Looking for a company/person to do a sea-trial

[brian_g]

Does anyone have a recommendation for a company/person that I can contact to do a sea-trial?

Thanks,
Brian

[Old Blue]

anybody that does that but I would imagine that there must be a bunch of surveyors around or someone like that who do this regularly.

So what are ya lookin at?

[brian_g]

I'm looking at 3 Billfishers, and they are all in good shape from what I can see. But, aside from a gaping hole in the side of the boat I would be hard pressed to make a qaulified assesment of any of the three Billfishers.

I'm looking for someone that I can contract to come out and take a look at each of these boats. Then when/if I make an offer on one I need them to come out for the sea-trial.

[DOGHOUSE26]

I think it boils down to how much are you willing to pay someone to look at the Billfishers and how serious are you about buying one? For the money you're going to spend on a 26 Billfisher a good surveyor is cheap insurance.

[brian_g]

I agree, that's why I'm trying to find someone that is recommended on this board. I would much rather know what I'm getting up front (good and bad) rather than find out after I have made a purchase

Any suggestions?

[DOGHOUSE26]

Yes, I would call Steve Blackman and ask for the name of the surveyor they recommend; he is pretty thorough.

[hijole]

Finally the Doghouse has a good idea.
I second the motion.

[iclypso]

If you're in the San Diego area, I recommend Bob Smith, Marine Surveyor. He did the survey on my Blackman and was very helpful, knowledgeable and honest, plus he gave me a few tips on what he would do "if it was his boat." PM me if you want his phone #. I'm not sure how often he does sea trials but it's definitely worth a call; he's one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet, to boot.

[yellowfin1]

I was in the exact same position when I wanted to purchase a Billfisher. I asked Steve Blackman for a recommendation for a surveyor but, he said it would be a conflict of interest to recommend someone. I used a surveyor during the purchase of Tenacious and I'm almost sorry that I did (in retrospect). At the time I think it gave me a piece of mind but now when I think about it, the guy really did not do anything that I could not do. It seems that these guys really just point out the obvious to a perspective purchaser. In his report almost every item he listed indicated that it was "satisfactory for servicing" (whatever that means). I would definitely recommend a survey on a larger vessel and I believe it is a requirement for gaining funding (loan). I used Billy Fox here in San Diego and I got in touch with him through Dona Jenkins Marine Documentation (in the phone book). Like I said he did a good job of pointing out the obvious.
The one thing which he did for me was to arrange for an oil sample to analyze excessive wear, corrosion, or saltwater in the engine. If you don't require a survey for a loan I recommend that you do a good inspection of the vessel yourself and bring along a person who knows diesel engines (if you don't). Obvious things which should raise a yellow or red flag are:
1. Excessive smoke (a little at starting is Ok if the engine is cold).
2. Check the sight glass on the filters for excessive algae or water.
3. Engine should be able to sustain a cruise speed IAW the manual for extended periods with a full bait tank.
4. Engine should be able to reach a MAX RPM (IAW manual) for at least a minute or two without overheating.
5. Check maintenance records and make 1-2 spot checks with the person doing the repair or maintenance if they will talk to you just to ensure that the maintenance records were not just written in (not that any Blackman owner would do that).
6. Run all the electronics to ensure they work (or at least you'll know what you want to replace).
7. Engine leaks: oil, water, etc.
8. Excessive blow by (diesel exhaust on the block/heads/turbo (a little may be OK).
9. Check hull and bilge for any seawwater leaks.
10. Operate all other equipment to ensure they perform as expected such as the trim tabs, anchor winch, bait/bilge pumps, lights, battery charger, generator (if equipped), etc. Some of these may not work like brand new. You'll probably want to expect that and be prepared to figure those into the offer. Oh yeah, if the boat has a trailer and you plan on using it, you'll want to inspect that real well too.
Hope this helps,
Scott