A good survey report is not a long list of faults; it is a document that makes a decision possible. Three things should come out of it: should you buy this boat, if so how much less should you pay, and what will the first season cost you.
1. What the Report Contains
- Identification: vessel details, HIN/CE, length, year, engine type and hours, date, place and scope.
- Scope and limitations: what was inspected and what was not. Never skip this, "not inspected" does not mean "no problem".
- Findings: location, description, photograph and priority class.
- Summary and recommendations: overall condition, urgent items, estimated costs.
- Value opinion: where requested.
2. Priority Classes, What to Read First
| Class | Meaning | Action |
|---|---|---|
| A, Critical / safety | Directly affects safety of life or vessel | Rectify before going to sea; goes straight into the negotiation |
| B, Short term | Will worsen if left this season | Budget for it; most negotiating items sit here |
| C, Planned maintenance | Normal wear, item due | Goes on the maintenance schedule |
- ASafetyRectify before going to sea. Not a negotiating point.
- BThis seasonNeeded within this season. Where negotiation happens.
- CPlannedOrdinary maintenance calendar. Not for negotiation.
Practical rule: the total of class A items is what you take into the negotiation. Class B is your first-year budget and part of it can often be shared with the seller. C items appear on every boat and are not bargaining chips.
Taken from a real client report (96 pages, issued in Turkish). Boat name, make/model, report number, hull and engine numbers, place, date and people are withheld. More pages from the report
3. Decoding the Language
- "Not inspected", no access, dismantling required, or outside the agreed scope. The risk has not gone away; it simply was not seen.
- "Elevated moisture readings", not osmosis on its own. Drying time, number of readings and the comparison area must be stated.
- "Void detected on sounding", suspected delamination. Location and extent decide severity: a local void on deck is not the same as widespread voids in the hull.
- "Recommended" vs "required", the first is an improvement, the second is not optional. The wording is deliberate.
- "Undocumented", it may have been done, but there is no record. Surveys work on records.
Taken from a real client report (96 pages, issued in Turkish). Boat name, make/model, report number, hull and engine numbers, place, date and people are withheld.
4. Reading the Cost Estimates
Costs in a report are estimated ranges, not quotations. Labour varies by region, parts lead time and access. A sound approach: add the upper end of class A items and half of class B, that figure is what you can defend at the negotiating table.
5. After the Report: Three Roads
- Proceed. Findings are within expectations; class A items are rectified or deducted and the sale completes.
- Renegotiate. Total repair exposure exceeds expectations; you work through the report item by item. The report is your strongest tool here because it is documented, not emotional.
- Walk away. Structural problems, widespread delamination, keel attachment damage, hull-to-deck separation, or repair costs approaching the value of the boat. This is when the survey fee returns the most money it ever will.
6. Common Misreadings
- Treating the number of findings as severity. Sixty findings do not mean a worse boat than twelve; it reflects the surveyor's level of detail. Read the classification.
- Skipping the scope section. A decision made without knowing what was not inspected is a decision made on partial information.
- Deciding without the photographs. Text says "corrosion staining"; the photograph tells you whether it is superficial or structural.
- Forwarding the whole report to the seller. The report is yours. Sharing the relevant items is enough.
Frequently Asked Questions
The priority classification. Class A (critical/safety) items must be rectified before going to sea and go straight into the negotiation. Class B is your first-season budget.
That the area could not be accessed, required dismantling, or fell outside the agreed scope, not that it is free of problems. Where a critical area could not be inspected, further investigation or a diver check is recommended.
No, they are ranges rather than quotations. Labour varies by region, parts lead time and access. For negotiation, adding the upper end of class A and half of class B is a reasonable approach.
The report belongs to whoever commissioned it. Sharing only the relevant findings is enough; you are not obliged to forward the whole document.
No. A sixty-item report where everything sits in class C can describe a well-kept boat, while a twelve-item report with one class A structural finding is serious.
Three roads: proceed if the findings are within expectations, renegotiate on the basis of the report if the repair exposure is higher than expected, or walk away where the problem is structural. We read the report through with you to make that call clear.
7. Already have a report?
We can read another surveyor's report with you and explain what it means in practice.
Related Pages
Second OpinionAn independent read of your reportSurvey TypesWhich survey do you need?Survey ProcessFrom booking to reportCommon Boat DefectsThe 20 findings we record mostYacht DeliveryMoving the boat after purchase
Prepared by SurveyYat, ABYC Professional Member, 149 GT Yacht Captain. Last updated: September 2026.
Continue with this topic
- Negotiating with the report: Which findings count and how to turn them into cost.