The worth of a survey report depends on the rules the person signing it works by. This page sets out the standards we apply, the method and equipment used in the field, how the report is built and the ethical limits we hold to. Every point here also appears in your engagement contract.
1. Standards Applied
| Standard | Scope | Where it is used |
|---|---|---|
| ABYC (American Boat & Yacht Council) | Electrical (E-11), fuel systems (H-24), fire, steering and deck gear | Compliance assessment and justification of findings |
| ISO 12217 | Stability and buoyancy categories | Design category (A/B/C/D) interpretation |
| RCD / CE (2013/53/EU) | Conformity for craft placed on the EU market | CE plate, HIN verification, technical file check |
| SOLAS / STCW | Safety equipment and crew competence | Safety items and delivery crew |
| National regulation | Registration, tonnage, radio licence, seaworthiness | Document checks and registration work |
A standard gives a finding its justification. "The wiring is not suitable" is arguable; "conductor size inadequate for the circuit load (ABYC E-11 approach)" means the same thing to an underwriter, a yard and a buyer.
2. Field Method
A survey is a fixed sequence, not a walk-around. The same sequence is applied on every vessel; nothing is skipped, and where something could not be reached it appears in the report as "not inspected".
- Documents and identity: HIN/CE verification, registration, tonnage, insurance, previous reports, service records.
- Hull ashore: gelcoat, impact and repair marks, moisture readings on a grid with comparison areas, hammer sounding for voids, keel attachment, shaft, propeller and rudder, anodes, seacocks.
- Deck and structure: hull-to-deck joint, hatches, chainplate areas, mast step, track and cleat fastenings.
- Systems: panel and wiring, batteries and charging, fuel lines and filters, gas installation, freshwater, bilge pumps and alarms, fire precautions.
- Machinery: cold start, leak traces, belt and hose age, cooling circuit, exhaust run, gearbox.
- Safety: liferaft, lifejackets, flares, extinguishers, EPIRB, with service dates.
- Sea trial: staged load, maximum revolutions, vibration, steering and autopilot, instruments; readings recorded.
3. Equipment Used
The instruments we carry are what turn findings from opinion into numbers. Each answers a specific question:
| Instrument | The question it answers |
|---|---|
| Tramex Skipper Plus moisture meter | Subsurface moisture in composite hull and deck, read on a grid against dry comparison areas |
| Phenolic sounding hammer | Voids, delamination and wet core, identified by change in tone |
| Ultrasonic thickness gauge | Plate thickness and corrosion loss on steel and aluminium hulls |
| Thermal camera | Distribution of moisture and wet core, heating at electrical connections, engine and exhaust temperature mapping |
| Borescope | Spaces that cannot be reached without dismantling: tank surrounds, keel void, behind the engine, mast step |
| True RMS clamp meter | Circuit load, stray current, alternator and charging behaviour, true RMS is essential for valid readings |
| Battery tester | Real capacity and internal resistance; separates a tired bank from one that merely reads good voltage |
| Zinc reference electrode | Cathodic protection level and galvanic or stray-current corrosion, the real reason anodes disappear |
| Loos & Co. rig tension gauge | Standing rigging tension on sailing yachts; excessive or uneven tension loads chainplates and the keel area |
| Vibration meter | Shaft alignment, propeller balance and bearing wear, recorded against revolutions on trial |
| Sound level meter | Cabin and engine room noise levels; documenting abnormal increases |
| Laser thermometer | Temperature differentials at engine, exhaust, gearbox and bearing points |
| Laser distance meter | Measurement and dimensioning for tonnage work and locating findings |
| 30× loupe | Cracks in terminals and welds, gelcoat crack patterns, early corrosion |
No single reading decides anything. Moisture values are never reported without drying time, the number of readings and the comparison area. The thermal camera and the moisture meter verify each other: one gives distribution, the other gives value.
4. Finding Classification
Every finding falls into one of three classes: A critical/safety, B short term, C planned maintenance, D observation. The classification is not arbitrary, anything affecting life safety, flooding or fire risk is automatically class A. See the report guide.
5. Ethics, Written and Binding
1. No conflict of interest. Where we survey a vessel, we do not sell repair work on the same findings.
2. No commissions. Marina, lift, hardstanding, supplier and transport charges are invoiced to you directly. They are not part of the survey fee and carry no mark-up.
3. The report is yours. It belongs to whoever commissioned it and is not shared with third parties without your instruction, including brokers and sellers.
4. Every finding is recorded. Favourable or not. Nothing is softened to help a sale and nothing is inflated to break one.
5. Limits are stated. Any area that could not be reached, required dismantling or fell outside the agreed scope appears as "not inspected".
6. Liability and Insurance
Our liability is limited to the service fee, as set out in the contract. A survey records the visible condition of the vessel at the time of inspection; it is not a warranty against latent defects or future failures. On a delivery the yacht sails under the owner's own hull and machinery policy, the delivery service does not provide cover.
7. Records and Confidentiality
Reports, photographs and field notes are retained for 24 months, and you may request a copy within that period. Vessel and client information is not shared with third parties; it is disclosed only where legally required and on written request.
8. Fees and Engagement
- The fee is agreed in writing before work starts; scope (ashore / afloat / full) and fee appear on the same document.
- Marina, lift and hardstanding charges are yours and are paid directly to the provider.
- The report is issued in Turkish or English as you prefer, with identical findings and photographs.
- Cancellation within two to three working days forfeits the deposit; earlier cancellations are refunded or moved to a new date.
9. Who Carries Out the Work
Field work is carried out by a surveyor holding ABYC Professional Member status and a 149 GT Yacht Captain licence. Combining survey and command experience means the vessel is judged not only as it stands ashore but as it behaves at sea: how the engine performs under load, helm balance and vibration on trial are read by someone who has run those passages.
10. Verifying a report
You can ask whether a document given to you as a SurveyYat report really came from us: verify a report.
Frequently Asked Questions
10. Commission a survey run to standards
Scope and fee agreed in writing before work starts. Report in English or Turkish, same content.
Related Pages
Prepared by SurveyYat, ABYC Professional Member, 149 GT Yacht Captain. Last updated: September 2026.