What does a marine surveyor check on a boat?

01First, what a survey is not

A few corrections up front will save you grief later.

A boat cannot fail a survey. The surveyor observes, tests, and reports — the product is a written report of condition and graded deficiencies, not a verdict (ABYC). There is no such thing as a boat with no findings, either: “even brand-new boats have issues, so if a surveyor doesn’t come up with any findings, then they probably didn’t conduct a thorough enough survey” (BoatU.S.).

It’s a snapshot. The report “represents the condition of the vessel on the above dates… not to be construed an inventory or warranty either specified or implied” (John Hughes sample report). As Boat-Alert puts it, there’s no guarantee that an electrical component that powered up during the survey won’t reach the end of its life a few weeks later.

The surveyor is not a mechanic. “A marine surveyor observes, tests, and reports — they are not mechanics” (Marine Inspection), and BoatU.S. agrees: a surveyor’s job is not to troubleshoot or repair. Nor will the surveyor tell you whether to buy — their job is to give you the information to make that decision yourself (Marine Inspection; YDSA).

One more thing worth knowing before you hire anyone: surveying is an unlicensed profession. “Anyone can call himself a marine surveyor; there are no licenses or exams required” (Virginia DWR/BoatU.S.). That’s why accreditation matters, and we’ll come back to it.

02The surveyor’s checklist, system by system

There is a professional honesty in this trade you should understand from the start. When BoatU.S. polled SAMS and NAMS members, there was “no consensus on what is or isn’t covered on a pre-purchase survey.” A comfortable majority always sound the hull, reference ABYC standards, and test electronics for operability; only a slight majority always use a moisture meter, and slightly less than half always take the boat on a sea trial (Virginia DWR/BoatU.S.). The governing principle, though, is consistent: “everything attached to the boat must be catalogued in the report” (BoatU.S.), and the survey “involves examining every aspect of the boat possible without taking it apart” (Pascoe).

Hull below the waterline

This is the haul-out phase, and it’s where hidden problems live.

• Sounding: tapping the hull with a plastic hammer (a ball-pein hammer in UK practice) to detect voids and delamination (BoatU.S.; Practical Boat Owner).
• Moisture meter readings: comparative readings — “normal or relatively dry, relatively moist or relatively wet” — taken around through-hulls and near the waterline (John Hughes sample report). If delamination is present with above-normal readings, further testing is advised. One caveat from UK practice: inspecting between tides can affect moisture meter readings (Omega Yacht Services).
• Blisters and osmosis: standard haul-out checks are water intrusion, delamination, and blisters; gelcoat condition and antifouling paint (BoatU.S.; San Diego Marine Surveyors).
• Through-hulls and seacocks: every fitting checked as adequately secured and sealed; seacocks tested to confirm they open, close, and are corrosion-free. The stakes are real — in one cautionary tale, a surveyor photographed a seacock not only corroded but seized open from galvanic corrosion (Practical Sailor), and in the Virginia DWR story every seacock on a rushed-survey boat was frozen open, with a leaking hose that nearly sank it.
• Keel and keel-to-hull joint: on bolted-on keels, the bolts are inspected from inside the boat. Rusted or worn keel bolts mean the keel must be dropped — “a very big and expensive job” (Practical Sailor). One real 1975 yacht showed both rudder and keel offset ten minutes into the survey; the fix was £9,000 on a boat worth less than that (Practical Boat Owner).
• Running gear: propeller, shaft, struts, rudder, anodes, thrusters, trim tabs, and cutless bearing wear (BoatU.S.; San Diego Marine Surveyors).
• Steel hulls get soundings, and specialists may use ultrasonic thickness gauges on the plating (South Coast Marine Surveyors via surveyor checklists; Virginia DWR/BoatU.S.).

Hull-to-deck joint, deck, and core

Hull-to-deck joint separation, structural rot, and fiberglass delamination are the items a surveyor should examine first — they’re the big ones (BoatU.S.). Hull, deck, and cockpit are “inspected, sounded and tested for moisture” (Practical Sailor). Wet, decayed core is the classic hidden killer: “Wet, decayed core isn’t visible from the outside, but it is one major issue a surveyor would be sure to find” (BoatU.S.). Deck hardware on the list: hatches, ports, windows, stanchions, lifelines, cleats, windlass, winches, davits, rub rail (San Diego Marine Surveyors; John Hughes sample report).

Structural internals

Bulkheads, stringers, internal moldings, and liner bonding are on published checklists (San Diego Marine Surveyors), and bulkhead rot is a leading deal-breaker — the rubber-stamp surveyor in the Virginia DWR story missed rot in two of them. Chainplates are inspected from both deck and interior (Practical Sailor). On the sea trial, the surveyor also examines structural hull elements under load (Pascoe).

Electrical

AC and DC panels and all wiring; battery count, type, condition, and mounting; shore power; corrosion; marine-grade wire verification; GFCI outlets (Practical Sailor; BoatU.S.; San Diego Marine Surveyors). The standards context matters: ABYC publishes 68 standards totaling over 650 pages, and a competent surveyor should know them alongside NFPA standards and Coast Guard requirements (Virginia DWR/BoatU.S.). A real finding from the cheap-survey anecdote: a water heater in the engine compartment that wasn’t ignition-protected — a mechanic strongly recommended replacing it, and the boat went up for sale two years and several repairs later (Virginia DWR/BoatU.S.). Note that deep electrical inspections are often deferred — they “can take many hours” and are usually recommended separately, on imports or on older boats whose electrical systems have been repeatedly “upgraded” (Virginia DWR/BoatU.S.).

Fuel system

Tank condition and securing, lines, filters, vents (San Diego Marine Surveyors), plus the exhaust system. The bilge is checked for diesel, which would indicate a leak from engine or tank (Practical Sailor).

Plumbing, bilge, and gas

Bilge pumps, manual and electric, tested; freshwater system, head and holding tank, hot water tank, all inspected for leaks (Practical Sailor; San Diego Marine Surveyors). LPG and CNG systems are checked — insurers specifically ask whether propane is used for cooking or heating and whether any leaks are present (Practical Sailor).

Propulsion — and its honest limits

In the general survey the engine gets a visual inspection, a start-up (ideally cold — “engines should not be run for 24 hours prior to the survey”), checks for leaks, belt wear, wiring, and filters; exhaust is watched at start for excess smoke, and the engine is run to full capacity while the surveyor takes temperature and RPM measurements (BoatU.S.; San Diego Marine Surveyors).

What is not done matters just as much: “No reference or information should be construed to indicate evaluation of the internal condition of the engine(s)” (John Hughes sample report). Compression checks, internal inspection, and oil analysis are the job of a separate engine survey by a mechanic (Virginia DWR/BoatU.S.; Marine Inspection; Little Yacht Sales). On powerboats where engines make up a major share of the boat’s value, BoatU.S. is blunt: hire a mechanic trained in that particular engine type. “Expect an engine survey to cost you about $500 per engine (at the time of this writing)” (BoatU.S.) — or $100–$180/hour for a separate marine mechanic (Marine Inspection). For newer engines, computer diagnostics work; for older ones, an oil sample can be sent to a lab and “analyzed for metals, water, and mineral deposits that might indicate a problem” (BoatU.S.) — though Pascoe cautions that oil analysis “is not quite as valuable a diagnostic tool as many people have been lead to believe,” since you first need to know how long the oil has been in service. For outboards, a dealership with certified mechanics can do the diagnostics, and a small powerboat survey takes about half the time, especially on a trailer (BoatU.S.).

“Power up” is not “works.” Survey reports define it precisely: “‘Power Up’: Power was applied only. This does not refer to the functionality of any system or component” (John Hughes sample report).

The rig (sailboats)

Standing rigging is visually inspected — but here’s the trade’s most candid limitation, from the sample report: “All standing rigging was installed and checked only at eye level and below unless otherwise specified” (John Hughes sample report). Going up the mast isn’t something most general surveyors will do as part of a standard survey, which stays at deck level — yet the rig is expensive and critical. BoatU.S. recommends hiring a professional rigger: “As of this writing, a rigging survey will generally cost between $400 and $600. A rigging survey takes an hour or so, and the rigger will use their own equipment to climb the mast… Mostly, they’re looking for rust and crevice corrosion, which cause tiny cracks, often invisible to the untrained eye, that can cause catastrophic failure.” Riggers can also perform a dye test, where dye seeps into cracks and makes them visible (BoatU.S.). (Published figures vary: $300–$500 per Marine Inspection, $400–$600 per BoatU.S.) Running rigging, spars, furlers, and winches are all on the checklist (Practical Sailor).

Electronics and safety equipment

Chartplotter, VHF, radar, GPS, depth sounder, AIS, autopilot, lights — tested for operability, which as you now know means powered up (Practical Sailor; San Diego Marine Surveyors). Safety equipment is inspected “assuring it is in working order and not outdated,” with all components itemized (Practical Sailor); fire extinguishers, flares, and noise-making devices confirmed current (BoatU.S.). This inventory is not the same thing as the free USCG Vessel Safety Check, which is an equipment-focused check with a different job — see our boat safety checklist.

Cosmetics

Exterior wood, cushions, fabric, gelcoat polish — noted, but they carry the lowest weight, and UK surveys “might not include soft furnishings or cosmetic items that don’t affect the structural integrity” (Practical Boat Owner).

03What a survey does not include

Compiled from the standard disclaimers in real reports (John Hughes sample report; Boat-Alert; Marine Survey Cost UK):

• No destructive testing. Nothing is removed — no fittings, screwed boards, fixed partitions. Locked compartments preclude inspection.
• No internal engine evaluation. Electronics power up only.
• No hidden-defect guarantee. Areas behind linings, under tanks, and beneath fixed joinery may not be inspected without destructive access requiring the owner’s consent. “No determination of stability characteristics or inherent structural integrity has been made.”
• No “seaworthy” verdict. The report may say the boat is fit for its intended use, but seaworthiness includes crew quality and voyage preparation — outside survey scope.
• No buying decision. The surveyor informs it; you make it.

And the profession’s own reminder: “The two most important tools that a surveyor possesses do not consist of a box of fancy digital instruments, but his experience and his skills in observation” (Pascoe).

04The survey day: three phases

Every complete survey has three parts — a haul-out inspection of the underbody, a static inspection afloat, and a sea trial (Pascoe; BoatU.S.). Combined, expect “4–8 hours dock + haul-out + sea trial” (Marine Inspection); surveys on yachts up to 55–60 ft are usually accomplished in one day (Pascoe), and the UK average is “an all-day event, taking on average six hours” (Omega Yacht Services). Small boats may take a couple of hours; large yachts a couple of days (Discover Boating).

Phase order varies. The US powerboat norm: haul, clean and inspect the bottom midday, re-launch, short sea trial, further inspections (Boat-Alert). UK sailboat practice is the reverse — the out-of-water inspection is “by far the most important, and lengthiest, part,” with the on-the-water stage later if the buyer proceeds (Practical Boat Owner).

Haul-out logistics

Yards block “an hour or less” for a quick haul (BoatU.S.). Fees run $10–$15/ft (Marine Inspection) to $10–$20/ft depending on the yard (Van der Vliet) — roughly $250–$375 for a 25-footer — and “generally, the buyer pays for the haul-out” (San Diego Marine Surveyors). Let the hull dry a couple of hours after lifting before the surveyor arrives (Practical Boat Owner). Can you skip the haul-out to save money? You can, but it’s not recommended: “The haul-out lets the surveyor inspect the hull bottom, propeller, rudder, through-hulls, and running gear — all areas where hidden problems live” (Marine Inspection). Trailerboats are the quieter version of the same job — kept on a trailer, the survey is simpler and takes about half the time (BoatU.S.).

Who runs the boat? “The seller will either run the boat themselves to and from the yard and for the trial run, or they will hire a captain” — and BoatU.S. is explicit that “neither the buyer nor the buyer’s broker should run the boat for any amount of time due to liability,” especially around the dock (BoatU.S.). Who arranges the lift differs by market: in the UK, “agree with the vendor or broker who arranges and pays for the lift-out, and book the yard slot” (Marine Survey Cost UK); in the US, the buyer and broker typically coordinate.

The sea trial

BoatU.S. distinguishes a short “trial run” (engines and running gear checked, sails deployed if safe) from a full sea trial in serious conditions. Pascoe recommends an open-water trial of at least one hour — “short runs in restricted waterways will not accomplish this objective.” Under load, the surveyor tests (Marine Inspection; Pascoe; BoatU.S.; San Diego Marine Surveyors checklist):

• RPM at various throttle positions against expectations — the San Diego checklist specifies max RPM held for 15–20 minutes while checking temperature and exhaust
• Oil pressure, water temperature, shifting smoothness (including reverse and maneuvering), vibration, exhaust smoke, unusual noises
• Steering response, controls, engine mounts, shafting
• Handling, stability, speed, compass accuracy, electronics under power, bilge pump operation
• Structural hull elements under load
• On sailboats: raise all sails, check condition and rig under load, make a couple of tacks

Should you attend? Yes

Most surveyors prefer the buyer present, though ask first — a few prefer to work alone (Virginia DWR/BoatU.S.). “It’s a good move to be there. You’ll probably learn a lot” (Discover Boating). Survey day is your chance to learn more about that boat than you will in a year of ownership, and a good surveyor will let you follow along and ask questions (BoatU.S.). Day-of etiquette: write questions down ahead, take notes, record video, let the surveyor work — they have many items and usually only one day. Don’t dive into troubleshooting; it’s fine to ask how they’d approach a repair and roughly what it would cost, and fine to take the helm briefly — but this is not a test drive (BoatU.S.).

The seller’s preparation list

If you’re the one selling, this list makes the day go faster and reflects better on your boat (Little Yacht Sales; Practical Boat Owner; Velos; BoatU.S.; Marine Inspection):

• Clean and declutter; empty lockers — it makes defect identification easier and saves time
• Make all systems accessible; the surveyor must open every compartment and view the bilge
• Working batteries, shore power connected
• Service the engine so it starts easily; run it before the sea trial if it’s been laid up
• Fuel and water aboard for the trial
• Seacocks operable; registration, service records, and prior surveys ready
• If hauled, allow a couple of hours for the hull to dry

One caution from the trade, aimed at owners: “Be careful about doing work on the boat yourself if it goes beyond cosmetics. As a surveyor, once you hear ‘the owner is extremely handy, and he’s done plenty of labor on the boat himself,’ it’s a red flag” (Boat-Alert). And keep a log with all maintenance invoices — “it’s impressive for a surveyor when they see everything is in order” (Boat-Alert).

05What it costs

All figures below are published rate levels from surveyors’ and insurers’ own pages, not quotes — pricing varies by region, vessel age and complexity, and surveyor experience. Most surveyors charge by boat size rather than hourly (Progressive).

US levels

Two honest notes on the spread. First, the range is genuinely wide — roughly $20 to $40 per foot across sources — so get the per-foot rate and the minimum in writing. Second, pre-purchase surveys “typically cost 50–100% more per foot than insurance surveys because of the additional depth and time required” (Marine Inspection). Plan on one to two weeks of surveyor lead time, two to four in peak season (Ahoy! Insurance); reports arrive in one to three days in the US (Marine Inspection; San Diego Marine Surveyors).

UK levels

UK fees are quoted per foot, like the US. One UK guide puts surveys for boats up to 40 ft at £600–£1,000, with a test sail at +£100–£150 if not included (Practical Boat Owner).

Why cheaper isn’t better

Low-ball quotes correlate with limited system knowledge, no formal training or certification, no professional liability insurance, inadequate inspection time, and generic reports; a serious surveyor carries liability and errors & omissions insurance (Tako Marine). One surveyor considers it a red flag when a prospective client’s first question is price — fair to ask, but only after establishing qualification (Virginia DWR/BoatU.S.). The value math is simple: “a survey routinely uncovers issues worth far more than its cost” (Little Yacht Sales) — the £9,000 keel-and-rudder finding on a boat worth less than that is the extreme case.

06Hiring the surveyor

Because anyone can call themselves a marine surveyor, accreditation is your filter. Both SAMS (AMS designation: five years’ surveying plus exam) and NAMS (NAMS-CMS: five years full-time plus exam) verify membership on their websites, hold members to a code of ethics, and require continuing education (BoatU.S.; SAMS; NAMSGlobal). In the UK, look to the YDSA, the professional body with standards dating to 1912 (YDSA; Practical Boat Owner). One insurer-specific wrinkle: “Some insurance companies will only work with one or the other” — SAMS or NAMS — so check with your insurer or lender first (BoatU.S.). Also worth knowing: insurers “can and do refuse to accept” reports from uncertified individuals (Curtis Stokes).

On broker recommendations, an honest tension. ABYC says “your yacht broker can’t ethically recommend a surveyor to you”; BoatU.S. says leaning on your broker for a name is fine (ABYC; BoatU.S.). The resolution that keeps you safe either way: whoever suggested the name, verify accreditation directly with SAMS, NAMS, or YDSA before booking. And never use a surveyor recommended solely by the seller (Marine Inspection).

Questions to ask, in order (Virginia DWR/BoatU.S.; Tako Marine; BoatU.S.; Marine Inspection):

1. How long have you been surveying, and what’s your marine background? (Boatyard/repair experience is a plus.)
2. What professional organizations do you belong to?
3. Can I be present during the inspection?
4. Are you experienced with my hull material, vessel type, and rig? A surveyor experienced with sailboats may miss things on a sportfish — and vice versa. Metal and wooden boats are vulnerable to different issues; hire a specialist.
5. Do you carry professional liability / E&O insurance?
6. May I see a sample report?
7. What exactly does the fee include — haul-out coordination, sea trial, valuation?
8. What’s your turnaround time?

Then ask price — last.

Red flags: no sample report; no E&O insurance; a quote before they’ve asked anything about the boat (a good surveyor fires a barrage of questions first — Pascoe). And the cautionary outcome to keep in mind: the Virginia DWR rubber-stamp survey was a couple of hours of poking around and a few comments scribbled in a notebook — the buyer later found rotted bulkheads, frozen seacocks, a rusted engine mount, a worn cutless bearing, and a near-sinking hose.

07Reading the report

A US pre-purchase report runs up to 30 pages (BoatU.S.). Per ABYC, it should contain the boat’s identification (name, hailing port, HIN, registration numbers — with photos of the HIN), dimensions and construction, equipment detail, condition remarks general and detailed, recommendations for repairs, photographs, and — if it’s a C&V — fair market value and possibly replacement value, plus context: dates, location, weather, how the inspection was conducted, whether a sea trial was performed. Real reports organize findings by priority; John Hughes’s sample uses color tiers:

• Red (Priority I): safety defects and regulatory recommendations — may be mandatory
• Blue (Priority II): maintenance issues and standards recommendations — not normally mandatory
• Green (Priority III): surveyor observations

YDSA grading is similar: immediate for safety reasons / at winterisation / cosmetic (Practical Boat Owner).

Triage: deal-breaker, negotiation point, or normal wear

Don’t panic — even well-maintained boats have findings, and the report becomes your maintenance baseline: every finding not addressed before closing goes on your ownership to-do list (Marine Inspection).

On renegotiation, the framing matters. The surveyor informs the decision; the boat cannot “fail.” US practice treats the report as “a powerful negotiation tool — negotiate a lower purchase price or request that the seller address the repairs before closing” (Van der Vliet). The UK bodies put it more reservedly: the report is not a bargaining tool, “although clearly a serious defect can [be] raised in consideration of an alteration of price or for the works to be done prior to purchase” (YDSA), and the RYA notes it “may identify problems that justify renegotiation of the price.” If the surveyor’s valuation differs greatly from your offer, renegotiate — the surveyor “has access to the same tools a broker does” (BoatU.S.); UK valuations typically land within 10% to 15% of the asking price (Practical Boat Owner). And if findings are severe enough mid-survey, “it’s common for the surveyor and client to agree on some partial payment if an apparent defect convinces the customer that there’s no need to continue” (Boat-Alert) — sometimes the surveyor will even offer to stop before the expensive haul-out.

08Survey types and who requires what

(ABYC; Discover Boating; Practical Boat Owner; Practical Sailor.)

A C&V documents condition and assigns fair market value — that’s what insurers and lenders order — but it “is not sufficient to make an informed decision regarding the purchase of the vessel” (ABYC). The difference in one line: an insurance company wants to know the boat isn’t going to sink, catch fire, or create a liability issue; the buyer wants to know as much as possible (Curtis Stokes). Insurance surveys cost less because less time is spent on the inspection (Practical Sailor).

One survey, two jobs. A current pre-purchase survey usually satisfies the insurer at the time of sale — “you typically get both jobs done with one inspection” (Little Yacht Sales). YDSA agrees, and Practical Sailor closes the loop: “Best to avoid any possibility of disappointment and get the pre-purchase survey from the start which will also serve as your insurance survey.”

When a survey is required

• Lenders: “Many lenders won’t consider financing a used boat that hasn’t been surveyed” (Discover Boating); a financial institution financing a used boat may require a surveyor’s report (Virginia DWR/BoatU.S.). Skip the survey and the broker may ask for a signed survey waiver (BoatU.S.).
• Insurers: before insuring “a boat of a certain age, length, or value, some boat insurance companies require a marine survey” (Progressive); “virtually all insurance underwriters will require the applicant to submit a survey report” before writing a policy on pleasure craft, with renewal surveys after 5–7 years of boat ownership (Curtis Stokes).
• Concrete age thresholds vary by insurer and market. In the US, Ahoy! Insurance requires a survey when an Admitted policy is needed and the boat is 20 years old or more. In the UK market, “most insurance companies ask for boat surveys on vessels that are over 25 years old” (Velos).

One boundary sentence: commercial and class surveys, and CE/RCD import certification, are separate regimes — different world entirely.

09Can you do it yourself?

A careful DIY walkthrough before ordering the survey is worth doing — owners should check the hull themselves beforehand, and prepared, clean boats survey faster and cheaper (Velos). But it cannot replace the professional, for four sourced reasons:

1. Acceptance. Insurers and lenders require the survey to be conducted by an accredited professional (Progressive; Discover Boating). A self-survey gets you no financing and no policy.
2. Tools and technique. Moisture meters, tap-hammer sounding, thermal cameras, borescopes, ultrasonic gauges all require experience to interpret — “this is not DIY inspection gear” (Tako Marine).
3. Reference base. The surveyor’s real tools are experience and observation across hundreds of hulls; the skill is judging what an elevated moisture reading means, which no standards document can decide (Pascoe; Boat-Alert).
4. Independence and liability. A self-survey has no objectivity guarantee and no E&O behind it; the professional report is “your leverage for negotiations, insurance underwriting, and documentation for resale” (Tako Marine).

The full DIY walkthrough lives in our buying-process guide; here the honest boundary is what matters. And a consolation for sellers: “Boat owners are rarely surprised by survey findings – generally, they know their boat better than anyone” (Boat-Alert).

10Where you’re buying matters

United States. A survey is near-universal on used boats and contractually embedded: offers are written “subject to a satisfactory survey,” the deposit sits in escrow, and the buyer can renegotiate or cancel based on findings (Little Yacht Sales). This is the survey-contingency model — your purchase contract will set a deadline for the survey and your renegotiation window; the buying-process article covers the contract mechanics.

United Kingdom. A YDSA-accredited survey is standard practice among serious buyers but less contractually embedded. The RYA recommends surveying after an offer is accepted, with the agreement drafted so the buyer can withdraw on findings; the lift-out is arranged by agreement with the vendor or broker (Marine Survey Cost UK; Practical Boat Owner). Two UK specifics: always get a new survey — an old one “could have been altered” — and confirm your surveyor’s professional indemnity cover in writing (Practical Boat Owner; Marine Survey Cost UK).

Nordic countries. Survey culture is thinner and differently organized — boats often change hands on inspection and reputation, so ordering a condition survey is a buyer’s initiative, not a market expectation. Don’t confuse Finland’s famous voluntary katsastus with a condition survey: it’s a safety-equipment consultation run by boating clubs, now in its sixth decade and “ainutlaatuinen koko maailmassa” — unique in the whole world — most often free or included in club membership, with no pass/fail and boats essentially never failed (Itäväylä). Professional purchase inspections (kuntotarkastus) do exist: Suomen Venetarkastajat members can be commissioned by the buyer, the seller, or both jointly, with scope agreed at order, inspection ashore and in water, a test drive, and a written — or purely oral — report (Suomen Venetarkastajat). In Sweden the term is köpebesiktning: buyers appoint surveyors directly and agree scope, fee, and limitations themselves, and the short season matters — a survey during winter storage may be limited by covers, freezing conditions, winterised systems, and an unstepped mast, so agree whether an extra afloat stage is needed (Sweden Marine Survey).

The same winter caveat applies in the US North: “If it’s December up north and thus the boat is stored ashore for the season, you would have to do your best and then save the sea trial until the spring” (Boat-Alert).

11The records half of the picture

The survey verifies the boat as it stands on one date. What it can’t tell you is where the boat has been — that’s the boat history report’s job: title, registration, theft, accident records. The surveyor checks the HIN physically and reviews documents dockside (John Hughes sample report; Marine Inspection); the history check covers the paper trail behind them. Run both — see our boat history report guide.

12FAQ