When the surveyor steps aboard, where the time goes depends largely on what was done before that day. On an unprepared boat, hours disappear looking for access, and the report fills with lines that read "could not be reached". Those are the lines a buyer worries about most.
This page is for the seller or owner: what to do before a survey, what not to do, and why.
One thing first: preparation is not concealment. A hidden defect surfaces sooner or later, and when it does, it is not only the defect that comes into question but the seller's good faith. The point of preparing is to make the boat's real condition visible.
1. Ashore or Afloat?
For a pre-purchase survey the boat must be ashore. The underwater hull, keel attachment, rudder bearings and shaft can only be assessed out of the water.
| Condition | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| At least a week ashore and dry | Moisture readings on a wet surface mislead. A figure taken on a boat just hauled does not reflect the laminate's real state. |
| Cover off, air moving | A boat under cover does not dry. Opening it a few days before the reading is enough. |
| Hull washed, growth removed | Blisters, cracks and repair marks are invisible under barnacles and weed. |
| Chocks clear of the hull | Areas under chocks cannot be read; move them if possible, or the report records that area as a limitation. |
| Crane slot booked | If a sea trial is planned, launch and recovery are booked for the same day; without a slot the survey spreads over two days. |
2. Access: What Costs the Most Time
Every hatch the surveyor cannot open becomes a limitation in the report. Before the survey:
- Engine room: panels free, surroundings clear. Anything stored on the engine is removed.
- Bilge: visible and dry. If there is water, pump it out, but not before finding out where it came from.
- Lockers and their bases: surfaces against the hull emptied; moisture is read from inside too.
- Sole hatches: carpet and floor covering liftable.
- Under berths and cabin lockers: emptied.
- Electrical panel: front cover openable; the thermal camera looks in here under load.
- Seacocks: each one physically reachable and able to be turned.
A practical measure: the less personal gear aboard, the more productive the survey. Clearing it as you would for a week away is enough.
3. Documents
- Registration, tonnage certificate
- CE / RCD certificate and the builder's file if available
- Engine and generator service records, invoices and work orders
- Any previous survey report, not something to withhold; showing it builds trust
- Records of refits and repairs, with materials used
- Insurance policy and any claims history
- Safety equipment papers: liferaft service date, extinguisher refill date, flare expiry
4. Systems Must Be Working
A system that cannot be run cannot be written up as "working".
| System | Preparation |
|---|---|
| Main engine and generator | Fuel adequate, batteries charged, raw water circuit open. If it has stood unused, run it a few days before. |
| Batteries and charging | Charger connected and working; each bank tried separately. |
| Bilge pumps | Tried manually and on automatic; float switch in place. |
| Water and heads | Tank filled, pump working. If winterised, refill before the survey. |
| Windlass, winches, furling | All operable; the furling gear opens and closes. |
| Navigation electronics | Powers up and displays; aerial connections in place. |
| Air conditioning, heating, refrigeration | Run; if something does not work, the reason is known beforehand. |
5. What Not to Do
- Painting just before the survey. Fresh paint hides everything beneath it, and a surveyor sees that. Even where nothing is concealed, it raises doubt.
- Cleaning the bilge without finding the source. Wherever that water came from will be found anyway; cleaning it only makes the source harder to trace.
- Covering defects temporarily. A crack sealed with silicone is written up as "a crack that has been covered over", which reads worse than the crack.
- Withholding service records. A missing document is read as maintenance not done.
- Standing over the surveyor throughout. Observing is natural; commenting on every reading lengthens the process.
6. If You Are Selling: Consider a Pre-Sale Survey
A condition survey commissioned on your own behalf shows what the buyer's survey will find. Three benefits follow:
- Small items get closed before the sale, a few hundred euros of work saves far more at the table.
- No surprises in negotiation; you set the price knowing what is there.
- You hold a document you can show the buyer, the fastest way trust is built.
See selling your boat for the wider process.
7. On the Day
- Keys: all locks, lockers, engine room and the boat itself.
- Shore power: connected; some readings are taken under mains.
- Someone reachable: a phone number for when a question comes up.
- Time: up to 45 ft, a working day; longer above that. A sea trial adds half a day.
Frequently Asked Questions
At least a week, uncovered and ventilated. Moisture readings on a wet hull mislead; a few hours or a few days is not enough.
No. Fresh paint hides blisters, cracks and repair marks, and a surveyor notices. Even where nothing is concealed it raises doubt.
Not completely, but anything covering surfaces against the hull should go: locker bases, sole hatches, berth lockers, around the engine. Clearing it as for a week away is enough.
Showing it works in your favour. It records the boat's condition then and what has been done since. A withheld document is read as maintenance not done.
A system that cannot be run is recorded as "could not be tested", which reads as uncertainty to a buyer. If the engine has stood unused, run it a few days beforehand.
You may be, and you can ask about findings. Commenting on every reading only lengthens it; the findings are gone through together at the end anyway.
In most cases yes. Seeing what the buyer's survey will find lets you close small items and set the price knowing what is there.
Related Pages
Survey ProcessFrom booking to reportSurvey TypesWhich scope you needSelling Your BoatThe three-month ruleCommon Boat DefectsWhat comes up most oftenReading a Survey ReportFinding classes and report languageSurvey QuoteFee by length and scope
Survey booked?
Tell us the boat and the date; we will go through the preparation list together.
💬 WhatsApp 📝 Written quote 📞 +90 501 5 SURVEYScope: The survey is non-destructive and nothing is dismantled; details on the survey types page.
Downloadable forms
The forms we use for this are free to download and fillable.
Which marina is the boat in?
Travel lift capacity, dry storage and winterising, with sources, are collected in the marina directory.
Continue with this topic
- Haul-out day: Booking backwards and the day in order.