Guides by make
Every builder designs for a particular use and price band. What makes a boat good or poor is not the badge but what it was designed to do and how it has been used. The same model runs fifteen untroubled years with a careful owner and is worn out in eight with a neglectful one.
This page is not a ranking. It sets out what a surveyor looks at particularly on each kind of boat, because every build philosophy brings its own checkpoints.
1. Production Cruising Yachts
Beneteau, Jeanneau, Bavaria, Dufour, Hanse, Elan and similar. Optimised for interior volume, easy handling and accessible price. Mature designs with millions of sea miles behind them.
| Looked at | Why |
|---|---|
| Keel attachment and keel sump | Deep, narrow keels load the attachment area heavily. Crack lines on the canoe body, rust weeping inside and bolt torques are checked. |
| Rudder bearings and play | Balanced rudders wear at the bearings over time; measured ashore by hand. |
| Hull-to-deck joint | Bolted and bonded joints need checking as they age; traces are looked for inside. |
| Cored deck moisture | Around deck hardware bolts is the likeliest entry point. Moisture is read on deck as well as on the hull. |
| Rig age | Wire rigging is renewed at 10-12 years; on many boats the original rig is still standing. |
| Charter history | Fleet boats carry high hours but usually regular, documented maintenance, the two are read together. |
2. Performance and Racing Yachts
X-Yachts, Grand Soleil, Salona, Solaris, J/Boats and similar. Lighter structure, higher loads; vacuum infusion, sometimes carbon reinforcement.
- Structural grid: a laminate grid or steel frame carries keel and rig loads. Weld and bond lines are inspected.
- Chainplate area: high rig tension works this region; cracks and weeping are looked for inside.
- Racing history: on a hard-raced boat the load history matters more than the age. Any breakage and repair record is asked for.
- Carbon components: impact damage is not visible; a suspect area may need a further method.
3. Catamarans
Lagoon, Fountaine Pajot, Bali, Nautitech, Leopard. Two hulls create a different load pattern from a monohull.
| Looked at | Why |
|---|---|
| Bridgedeck underside | Slamming works this surface; laminate cracking and delamination are looked for. |
| Hull-to-bridgedeck junction | The area joining the two hulls is the most critical structural point on the boat. |
| Two engines, two shaft lines | Each line is assessed separately; hours and vibration compared. |
| Twin rudder linkage | Tie bar and synchronisation are checked. |
| Charter use | Most catamarans have fleet history; read alongside the maintenance record. |
See catamaran survey for detail.
4. Motor Yachts, Flybridge and Cruiser
Azimut, Ferretti, Sunseeker, Princess, Sealine, Fairline, Galeon. High power, dense systems.
- Shaft line and alignment: vibration is measured; seal and bearing condition checked.
- Fuel system and tank floor: corrosion at the base of aluminium tanks, inspected where reachable.
- Exhaust and water jacket: composite fatigue and leak traces on wet exhaust runs.
- Generator and air conditioning circuits: raw water circuit, stray current and bonding assessed together.
- Hydraulics: passerelle, platform, stabilisers, all operated.
- Flybridge structure: weight aloft works the deck laminate and its supports.
5. Gulets and Wooden Boats
Bodrum and Marmaris-built gulets, classic wooden craft. A different material calls for a different method.
- Fastenings: galvanic corrosion and electrolysis are the quietest damage on a wooden boat.
- Caulking and seams: the source of watertightness; needs regular attention.
- Keel-to-frame connection: checked by sounding.
- Ventilation: what kills timber is not water but water that does not dry.
- Polyester sheathing: a skin laid over timber hides what is beneath and calls for separate assessment.
See wooden boat survey and mistakes that kill a wooden boat.
6. Steel and Aluminium
- Ultrasonic thickness readings: plate loss shows only by measurement; taken on a grid at many points.
- Cathodic protection: on aluminium the reference band is −950 to −1100 mV (Ag/AgCl); over-protection is also harmful.
- Dissimilar metals: stainless fittings on an aluminium hull must be isolated.
- Coating system: epoxy film integrity, particularly at the waterline and tank areas.
7. Blue-Water and Upper-Segment Yachts
Hallberg-Rassy, Najad, Amel, Oyster, Contest, Malö, Sweden Yachts, Discovery, Nautor's Swan. Built heavier for long passages, with high-grade hardware and thicker structure, and correspondingly dense systems.
- Number of systems: watermaker, generator, furling gear, autopilot, hydraulics, each is run separately, which lengthens the survey.
- Teak deck: thickness measured; plug condition over screw heads and moisture beneath assessed together.
- Passage history: on an ocean-crossing boat, structural fatigue and hardware life are read against the mileage.
- Original hardware: good hardware lasts, but not forever; renewal items come out against the age thresholds.
8. Aluminium Sailing Yachts
Allures, Garcia, Boreal, Ovni, RM Yachts (plywood-epoxy). Designed for high latitudes and for taking the ground.
- Thickness readings: ultrasonic measurements on a grid; plate loss is not visible.
- Cathodic protection: reference band −950 to −1100 mV (Ag/AgCl) on aluminium; over-protection lifts coatings.
- Dissimilar metals: stainless fittings must be isolated.
- Internal surfaces: hull behind insulation checked wherever reachable.
9. Trawlers and Expedition Boats
Nordhavn, Grand Banks, Selene, Fleming, Bering, Beneteau Swift Trawler. Low speed, long range, large fuel capacity.
- Fuel system: multiple tanks, transfer pumps and separators; tank floors and vent lines inspected.
- Stabilisers: hydraulic circuit, bearings and leak traces.
- Passage equipment: redundant systems (second pump, emergency steering) are tried.
- Engine hours: high on trawlers; read together with the service record.
10. Turkish-Built Yachts
Numarine, Sirena, Mazu, Vicem, Alia, Bilgin, Turquoise and the Bodrum-Marmaris yards. Turkey builds at world scale in both series and custom work.
- Build file: on a custom boat the builder's file, laminate schedule and material certificates are asked for.
- CE / RCD: category and conformity checked; later modifications can affect the certificate.
- Bespoke solutions: parts that are standard on a production boat may be one-off here; spares availability is asked about.
- Wooden boats: gulets and classic builds call for separate expertise in material, fastening and caulking.
11. Day Boats, Sports Boats and RIBs
Bayliner, Sea Ray, Quicksilver, Jeanneau Cap Camarat, Axopar, Saxdor, Nimbus, Targa, Karnic, Zodiac, Brig, Highfield, Williams. A small boat is not a short survey, fewer systems, but harder use.
- Transom and engine mounting: on outboard boats the transom laminate and mounting bolts are the critical area.
- Transom and bracket moisture: where water entry into a cored structure begins.
- Trailer and transport marks: impact and strain traces on road-transported boats.
- Tube condition (RIB): air-holding test, seams and bonded areas, UV ageing.
- Hours: day boats show low hours but hard use works the structure harder.
12. What Changes with Age
| Age | What comes to the front |
|---|---|
| 0-5 years | Warranty items, build omissions, hardware installation. Structural trouble is not expected. |
| 5-12 years | Rig age, battery bank, seals and hoses, electronics life. |
| 12-20 years | Deck moisture, seacocks, fuel tank, engine overhaul threshold, coating system. |
| 20+ years | Structural assessment moves first: keel attachment, laminate condition, the whole electrical installation. On 1980-2000 orthophthalic-resin hulls osmosis risk is assessed separately. |
13. Not the Badge, the Record
A make decides less than people assume. Two boats of the same model from the same builder can be in entirely different condition depending on how they were kept. That is why the first thing asked for is not the model year but the service records and any previous report.
If you are looking at a particular model, the survey calculator gives scope and fee, and the delivery calculator covers moving the boat.
14. More make guides
New make notes for catamarans, outboard boats and long-passage yachts:
Frequently Asked Questions
Scope: The survey is non-destructive and nothing is dismantled; details on the survey types page.
Related Pages
Send the make, model and year; we will go through the scope and fee for that boat.
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