Some defects on a new boat only appear in the first seasons: leaks, gelcoat cracks, electrical faults, rudder play. An independent survey before the warranty ends documents them so you can claim them under warranty.
- Plan it at least 2-3 months before the end date in your warranty.
- Findings are recorded with readings and photos, tied to warranty clauses.
- Notice goes to the dealer or builder in writing before the deadline.
- If you have a pre-delivery record, the two are compared.
1. When?
Before the end date in your warranty, leaving the yard reasonable time for repairs: usually 2-3 months ahead. Structural and equipment warranties can end at different times; each is checked separately.
2. What Is Checked?
- Hull and deck: gelcoat cracks, leak tracks, moisture around hardware
- Structure: bulkhead and stiffener bonds, keel joint
- Systems: wiring, leakage current, pumps, plumbing
- Machinery: behaviour under load, vibration, alignment
- Window and hatch sealing
- Whether the handover snag list was ever closed
3. How to Notify
The report ranks each finding, with photos and readings, against warranty cover. Notify the dealer or builder in writing and keep the date. Compare any repair quote with the acceptance and warranty clauses in the repair quotation sample.
4. Common mistakes in warranty claims
- Reporting by phone: a defect mentioned on the phone may not count as a claim unless it is recorded. Notify in writing, with a date.
- Waiting for the last week: even if notice is given in time, a dispute follows if the yard has no time to inspect.
- Repairing it yourself first: having another contractor fix a warranty defect voids the claim under most warranty terms.
- No photos: "there is a leak" is not enough; a notice with location, readings and photos shortens the argument.
- Forgetting equipment warranties: engines, generators and electronics are warranted by their makers, not the yard, and for different periods.
5. Comparing with the pre-delivery record
If you had a pre-delivery survey, the warranty-expiry survey repeats the same readings at the same points. The difference between the two reports documents that a defect appeared or grew after delivery, which is the strongest evidence in a warranty dispute. Without a delivery record, the survey documents today's condition in detail as the basis for the next step.
Frequently Asked Questions
Scope: The survey is non-destructive and nothing is dismantled; details on the survey types page.
Related Pages
Send the boat, handover date and warranty end date; we will set the timing together.
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