"It's a case of Buyer Beware." How many times have you heard this?

Why would you not use a marine surveyor to check your boat out? There's a level of decision-making involved in any purchase. There can be a level of emotion; some anxiety, an air of excitement and a lot of ego, too. There is a distinction between an informed, rational decision and an emotional one. And the existance of a marine surveyor in the process is the bridge in that gap.

There is a harsh reality to boating and sailing that people need to confront: when you are out on the water and something bad happens, you will not be able to step out of your vessel and hail a taxi to drive you home. You may be on your own, maybe injured, in severe weather conditions and perhaps for some time before rescue arrives. But people take the risk of not properly investigating the condition of a boat as though it is the same as for buying a car.

There are jokes and stories aplenty about people who 'bought a lemon.' But financial pain and loss of enjoyment of your boat or yacht is the least of your concerns and is but a trivial inconvenience compared to what could eventuate. And that is that you could lose your life. You might be responsible for the deaths of friends and or family members. None of which are repaired by money or time. So why would you take the chance?

The fact is that people do. Not just new-comers to boating or the unprepared sailor. People with much boating knowledge and experience behind them (who should have known better) have fallen victim to relying on their own 'expertise' in boating matters. "No, I know how to do that myself. I know what to look out for and I'll be careful." Many people still get stung.

Marine surveyors are an invaluable source of information. Through their work they see and learn about more boats and more about each one than you or I can hope to. They see the good and the bad about boats and boat building technique and their breadth of knowledge expands with years service and boats surveyed. What is amazing is that people would not want to capitalise on this invaluable source of information. During the course of having a marine survey conducted you have the opportunty to ask an unlimited array of questions. You receive a qualified and impartial opinion.

These are the keys:

• qualified
• professional
• impartial
• independent

The marine surveyor experiences no emotions in your decision-making process. He or she doesn't care whether you buy the boat or not. They will provide a qualified opinion that is independent of you. You may have already made the decision in your head to go ahead with the purchase. The marine survey - that written report, is the safeguard that just may prevent you making a big mistake.

That written, qualified opinion is not just for insurance purposes, either. It provides you with a comprehensive condition report that is itemised and tells you a lot more than you would otherwise pick up during a routine inspection. You would want to know all the good and bad stuff - after all, your paying!

Someone I know has recently purchased a vessel. This person has years of experience with boats and yachts alike. They relied upon their own expertise to make the decision. The fuel tanks turned out to be of inferior quality and were split, prior to purchase. The vessel is not under warranty and the owner will bare the full cost of repairs, not to mention the loss of enjoyment of the vessel. This is not something they had the knowledge or tools to check. The employment of a marine surveyor may have prevented this loss.

It's not worth the risk. Use a marine surveyor. They are worth their weight in gold!