Surveyor in SF Area?

[mbd]

Can any of you left coasters recommend a surveyor in the San Francisco area? I've got a friend looking at a sailboat. NOT an Ariel or Commander - I tried. :)

[ebb]

Not much help from me, Mike, as my experience was bad. I did go through some sort of Association of surveyors to find mine. I got nothing of substance for my $$. I believe that for insurance purposes you must use a surveyor that is accredited by the company. There are no actual accredited surveyors. They are all civilian.

And it may be a matter of telling the surveyor want you really want. But it may also be that the guy doesn't know very much. I got a list of obsolete equipment and a feeling the guy couldn't see anything but cosmetics.


I think a surveyor on the level of David(?) Pascoe - someone who really knows how boats are put together - is very rare.

It may be better to find a knowledgable sailor and/or boat worker (Mike Goodwin), or friend to walk thru the boat. You need to find SPECIFIC problems as well as her specific good points.


I would NOT use a surveyor recommended by the seller or broker!

There is a real problem in this in that you have pull the boat and inspect it out of the water. Gets expensive. My s. totally ignored anything he couldn't see. Like the mast, the bilge, under the cockpit, forepeak. He is also only guessing at the condition of anything that does work, like seacocks, hoses, electrics, goosenecks, anchor-rollers, decks, compression beams. Anything really important like a seacock of unknown age would for the new owner's peace of mind have to be replaced anyway. This list goes on.