AW BYRDE & ASSOCIATES

Yacht  Surveys & Small-Craft Surveys

Associate Member of the Yacht Designers & Surveyors Association

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Welcome to my website, which is your guide to the yacht surveys and other types of small-craft inspections and services I offer. Whether you are a private customer or commercial organisation, I am committed to providing a service that will solve your problems. A thorough survey will give you confidence and enable you to make informed choices and decisions.

Please contact me to discuss your own particular needs, and to obtain a written quote and order form.

Introduction

Why have a survey?

Types of Survey

Getting a Survey

Advice & Quotes

Introduction

I am Anthony Byrde. I am based in Dorset, and work throughout Britain and Europe, although for smaller craft I tend to keep to the South Coast & West Country to reduce travel costs.

I am an Accredited Member of the Yacht Brokers, Designers & Surveyor's Association (YBDSA), and as such have appropriate Professional Indemnity cover for the work I do, and attend regular Continuous Professional Development training days both to keep abreast of the latest developments and maintain my own working standards.

Through long experience in the industry, I have recourse to reliable specialists for in-depth inspections and reports on particular systems and installations. I have extensive previous experience of operating and managing large engine and transmission systems.

I obtained the Diploma in Yacht & Boatyard Management at the then-Southampton College of Higher Education in 1983. I started surveying in 1987, after five years running a large yacht-repair yard in Poole.  I have been sailing since I was 12, and built my own 24' timber sailing cruiser in 1971. I have sailed or skippered on many different yachts up to 43'. I am a boat-owner and so am familiar with the needs of owners and operators.

Why Have a Yacht Survey?

There are numerous reasons for having a boat or yacht inspected by a qualified marine surveyor. In the case of the purchase of a second-hand yacht, you will want assurance that the particular boat you have made an offer on is suitable for the purpose and that the need for any refit work has been identified.

Your Underwriters will anyway want a yacht surveyed before insuring it, once it is over an age specified by them.  Nobody expects a pre-owned boat to be entirely free of defects, but you will certainly want to know the implications before buying. Even if you know the yacht well , there may well be defects that neither the Owner nor yourself are aware of.

Remember, even if there is a recent survey report available for the used boat you are considering buying, it will not be assigned to you and you will have no come-back if it subsequently proves to be wrong. In any case, the yacht could have been damaged in the interim.

If you are buying a new yacht, you might want it checked over before taking delivery (even if it has a warranty: you won't want your long-awaited cruise spoiled by some defect, even if it is going to be rectified free of charge). Again, for larger yachts, with a wealth of customer-specified options, you may want independent advice, progress-chasing and supervision during build.

The cost of a typical yacht survey is only a small fraction of the purchase price of the average vessel. In return for that you either get peace of mind in knowing the craft is serviceable, or the opportunity to renegotiate the price if defects are found. By commissioning a survey you will also have the opportunity to discuss initial findings and reasonable consultation and advice thereafter.

Types of Boat Survey

The links below will show you the type of surveys that I do:

Pre-Purchase Yacht Surveys

Sea Trials

Insurance Surveys

Valuations

Damage Inspections

Tonnage Measurements for Part-1 Registry

Small Commercial Vessels Coding (SCV)

Supervision   

Claims Investigation for Underwriters

Getting a Yacht Surveyed

Documents

Procedure - Sale Using a Broker

Procedure - Private Sale

Other Surveys

Do I have to be there?

 

Documentation

In almost all cases I need your details and those of the boat, and so will ask you to complete an order form which also sets out the terms and conditions. You can telephone 01929 480064 or email yachtsurvey@btopenworld.com  . I require the order form duly signed, accompanied by payment in full. I do not bank the cheque until the survey has been completed.

 

You will see from the Survey Preparation page that there can be a fair amount to do before a boat can be surveyed. Unless you have agreed otherwise, all boat movements, cranes, scrubbing, blocking off if necessary, etc are paid by you. They will usually be arranged by the Broker once a survey date has been agreed.

 

It is worth making at least preliminary enquiries about the survey before you are in a position to place your order for it, so that the paperwork is in place when you are ready to go ahead. I can usually respond quite quickly, but if cranes have to be booked or tides are a consideration, the available dates may become constricted. I am always happy to help fit in with your plans if I possibly can.

 

Procedure for Pre-Purchase Yacht Surveys Using a Yacht Broker

When you have had your offer accepted,  the Yacht Broker will draw up a Sale & Purchase Agreement which among other things will state the purchase is Subject to Survey, and will set a time limit for the yacht to be surveyed and for you to buy, re-negotiate, or reject it (typically 14 days but that can be varied by agreement between the parties). When the Agreement has been signed by both parties, and the deposit paid to the Broker, the survey can go ahead. (See also Survey Preparation).

 

Procedure for Pre-Purchase Yacht Surveys - Private Sale

You will need the Owner's permission for the survey to be carried out. It is always easier in the long run to set out the terms of the Contract using a Sale & Purchase Agreement, particularly if the Owner asks for a deposit, and copies may be obtained from the RYA. However, even if you do not have any formal contract documents, you should at least stipulate that your offer is Subject to Survey. (See also Survey Preparation).

 

Other Types of Boat Surveys

If you want to order an Insurance Survey or other work for your own boat, I will just need a completed order form.  In the case of Tonnage Measurements the order will usually come from the YBDSA direct, and you need do no more if you have already instructed them.

 

Do I Have To Be There?

There is no need for you to be present during the survey. I will of course be very pleased to see you at the beginning, and/or to discuss informally my preliminary findings at the end, and show you some of them if you want. The written report is my formal considered opinion, however, and you should wait for that before making any decisions. It is however, distracting (if companionable) to be accompanied by the client throughout the survey, and it also slows the process and may lead to things being missed. I would of course expect you to attend sea-trials should you wish.

Advice & Quotations

I will be pleased to give you a quote for the boat survey that you need. As the cost varies depending on the yacht's size, material, extent of the survey and place, I will need to discuss your requirements before offering a written Quote & Order Form (either by email - yachtsurvey@btopenworld.com - or post).

Finally, if you are not sure what you need, please do call for advice 01929 480064 or 07831 430342 (see also  Contact Us). Remember, I am here to help !

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Send mail to yachtsurvey@btopenworld.com with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2005 AW BYRDE & ASSOCIATES.

AW Byrde & Associates is the trading name of Stonebarrow Surveys Ltd, Company Number 4783927 Registered in England. Office Address: Stonefield, Kimmeridge, Wareham, Dorset, BH20 5PE United Kingdom

Last modified: 02/22/09