reputation.
To avoid these and the many other pitfalls the secret is to have a sound marine industry- based knowledge in as many disciplines as possible, coupled with as much experience as you can gain on your own or through mentoring. I have long been an advocate of Professional Education and Standards, throughout both my
career and more importantly throughout my time as a member of this fine Institute of ours. The IIMS may have started off as the ‘New Kid on the Block’ trying to break the mould of the long established ‘Old Boys Club’, which is generally how the other surveying institutes were perceived – having a self-proclaimed and therefore knowledgeable marine surveyor, a well-known chap who used to race yachts, or perhaps an ex-sea captain, someone who could “give you a good idea of how that boat is”. The reality is that this is no longer acceptable. The modern-day boat is a long way removed from boats of the past and today’s potential boat owner has probably far less boat knowledge or experience and therefore much greater expectations of what he or she requires from the surveyor.
The IIMS has made serious progress in dispelling any formally pre-conceived ideas, by becoming the ‘Go to Institute’ for education and training and the setting and maintaining of standards for surveyors. We have produced through the IIMS’ subsidiary, the Marine Surveying Academy, accreditation schemes which have been accepted and adopted globally by the marine sector which is a rare thing in an industry steeped in tradition.
6 | The Report • June 2022 • Issue 100
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