Survey a new boat?

B

BillyClyde

Member
Joined
Aug 12, 2025
Messages
13
Fluid Motion Model
C-32 CB
Vessel Name
Passage Moon
Hi, I just put a deposit on a new C-32 CB. I sort of blew off the idea of having a survey done but am second guessing now. I have bought used in the past and always had a survey but was thinking, “Hey! New boat… any issues will be covered by the dealer. Right?” But now am thinking a survey may find more issues faster. Also, the boat and dealer are far away from my home. I may need to rethink this. It doesn’t help my peace of mind after reading some disparaging comments on the Cutwater Facebook page, but I know folks will grumble sometimes. Thoughts on surveying a new boat?
 
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We had the same question when our R31 CB was delivered. We decided to use the Ranger Tugs systems and delivery checklists, and the Volvo Penta commissioning service instead of a survey. We trusted our dealer to address issues, and they did a great job of fixing the minor things we found. Bonus was using the checklists made us touch every part of the boat.

The issues we found were on par or less than what others that bought other brands of boats experienced in their deliveries. We have had the boat for one year now, and are still happy with both boat purchase, and support from the factory and our dealer.
 
That is a great tip! Thankyou for this helpful reply. I have left messages with a couple Surveyors, we'll see what they say and consider, but this is a great idea. The thing that made me consider this is that the boat is in Michigan and we are in Florida... Plan to cruise her home over a couple months. So we will be far away from original dealer help. Thanks again!
 
Of course my view is skewed because I'm a surveyor, but I would recommend it. I promise you I can find at least something wrong with every new boat and it doesn't matter who the manufacturer is, sometimes quite a few things wrong. I just wrote and deleted a whole list of reasons why, but I'll just leave it at 'I would recommend it for any new boat'.
 
Rode Trip said:
Of course my view is skewed because I'm a surveyor, but I would recommend it. I promise you I can find at least something wrong with every new boat and it doesn't matter who the manufacturer is, sometimes quite a few things wrong. I just wrote and deleted a whole list of reasons why, but I'll just leave it at 'I would recommend it for any new boat'.
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Thanks, we just contracted with a local Surveyor. With the cost of these boats and the fact that we are so far away from the dealer and intend to sail her the 2,000 miles home we just thought it was a good idea to play it safe. Do we still call it "sailing?" "Motoring" or "Driving" it home just doesn't feel right 🙂
 
Either you are a sailor or you are just another weekend driver. The sailors watching you will decide which.

Now, a 2000 mile voyage is a major undertaking - even if it is not across an ocean.
Deciding you are going to average this or that many miles a day to meet a schedule and grimly setting out to do that is not likely to succeed.
New boat or not, there are going to be mechanical/electrical issues.
Start by taking it in small bites the first few legs of the trip. A half day run the first few days to get the crew and the boat settled in..
Do you have extra fuel/oil filters on board for the engine and generator.
Do you have a full kit of tools, multimeter, spare fuses, flashlights, soldering iron and solder, foul weather suits.
Are you going to be carrying a dinghy - if so fuel and filters.
Do you have a second anchor with heavy tackle for the just in case loss of power/steering while a thunderstorm is peeking over the horizon.
Will you have a couple of jerry cans of fuel lashed to the railing just in case.
A water blocking filter funnel for for refueling
Do you have a medical kit adequate for a major laceration or fractured finger, etc.
Adequate cash on hand for situations where a credit card will not work.
Some form of personal protection for a dark night.

Fair seas my friend.
Whether or not you enjoy the trip, you will never forget it.
Doc
 
Doc! As Kris Kristofferson once said, “You been readin’ my mail.”

We had all of that aboard and more when we sailed our 38ft monohull through 40,000nm and 50 countries on our 7 year circumnavigation. We ran from pirates in the north Indian Ocean, hid from pirates sailing lights out through the south China Sea, replaced belts, motor mounts and finally an engine, rebuilt alternators and high pressure pumps in remote anchorages. Sent the mate to the top of the mast literally in the middle of the Pacific ocean looking for the source of a circlip found on deck one sunny afternoon while 22 days enroute from Galapagos to Tahiti. We carried 5 anchors for that trip. Sailors we once were.

We are trying to balance this list with the thought that we will have Ace Hardware, Uber and a fuel dock just ahead, as opposed to what we would find in Borneo or Bikini Atol. The sailboat could swallow all of this and 90 days grocery list easily. A light power boat, we are worried about overloading. We are trying to balance this list with the need to stay light and efficient. As with most things… The truth lies somewhere in the middle.

I will see your fair seas and raise you following seas as well, my friend. Always remembering, A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.

Bill
 
Definitely agree with your logic for a survey with an impending long trip. You will find issues, and a good survey will be money well spent. Still, having your hands on the boat’s systems will pay dividends. Once you get to Florida, the two dealers (Pocket Yachts on the East coast, and Edgewater Yachts on the West coast) provide excellent service. We are on the West coast, and have nothing but great experiences with our dealer. Biggest learning curve for me was backing a light single engine boat (not as much of a problem on the C32CB, but friends moving from a large sailboat to the C32CB said they had a similar learning curve). Wind and current have major impacts on the boat. I hired a training captain to work with me on “back and fill”, but I really wasn’t comfortable until after we completed the Florida mini loop.
 
Rauguthj said:
Definitely agree with your logic for a survey with an impending long trip. You will find issues, and a good survey will be money well spent. Still, having your hands on the boat’s systems will pay dividends. Once you get to Florida, the two dealers (Pocket Yachts on the East coast, and Edgewater Yachts on the West coast) provide excellent service. We are on the West coast, and have nothing but great experiences with our dealer. Biggest learning curve for me was backing a light single engine boat (not as much of a problem on the C32CB, but friends moving from a large sailboat to the C32CB said they had a similar learning curve). Wind and current have major impacts on the boat. I hired a training captain to work with me on “back and fill”, but I really wasn’t comfortable until after we completed the Florida mini loop.
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We are in Punta Gorda, probably near you? Have you seen the "Captain's Coach" youtube videos. Good stuff. He is in St Pete... Where is your training capt?
 
We are at Riviera Dunes marina, Palmetto, FL…. Not too far from you. Our training captain is John Easley http://uscgcaptain.johneasley.com/. He is based in the Bradenton area, but covers a large area. Hope we run into you sometime!
 
BillyClyde said:
Hi, I just put a deposit on a new C-32 CB. I sort of blew off the idea of having a survey done but am second guessing now. I have bought used in the past and always had a survey but was thinking, “Hey! New boat… any issues will be covered by the dealer. Right?” But now am thinking a survey may find more issues faster. Also, the boat and dealer are far away from my home. I may need to rethink this. It doesn’t help my peace of mind after reading some disparaging comments on the Cutwater Facebook page, but I know folks will grumble sometimes. Thoughts on surveying a new boat
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As a follow up on the question of whether to hire a survey of a new boat… We did and believe it was money well spent. We are experienced boaters but to have the eyes and knowledge of a good surveyor was invaluable. He took hours going over not just every physical inch of the boat but every system, completely. To Cutwater’s credit the boat was all there with no manufacturer omissions… The setup was not as complete as it could have been by the dealer, but with the surveyor on hand to oversee the completion of the delivery setup everything went smoothly. Not to disparage the dealer here. Just saying that when the surveyor pointed out an issue no one tried to explain it away as mechanics or techs sometimes will 🙂 We used Christian Syoen and could not be more happy to have met/employed him. Christian is based somewhere north of Detroit and worked for us in Harrison Township on the west coast of Lake St Clair. Soyenmarinesurveyor@gmail.com.
 
BillyClyde said:
As a follow up on the question of whether to hire a survey of a new boat… We did and believe it was money well spent. We are experienced boaters but to have the eyes and knowledge of a good surveyor was invaluable. He took hours going over not just every physical inch of the boat but every system, completely. To Cutwater’s credit the boat was all there with no manufacturer omissions… The setup was not as complete as it could have been by the dealer, but with the surveyor on hand to oversee the completion of the delivery setup everything went smoothly. Not to disparage the dealer here. Just saying that when the surveyor pointed out an issue no one tried to explain it away as mechanics or techs sometimes will 🙂 We used Christian Syoen and could not be more happy to have met/employed him. Christian is based somewhere north of Detroit and worked for us in Harrison Township on the west coast of Lake St Clair. Soyenmarinesurveyor@gmail.com.
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By the way, 2400 miles in exactly 8 weeks and the boat performed wonderfully! Could not be happier. This boat will be perfect for SW Florida, the Keys and Bahamas.
 
BillyClyde said:
As a follow up on the question of whether to hire a survey of a new boat… We did and believe it was money well spent. We are experienced boaters but to have the eyes and knowledge of a good surveyor was invaluable. He took hours going over not just every physical inch of the boat but every system, completely. To Cutwater’s credit the boat was all there with no manufacturer omissions… The setup was not as complete as it could have been by the dealer, but with the surveyor on hand to oversee the completion of the delivery setup everything went smoothly. Not to disparage the dealer here. Just saying that when the surveyor pointed out an issue no one tried to explain it away as mechanics or techs sometimes will 🙂 We used Christian Syoen and could not be more happy to have met/employed him. Christian is based somewhere north of Detroit and worked for us in Harrison Township on the west coast of Lake St Clair. Soyenmarinesurveyor@gmail.com.
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Really appreciate this follow up. I’ve been going back and forth myself as to whether or not I’ll need a survey for a brand new boat, but I also have come to the conclusion that it just makes sense to get one, especially as I, same as you, live far away from Washington state. I’m also new to boating, and don’t know what I don’t know. With the cost, both monetarily and from a timeframe perspective, of these boats, it seems silly of me to balk at spending just a smidge more to have a professional take a look. Of course, things will need to be fixed in the future, but I like the idea of starting out with as fresh a slate as possible.
 
A good surveyor should bring peace of mind well worth the amount they charge.
I don't think people should feel like they are insulting the factory by getting a survey, personally if I owned FM I would encourage new owners to get surveys, my feeling would be: let's find all the problems (if any) and get them dealt with right now and all at once. Also it is a nice 3rd party confirmation of the condition of the vessel at delivery, so there wouldnt be any confusion on when the defect happened.
 
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venajeff said:
A good surveyor should bring peace of mind well worth the amount they charge.
Also, I don't think people should feel like they are insulting the factory by getting a survey, personally if I owned FM I would encourage new owners to get surveys, my feeling would be: let's find all the problems (if any) and get them dealt with right now and all at once. Also it is a nice 3rd party confirmation of the condition of the vessel at delivery, so there wouldnt be any confusion on when the defect happened.
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Well said. It’s as if FM gets the customer to pay a share of a quality control inspection! Cool.
 
venajeff said:
A good surveyor should bring peace of mind well worth the amount they charge.
Also, I don't think people should feel like they are insulting the factory by getting a survey, personally if I owned FM I would encourage new owners to get surveys, my feeling would be: let's find all the problems (if any) and get them dealt with right now and all at once. Also it is a nice 3rd party confirmation of the condition of the vessel at delivery, so there wouldnt be any confusion on when the defect happened.
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Also, our surveyor pointed out that his report could be useful in insurance claims down the way and creates a baseline of condition. Thanks for your note, good luck with the new boat!
 
Your investing how much in a new boat?, and 2000 miles away!! Another $1,000 for a pair of experienced eye might offset the Monday/Friday issues.
 
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