Narrow Boat Inspections Surrey, Kent, Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire, Greater London
Are you looking for canal and narrow boat inspections in Surrey and the surrounding areas? We offer marine surveys for canal boats throughout Surrey, Greater London, Berkshire, Sussex, Kent and Hampshire.
What Are Canal & Narrowboat Surveys
A canal boat or narrowboat survey is essential if you are thinking of purchasing a brand new narrowboat for yourself. However, if you've ever had a survey carried out before, you know how complicated it can be.
Fortunately, Cetec Marine Ltd provides clear and understandable information on your chosen narrowboat so you can fully appreciate what condition the vessel is in.
Full pre-purchase surveys allow you to have a professional appraisal conducted on your narrowboat to find out exactly what condition it's in before you buy. Not only are surveys ideal for your peace of mind, but your insurance company may also require a survey brought to them before agreeing to give you a policy.
You shouldn't confuse a Boat Safety Certificate with a professional boat survey. While Boat Safety Certificates are necessary for all boats kept on rivers and canals, they only cover limited safety aspects of your boat. They have nothing to do with its overall condition.
Therefore, you will need a full pre-purchase survey for narrowboats, canal boats or river cruisers. Cetec Marine Ltd can perform any survey you require for your craft. We will lift your boat out of the water during a survey to fully inspect the hull area, given that it is the most important part of the craft.
Using an ultrasound meter, our professional surveyors will determine the thickness of metal hulls, such as those made from aluminium or steel. This reveals how much of the hull there is and whether it is safe or requires "doubling" (patching). We will test fibreglass or FRP hulls to check for moisture issues.
Why get a Narrowboat Inspection
When you find the perfect narrowboat for you, it can be tempting to buy it as quickly as possible.
However, you shouldn't accept the current owner's appraisal or survey as a responsible buyer, especially if it isn't a recent survey.
Always have your own independent boat survey conducted whenever you purchase a new craft.
Our professional surveyors' information may even allow you to negotiate a better purchase price.
Alongside having your domestic water hull surveyed, you may also consider having an engineer survey the engine of your chosen narrowboat.
This is especially important for older boats, as your brokerage company will demand a full inspection of the craft before covering it.
While a Boat Safety Scheme examination is an important part of ownership, they do not match the thoroughness of a proper narrowboat survey.
The cost of having your boat undergo marine surveying offered by Cetec Marine Ltd will pay for itself in the long run, with the added peace of mind knowing that your boat is in good condition.
Of course, there will be additional charges from your chosen boatyard for the process of lifting your boat out of the water. But this is all part of the same package that will help your boat remain in working order.
All of our professional surveyors hold the suitable marine-based qualifications and experience to carry out any survey you require. Any surveyor or boat safety examiners you hire should at least be an accredited member of a recognised marine surveys institute.
These include the Yacht Designers and Surveyors Association, the International Institute of Marine Surveying, the Marine Engineering Council, or other marine sector officiators or professional associations.
Our surveyors can even carry out BSS examinations as part of our surveying service.
Who can carry out a Narrowboat Survey?
Only qualified marine surveyors, such as those at Cetec Marine Ltd should carry out a narrowboat survey and award the appropriate certificates. Whenever you are thinking about purchasing a new boat or second-hand narrowboat, having it professionally surveyed should be your first thought.
While you may fall in love with what you see above the waterline, there's plenty below that needs checking before making an informed purchase.
What does a Narrow Boat Survey Cost?
One of the initial costs to consider when having your narrowboat surveyed is lifting it out of the water and using a marina dry slip to conduct the inspections.
Having your boat hauled onto a marina's slipway will typically cost you around £200 plus VAT. The cost of the survey itself will depend on how long your narrowboat is.
Typically we charge per foot, so for a narrowboat of 55 feet, you can expect a price of around £500. We will include all additional and travel costs in our free, no-obligation quotes for any surveying work you require. For a basic valuation, we have a standard charge of £250.
Types of Canal & Narrowboat Survey
There are three main types of canal boat and narrowboat survey that we can conduct:
Full Surveys
Again, when you undertake a full narrowboat survey required by your insurance provider, the craft will need to be lifted out of the water. This allows our surveyors to conduct a proper ultrasonic measurement and hull inspection to measure the metal's thickness and check for pitting and damage.
The average cost of a full survey is between £500 and £600, depending on the boat's length.
- Weedhatch assembly, cabin fabrication, condition and fixtures
- Stern equipment, propulsion and rudder assemblies engine
- Engine and gearbox condition
- 12v system
- 240v system
- Gas system
- Plumbing, water and heating system
- Water tank, Fit-out, linings and vessel interior
- Insulation check
- External paint and coatings, such as having your hull blacked
- Cratch checks
- Fore and aft covers
- Windows and portholes checks
- Deck and deck boards check
- Fire prevention and boat safety items
- Ventilation
- Hull Survey
Hull Surveys
As the name suggests, a hull survey only focuses on the exterior hull of a particular boat, checking for damage and thickness.
The average cost of a hull survey is between £300 and £400.
- Inspection for build quality and any cruising damage
- Hull plate condition, counter floor, weld patterns, base plate and hull sides
- Penetrations, hull outlets and freeboard
- Hull plate thickness in vulnerable areas and pitting depth
- Depth and coverage of pitting on steel hull
- Weedhatch assembly
- Cabin fabrication, fixtures and condition
- Interior of the hull
- Stern equipment, propulsion and rudder system and assemblies
- Internal Survey
Internal Surveys
Internal surveys concentrate on the boat's safety equipment. Our surveyors can also visually inspect the engine and stern gear when required.
The average cost of an internal survey for a Boat Safety Certificate is around £150.
- Fuel system check
- Electrical system check
- Propulsion system check
- Firefighting equipment check
- LPG system check
- Appliances and flues
- Ventilation condition and operation
-
Pollution prevention system check
What happens if my boat fails the examination?
It's not the end of the world if our surveyors find something is wrong with your canal boat or narrowboat.
The extent of the issues uncovered during a recent hull survey or full survey may not be that extensive and easily repairable.
In most cases, it won't cost too much to fix the issues and get the boat into a condition where it will pass the examination from our surveyors.
When you find yourself in this situation, there are generally a couple of things you can do.
If the new or second-hand boat fails the inspection, you can renegotiate a better price with the seller, discounting the costs it would take to make the necessary repairs.
Alternately, you can request the seller to pay for the necessary repairs and then pay the full price the boat was originally listed at.
Otherwise, if you don't want to bother with the hassle of either of these choices or the boat is too damaged or would fail for insurance purposes, you can always walk away from the deal entirely.
If you require canal and narrow boat inspections in Surrey or the surrounding areas get in contact today. Call 01784 464 899 for narrow boat inspections in Surrey, Greater London, Berkshire, Sussex, Kent and Hampshire.
Cetec Marine Ltd
7 Malet Close
Egham
Surrey
TW20 8ED