Yacht Survey: the due diligence behind every confident decision at sea
Before you buy, insure, commission or transport a yacht, a thorough technical inspection tells you exactly what you are dealing with.
A yacht is never quite what it appears to be on deck
A polished teak deck and a freshly detailed hull say very little about what is happening inside an engine room, behind a bulkhead, or beneath the waterline. Corrosion, moisture ingress, deferred maintenance and non-compliant electrical work are rarely visible on a viewing, yet they are precisely what determine a yacht’s real condition, its fair value, and its safety at sea.
This is the gap a marine survey closes. It replaces assumption with evidence: a structured, hands-on inspection that gives buyers, owners, insurers and lenders a clear, documented account of a vessel’s true state before money changes hands or a policy is signed. Whether you are buying a yacht, selling one, or arranging cover for a vessel already under management, a survey is the foundation the decision rests on.
Our Yacht Survey Services
Each survey type answers a different question: condition, value, compliance or cause. All are conducted to the same rigorous, evidence-based standard.
Pre-Purchase Survey
The single most important step between an offer and a closed sale. Our surveyor conducts a full inspection of the vessel’s structure, systems and safety equipment, typically including an out-of-water hull examination and a sea trial, to confirm the yacht’s true condition before you commit.
- Hull, deck, superstructure and rigging
- Machinery, electrical and bilge systems
- Safety equipment and onboard compliance
- A negotiation-ready written report
Condition & Valuation Survey
Most marine underwriters and lenders require a current survey before extending cover or finance. This inspection establishes both the vessel’s condition and its fair market value, giving insurers and financiers the documented basis they need to proceed with confidence.
- Structural integrity assessment
- Professional fair market valuation
- Deficiency and deferred-maintenance log
- Accepted by regional underwriters
New Yacht Commissioning Survey
For owners taking delivery of a new build, this survey verifies that construction matches the agreed specification, quality standards and safety regulations before handover, catching build discrepancies while the shipyard still owns the fix.
- Specification and build-quality verification
- Pre-delivery systems testing
- Snag list for shipyard resolution
Unloading & Transport Survey
When a yacht arrives by transport vessel, this inspection confirms it reaches its destination (marina or yacht club) in the same condition in which it was loaded, protecting owners and shippers alike against disputed transit damage.
- Pre-load and post-discharge condition record
- Photographic documentation
- Basis for any carrier claim
Damage Survey
Commissioned after a grounding, collision, fire or weather event, a damage survey investigates and documents the extent and cause of loss, forming the technical foundation for an insurance claim or any resulting legal proceeding.
- Cause and extent of damage
- Repair scope and cost estimation
- Insurer and legal-ready documentation
Not Sure What You Need, or Have a Specific Request?
Whether you are weighing up which survey applies to your situation, or already know exactly what you are after, tell us about the vessel and we will scope it with you. There is no cost to asking.
Deeper diagnostics, for owners who want certainty
Beyond the standard survey types, our technical team supports refits, disputes and system design with focused, instrument-based inspections.
Refit Supervision
We oversee major refit projects at yards across Southeast Asia: from initial project specification through periodic yard visits to a final inspection on completion, ensuring the work matches the brief.
Expert Witness & Litigation Support
Objective technical assessments and evidence for maritime disputes, drawing on decades of combined survey experience to support legal counsel and insurers through proceedings.
Electrical Systems Design & Integration
From power generation to battery storage, our chief surveyor designs integrated NMEA 2000 electrical networks built for a vessel’s current and future needs.
Coating Systems Consulting & Inspection
On high-end and metal-hulled yachts, coating systems represent a significant investment, and we verify that advanced coating applications are specified and executed correctly.
Ultrasonic Hull Thickness Testing
Using a precision pulse-echo material thickness gauge, we locate hidden corrosion in metal hulls, including pockets behind tanks and machinery, without removing any coating.
Oil Analysis
Laboratory analysis of engine oil reveals wear and contamination trends before they escalate into performance loss or engine failure, supporting a proactive maintenance plan.
FRP Moisture Detection
Elevated moisture readings in a fibreglass hull, deck or superstructure are often the earliest warning sign of laminate or core damage, and we test for it before it becomes a costly repair.
A survey, done properly, in five steps
Scope the survey
We confirm the vessel, the purpose of the survey (purchase, insurance, damage or commissioning), and any access requirements, such as a haul-out slot or shipyard authorisation.
Review the paperwork
Registration, classification, maintenance logs, previous survey reports and warranty documentation are examined before the surveyor sets foot on board.
Inspect the vessel
A methodical, hands-on inspection of the hull, structure, machinery, electrical systems and safety equipment, out of the water wherever the survey type requires it.
Sea trial
Where applicable, we assess performance, handling and systems under way: the only way to confirm that everything inspected at the dock actually performs at sea.
Deliver the report
A clear, structured written report with photographic evidence, a deficiency list and recommendations, ready to support a negotiation, a policy, or a claim.
Survey expertise, built into a regional yachting network
A Regional Shipyard Network
Years of brokerage and charter operations across Asia give us direct relationships with the region’s haul-out yards and technical facilities.
Detailed, Documented Findings
Every inspection is backed by a clear, thorough written report: photographic evidence, a deficiency list and practical recommendations you can act on.
Multilingual Reporting
Reports and consultations are available in multiple languages, suited to Asia’s international base of owners, buyers and insurers.
Confidential by Default
Every survey is treated as commercially sensitive. Findings are shared only with the client who commissioned the inspection, unless otherwise instructed.
Know exactly what you are buying, insuring, or settling a claim on.
Tell us about the vessel and what the survey is for, and we will confirm scope, timing and a fixed quote within one business day.