On the Eve of the Survey
Tomorrow is perhaps the pivotal event in the acquisition (or avoidance) of this ship… a full-scale Condition & Valuation (C&V;) survey by Alain Vilage. It was a bit of a scramble getting to this point, as the fellow originally scheduled to do the survey turned out not to be a SAMS or NAMS member. While he is no doubt competent and seems to have a good reputation around the docks, huge red flags went up when I realized he was not accredited… for that is absolutely essential when it comes to getting insurance (or backing up a claim later). Once I realized what was up, it was quite a red-alert; I had to find a surveyor within the contract time frame, which then required re-scheduling of the haul-out and audio gauge hull analysis.
But it has all come together for tomorrow. Once Alain’s survey is complete, I’ll compile the results and recommendations with the rig and engine audits, then distribute the extensive to-do list into three categories:
- Problems that need to be negotiated with seller
- Urgent fixes/upgrades before cruising or shopping for insurance
- Things that would be nice to do, but aren’t the seller’s problem
When that’s done, my broker will swing back into action… and if all goes well, a revised contract will be finalized by the end of the week. The worst-case scenario, of course, is that there are serious deal-breakers that contraindicate buying the boat. More likely, the deal will go through, but I’ll have no shortage of immediate issues to deal with. It is a boat, after all.
Ah, once again surfing the knee of the learning curve…