Boat survey · case studies
Boat surveys we have done: what we found and how we helped
Four on-site surveys from 2026 and, separately, one remote inspection, told from the reports we delivered. No names or registrations: just the type of boat, what we saw and what helped the buyer.
In short
- No second-hand boat is perfect: every case had pending work, and in one of them the report confirmed it was a good buy.
- What moves the most money in a negotiation is almost always the same: old rigging, seacocks, osmosis and expired safety gear.
- The report separates the urgent from what can wait and puts a figure on each item, so you negotiate with arguments, not impressions.
Boat survey · case studies
On-site surveys
Tap each case to see the findings, how we helped and the photos.
July 2026 · Costa Daurada (Tarragona) Italian 62 ft (19 m) motor yacht, 2004
Buy, negotiating the price ~€17,500 of costed work
Italian 62 ft (19 m) motor yacht, 2004
Active but shallow osmosis, and a windlass relay about to fail. We gave the buyer two costed repair scenarios to negotiate with real figures.
Inspection: Hauled out · report in English for a foreign buyer
What we found
- •Active osmosis: 11 blisters with vinegar-smelling fluid and over 30 craters from old blisters.
- •Moisture meter: 13-14 away from blisters and 18-25 on them (dry reference 10): mild-to-moderate moisture, not saturation.
- •Tap test over the whole underwater hull: sound laminate, no delamination.
- •Anchor windlass relay with advanced corrosion: the only priority safety item (anchoring in an emergency).
- •Symmetrical crack at both underwater exhaust outlets, and hull-bonded windows with aged sealant.
How we helped the buyer
- We separated the urgent item (the relay, ~€800 including the windlass repair) from what can be scheduled.
- Osmosis in two scenarios: local blister repair (~€2,500) or full guaranteed treatment (€12,000-18,000). The readings supported the first option.
- Indicative total of ~€17,500 to take into the negotiation.
Photos from the report
March 2026 · Maresme (Barcelona) 13 m offshore cruising sailboat, 1989
Buy, fixing the critical items first €8,700-9,700 of negotiating arguments
13 m offshore cruising sailboat, 1989
A good boat with an excellent engine and electronics, but 37-year-old rigging, corroded seacocks and expired safety gear. We focused the negotiation on what really costs money.
Inspection: Hauled out plus sea trial
What we found
- •Original 1989 standing rigging and chainplates: beyond service life and outside standard insurance cover.
- •At least 5 seacocks with galvanic corrosion and hardened hoses: a real flooding risk.
- •Liferaft and EPIRB expired since 2024; corroded anchor shackle.
- •Early osmosis (3 blisters on the rudder, 1 on the side) with a good tap test and even moisture readings.
- •The good news: no smoke or vibration on the sea trial, alternator charging 55 A, VHF antenna at SWR 1.1.
How we helped the buyer
- Negotiation focused on three items: rigging and chainplates (€6,000-7,000), seacocks (~€1,200) and safety gear (~€1,500).
- We told the buyer what was not worth arguing about (cosmetics, hull) so the deal would not fall apart over details.
- Post-purchase roadmap: rigger, haul-out for the seacocks and official liferaft and EPIRB service.
Photos from the report
May 2026 · Girona area (on its trailer) 5 m open boat with a 75 hp outboard, 2004
Buy at a discount €1,000-1,500 justified discount
5 m open boat with a 75 hp outboard, 2004
A healthy engine, but with the wrong power in the registry, a useless bilge pump and dead navigation lights. All cheap to fix, and all grounds for a discount.
Inspection: On land, with engine start-up
What we found
- •The registry said 50 hp but the engine is 75 hp (same serial number): an error that can cause insurance problems.
- •Bilge pump in very poor condition and a dead float switch: without automatic bilge pumping it should not go out.
- •Navigation lights, switch panel and gauges not working; battery over 5 years old.
- •Boat, engine and trailer loaded exceed 750 kg: the trailer needs its own registration and roadworthiness test.
- •We replaced the engine water pump impeller during the inspection itself.
How we helped the buyer
- A costed must-do list before the first outing: bilge pump (€50-80), battery (~€70), lights (€100-250).
- Ask the seller to correct the engine registration or deduct it.
- A justified discount of €1,000-1,500 on the asking price.
Photos from the report
July 2026 · Terres de l'Ebre (Tarragona) Dutch 38 ft steel motor yacht with flybridge, 2001
A good buy (90/100) No critical defects
Dutch 38 ft steel motor yacht with flybridge, 2001
Sometimes a survey is there to say "yes". Steel hull in very good condition and a well-kept engine; only two important points before sailing and an unhurried list of improvements.
Inspection: Hauled out plus engine trial
What we found
- •Hull and keel welds free of cracks, porosity or undercut; anodes working and no galvanic corrosion.
- •Two old dents from a previous haul-out, repaired and not structural.
- •Important before sailing: fix the masthead/steaming light and fit automatic float switches to the bilge pumps.
- •The battery bank fuses could not be located.
- •Practical detail: the gas bottles were a Greek type and needed an adapter.
How we helped the buyer
- We confirmed, with data, that it was a good buy, so the client could decide with peace of mind.
- A phased upgrade plan: DSC VHF, AIS, radar and a plotter on the flybridge.
- Preventive maintenance ranked by category, without alarmism.
Photos from the report
When the boat is too far away
If the boat is a long way from us, you or someone you trust go to see it and the Altair remote inspection app guides you step by step. We review everything remotely and send you the report.
- 1 You go to the boat
- 2 The app tells you what to check, photograph and film
- 3 We review it and you get the report
- It gives you an idea of the condition of the boat before going further.
- It costs less: no surveyor's travel, expenses or travel time to pay.
- What you paid is deducted if you then book the on-site survey.
- Up to 8 m
- €190
- 8 to 12 m
- €250
- Over 12 m
- €320
It is not the best option, far from it
Without touching the boat, tapping the hull, taking moisture readings or doing a sea trial, something may slip past us. It is a solution when the trip is not worth it, not a substitute for an on-site survey.
A real remote inspection
October 2026 · Seville (over 800 km from us) 8.30 m lifting-keel sailboat, 2004
Sound, but with age-related work pending No surveyor travel costs
8.30 m lifting-keel sailboat, 2004
A well-kept interior and an up-to-date engine service, but gas fittings expired since 2008, original rigging and a saildrive seal of unknown date. We told the buyer what still had to be checked afloat before agreeing a price.
Inspection: Remote: the buyer photographed and filmed the boat ashore, guided by the Altair remote inspection app
What we found
- •LPG hoses from 2003 labelled "replace before 2008": the gas system cannot be used as it is.
- •Saildrive: no record of when the inner seal was replaced (the manufacturer says every 6 years at most).
- •Original 2004 standing rigging, with corrosion on the turnbuckles and where the wire enters the swages.
- •Loose stanchion bases, crazed hatch acrylics and an anchor line short of what Spanish rules (RD 339/2021) require.
- •The good news: no visible hull or deck damage, a dry bilge, DSC VHF tested and an engine number matching the registry.
How we helped the buyer
- A report built on the buyer's photos and videos, ranked by urgency: what not to use, what to do before sailing and what can wait.
- Missing paperwork to request before signing: the latest safety inspection, current insurance and a certificate of no charges.
- A list of checks that can only be done afloat (engine, keel, saildrive, sea trial), to do before agreeing the price.
Photos from the report
Lessons
What keeps coming up from one boat to the next
Rigging and chainplates
After about 10 years, standing rigging falls outside standard insurance. On a 1989 sailboat it was the most expensive item (€6,000-7,000).
Seacocks and hoses
The most likely source of flooding on an older boat. We check they open and close, corrosion and hose clamps.
Osmosis: not all the same
We puncture blisters, take moisture readings and tap-test. Knowing whether it is shallow changes the budget from €2,500 to over €12,000.
Forgotten safety
Bilge pumps without float switches, expired liferafts and EPIRBs, lights that do not work: cheap to fix, but essential before going out.
Looking at a boat?
Tell us which boat it is and where. If it is far away or your budget is tight, we also do guided remote inspections.