Why a charter boat needs a different survey
A charter boat works hundreds of hours a year, often in different hands. The load is many times that of private use: windlass, ground tackle, passerelle, tender and davit, air-conditioning and generator are busy constantly. A charter-fleet survey therefore focuses not on a single buying decision but on safe, uninterrupted operation through the season.
Insurers and charter platforms often require a periodic condition report. The survey provides this and makes visible the items that would cause a mid-season breakdown and a cancelled charter.
What stands out in a fleet survey
- Safety equipment: liferaft service dates, extinguishers, lifejackets, flares, for guest safety and inspection.
- Heavily used gear: windlass, anchor and chain, passerelle, tender/davit, bimini.
- Comfort systems: air-conditioning, generator, watermaker, fridge, guest satisfaction depends on these.
- Engine and hour-based maintenance: service intervals on high-hour engines; reducing mid-season failure risk.
- Hull and bilge: ingress points, pump and float on a hard-used boat.
For fleet owners and operators
With several boats we plan surveys before the season (after wintering, before launch); a separate 70+ page report per boat also shows fleet-wide common issues. Base-to-base skippered delivery lets you take survey and delivery from one team. See services for insurers and fleets.
A pre-season calendar
The value of a fleet survey is in fixing findings before the season. A typical calendar:
- January-February: hull, moisture and osmosis readings ashore, when the boats are driest.
- March: machinery, electrics and comfort systems; work orders for A-class findings.
- April: sea trials after launch and safety-gear checks; liferaft and extinguisher service dates.
- Mid-season: optional short checks; damage or complaint inspections.
How a fleet report is laid out
Each boat gets its own complete report. The fleet manager also gets a one-page summary table: boat name, number of A-B-C findings, must-do items before the season, and a cost range. Where several boats share a model, findings that repeat across the fleet are flagged, for bulk parts orders and the maintenance plan.
FAQ
Before or after the season?
Most operators survey after wintering, before launch, so findings are fixed before the season starts. Since the boat is already ashore and dry, this is ideal for moisture readings.
Do you provide the condition report insurers ask for?
Yes, the 70+ page photo report can serve as an insurance/platform condition report. We make no specific cover or accreditation claim; what is offered is an independent, measurement-based condition report.