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Full text from the book
Introduction
During the course of
his weekly work, a marine surveyor is faced with a dizzying
array of different sizes and types of craft. Though it would
certainly be desirable, it is not possible to produce a step-by-step
guide as to how to perform a survey since the survey will vary
so much from boat to boat. By necessity, this book is intended
to be read cover-to-cover.
Each chapter starts with a discussion
of the basic principles involved, then gives an overview of
the kinds of problems the surveyor routinely faces. In many
ways, it begins to resemble a compendium on proper marine engineering
and standards. From this, the surveyor is expected to be able
to extrapolate the faults he discovers in his work.
No one book could possibly begin
to cover the virtually infinite variations that surveyors encounter
in boats. In the end, the surveyor is required to sufficiently
develop his knowledge to the point where he is capable of rendering
his own judgment on any given issue. The purpose of this book
is to help you learn to do that.
* * * * *
The production
of this book was undertaken as a self-published work in
order to help fill the void created by a near total lack
of good texts on the subject of pre-purchase surveying
pleasure craft. It is the most extensive and thorough book
of it’s kind ever produced, if only
because there are so few of them.
Although this book deals mainly
with motor yachts, including styles such as express and convertibles,
I have included chapter nine Cockpits, which covers
many of the problems to be found with outboard boats, particularly
the high end center console boats that have become so popular.
Surveyors tend to get very enthusiastic about surveying bigger
and bigger boats; we should not forget that there’s a
good business to be done with smaller boats that might well
be more profitable than their larger cousins.
While the theme
is primarily directed at the novice surveyor and the aspiring
surveyor, the subject is the actual business of marine
surveying. However, the business of marine surveying is
not about boats alone, for every survey starts with a client
for whom the service is being rendered. Therefore, as a
primary theme you will find that the relationship between
surveyor and client is close at hand, for they are inseparable.
Always at the back of his mind is a customer who wants
to know about the nature of the used boat he is about to
purchase. No, this profession is not just about boats;
it’s
about people and boats.
Underlying
every situation is the question of what exactly is the
surveyor’s responsibility
to the client? What kind of information does the client need
to be informed of? Are there differences between legal and moral
responsibilities? These are questions that surveyors face every
day, and for which I’ll provide some answers and the
reasons why.
It is not the
purpose of this book to educate the reader on the subject
of pleasure craft generally. By necessity I have assumed
that the reader is possessed of certain prerequisites,
including a solid knowledge of technical basics. I am frequently
asked by people whose backgrounds and education are in
other fields, how they can become marine surveyors. They
seem to think it’s an easy thing to change careers
because this profession seems to them to be glamorous,
and requires no college diplomas or licenses. There is
also the siren song of self employment, which is a tougher
taskmaster than any boss one has ever had.
My answer to them is that if
they do not have a background in boat building or repair, or
similar allied field, then they should not even consider trying
to become a marine surveyor. Lacking such expertise, they are
inherently unqualified. There are no schools that can provide
that education, only the college of long experience in allied
fields. Neither will this book provide those qualifications,
as one book cannot make a professional expert. And expertise
is what our clients hire us for. If a surveyor lacks it, he
is nothing more than a quack, something this profession already
has too many of.
Due to a perceived lack of literature
on the subject of modern boat construction, chapter five deals
extensively with hull construction, devoting some 45 pages and
over two dozen photos and drawings to help the surveyor in identifying
structural deficiencies. Because stress cracks are so common
to boats, an entire chapter is devoted to this sometimes mystifying
subject. Chapter eight then deals with decks and superstructures.
Many newcomers
enter the profession every year, but few survive for very
long. While I can’t
know all the reasons why, I have to believe it’s because
most were unaware that marine surveying is not a casual activity
that just anyone with a whim could enter and expect to succeed.
Many seem to think that being a marine surveyor is somehow
glamorous, as if surveyors do little but ride around on yachts
sipping pina coladas and enjoying the scenery. Others seem
to think that they can attend a few classes or seminars and
get everything they need to know to be successful in a matter
of weeks.
Nothing
could be further from the truth. If you have any ideas
about this being a glamorous profession, let me disabuse
you of that notion right now. Marine surveying is a work
of hard, physical labor, that is usually dirty, noisy and
puts him in an adversarial position with sellers and brokers.
Surveys are almost always conducted in difficult circumstances,
and almost never under ideal working conditions. The surveyor
is routinely exposed to extremes of weather, poor working
conditions, dirt, grime, foul odors, harsh chemicals, extremely
loud noise and the constant threat of physical injury from
unexpected sources. You’ll
end up working in engine rooms with temperatures as high as
130oF.
You’ll spend a good part
of your time lifting and laying carpet, moving mattresses and
furniture, taking things apart and putting them back together.
You’ll empty lazarettes, closets and lockers and then
put everything back again. At times you’ll feel like you
work for a moving company. You’ll handle lines, fenders,
anchors and chains, remove and replace seat cushions and enclosures
thousands of times.
And you’ll quickly come
to understand why successful surveyors are never overweight.
How could they be when they exercise ten hours a day, every
day. If you haven’t the stamina for continuous hard labor,
then don’t even consider becoming a surveyor.
This book begins
by taking a hard look at some of the basic principles involved
in surveying, including the surveyor’s legal responsibilities,
the scope of the service provided, and the definition of
terms such as seaworthiness and soundness. Next, it moves
into issues of client relations, including topics such
as how to avoid getting tangled up in situations that should
be avoided, and generally how to stay out of trouble. The
novice should be aware that every job that comes his way
is not necessarily a job that he can profit from. More
than a few jobs turn out to be tar babies that were best
avoided.
Chapters five
through sixteen cover the practical work of conducting
the survey. These twelve chapters are illustrated with
nearly two hundred photos and drawings of the actual conditions
the surveyor will find in the field. These are photos I’ve collected for over twenty
years and will prove invaluable toward helping the novice understand
what he’s dealing with. No one book could begin to cover
everything that ought to be addressed. However, by the time
anyone is done studying these chapters, he can expect to be
well grounded in the principles of what constitutes a thorough
survey, and how to best serve his client.
Last, but not
least, chapter seventeen covers how to make appraisals
and chapter eighteen deal with how to write reports. This
chapter was included because it is my perception that the
reports of much of the profession leave a lot to be desired.
Unless one has a business or legal education, writing is
not something most people put much effort into learning.
For the marine surveyor, writing a professional report
is a critical skill. What many seem to fail to realize
is that the report is the surveyor’s work product,
the primary thing by which his work will be judged by others,
and the only thing which others will see. If the report is poorly
written, the end result is like painting a boat with a mop.
Ultimately,
marine surveying is not about the business of boats; eventually
one comes to discover that it’s about people who buy and own boats;
that boats don’t lie at the heart of the business, but
what people think about them that does. As they say, "One
man’s trash is another man’s treasure." In
the end, it’s not about how much you know about boats,
but how much you know about people and what they want
to know. Satisfy that demand and you’ll have a lot of
happy clients. In this business, people skills are paramount,
technical skills are secondary but equal importance.
If you don’t know something,
you can always find someone who does know. Although the surveyor
is the one who’s supposed to know everything about boats,
most of my clients would be surprised to hear me say that it
seems like I’ve spent a good part of my career calling
other people and asking questions. We don’t know everything
there is to know about boats and never will. Our objective
should be to become reasonably competent and, above all, learn
to develop the sources through which we can get fast answers
to our endless questions. A well-stocked Rolodex can be worth
more than a library full of books, most of which are outdated.
This book will help the novice
make a good beginning, and help the experienced surveyor brush
up on his skills and knowledge.
David
H. Pascoe
Fort Lauderdale
June, 2001
Copyright© 2001
David H. Pascoe
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