View Single Post
  #13   Report Post  
posted to rec.boats.cruising
 
Posts: n/a
Default Survey missed bubbles in gel coat or recently developed


"Bruce" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 10 May 2007 11:40:34 -0400, "Mark"
wrote:

The buyer nor the surveyor saw the bubbles last spring, so we do not know
if
the bubbles have developed since then (or why) or if they were overlooked
by
the surveyor. The surveyor was hired to closely inspect the boat for
potential problems that could otherwise be overlooked by the buyer (the
buyer knew she did not know enough about boats to recognize this type of
problem). Now that she is getting more familiar with the details of the
boat (such applying the bottom wax herself), she is seeing more and asking
more. The bubbles might not even be an issue until the "expert" (the
surveyor) re-inspects the boat. The questions I am asking are merely to
help her (and myself) understand if and how bubbles can start to form, or
were they potentially ovelooked (raising the question of the value of
getting a survey done).


"Rosalie B." wrote in message
news
"Mark" wrote:

A friend purchased a small cruiser last spring and had it surveyed.
While
getting ready for this spring's launch and applying anitfouling wax she
noticed bubbles in the gelcoat. Contacting the person who did the
survey,
they said they would have a look at it again on the 20th of May with her
regular mechanic. In the meantime....

Some information removed.

One question I would have is what kind of a boat are we talking about.
I ask because of the reference to "anti fouling wax". The only boats I
am familiar with that are waxed are all out racing boats.



Bruce in Bangkok
(brucepaigeatgmaildotcom)

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com


The value of a surveyor's report is questionable.

The insurance companies usually get you to insure the boat as per the
surveyor estimated replacement value.

I would read the contractual obligations written in your surveying contract.

If you have accepted the boat after reading the surveyor's report and agreed
to pay for the services, your legal recourses are thin and the seller is
covered.

The beauty is that a surveyor is only responsible for what he/she can see at
the time of inspection.

However, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. In your case, the bubbles have
not developed over one year or so.

Very few lawyers know their ways in that field and the jurisprudence is not
readily available.

I would make an estimate about repairing the boat and the cost of suing the
surveyor and seller before doing anything.

You are not the only one in this situation. It is like having a bad disease
people do not talk about it. Many boaters have to absorb the repair cost.
How to repair it could be the subject of another post.