Your Yacht Survey Found Problems—Which Ones Matter Most?

By Tony Gagliardo, Marine Surveyor / Naval Architect

Receiving a marine survey report with a long list of findings can be unsettling, especially when you’re deciding whether to buy the boat. Which problems need immediate attention? Which can wait? And does a high-priority finding mean you should walk away?

The answer depends on what was found, what remains unknown, and what correcting it will involve. A missing piece of safety equipment and a serious structural defect may both receive a high-priority classification, but they have very different implications for your purchase.

Here’s how I approach those distinctions and help clients decide what to do next.

Understanding A, B and C survey findings

Surveyors use different reporting systems, so start by reading the definitions in your own report. In my pre-purchase surveys, I generally separate findings into three categories.

Category A: Critical findings requiring priority attention

These are findings of critical importance to preventing vessel loss, damage or personal injury. They can also include deficiencies involving applicable government requirements.

An A finding might concern a serious structural problem. It might also involve something relatively straightforward to correct, such as missing sound-signalling equipment or insufficient fire extinguishers. An overdue liferaft service can be particularly significant when the boat is about to undertake an offshore delivery.

The vessel, its intended use and the specific finding all matter. Read the recommendation carefully, including any restrictions on operating the boat before correction.

Category B: Important findings with time for corrective action

B findings need attention, but their assessed condition generally allows time for investigation or correction within the recommendations stated in the report.

For example, corrosion observed on a chainplate may raise questions that cannot be answered during the survey. Further inspection might involve removing a chainplate to examine areas normally concealed from view, then deciding whether other chainplates need similar attention.

Standing rigging showing pitting may also warrant a recommendation with a defined timeframe. Where the condition calls for immediate replacement, I say so.

Other B findings may include electrical connections showing corrosion that could lead to increased resistance, voltage drop or unreliable operation, or equipment installations that need correction without presenting an immediate hazard. If the actual condition presents an immediate shock or fire risk, that changes its significance.

A B classification should always be read alongside the specific recommendation. It isn’t blanket permission to operate the yacht without restrictions.

Insurers may accept some findings subject to corrective work within an agreed period. They may follow the surveyor’s recommended timeframe or set their own requirements; that decision belongs to the underwriter.

Category C: Maintenance observations and helpful pointers

C findings generally cover lower-priority observations: cosmetic deficiencies, routine upkeep and minor operational concerns that deserve monitoring or attention before they worsen.

These can help an owner plan maintenance and preserve the boat’s condition, even when immediate action isn’t necessary.

The amount of cosmetic detail I report depends on the vessel and the client’s expectations. A nearly new or exceptionally well-presented yacht calls for a different level of cosmetic scrutiny than an older cruising boat. I discuss those expectations with the client so the assessment is useful to them.

Why my insurance surveys use two categories

For insurance surveys, I generally use A and B categories and leave C observations out of the underwriting report. Routine cosmetic commentary often adds little to the insurer’s assessment.

That doesn’t mean I ignore those observations during the inspection. I still discuss useful maintenance pointers with the owner, even when they don’t belong in the formal insurance findings.

The purpose of the survey shapes the report. A buyer deciding whether a yacht suits their plans needs a different kind of detail from an underwriter assessing its condition and risks.

Does an A finding mean you should walk away?

No. An A classification identifies priority; it doesn’t, by itself, tell you whether the boat is a worthwhile purchase.

I frequently find A items that are straightforward to resolve. Replacing missing safety equipment or servicing equipment before an offshore voyage may be manageable work. Those findings deserve attention, but they don’t necessarily undermine the purchase.

Serious structural deficiencies or safety-related problems requiring extensive, costly repairs are a different matter. Their implications need to be weighed against the boat’s price, condition, intended use and the buyer’s willingness to undertake the work.

As I inspect a yacht, I keep that overall picture in mind. If the findings begin to suggest that the purchase may no longer make sense, I discuss that with the buyer. Sometimes it is better to stop and reconsider before spending more on the investigation.

The number of findings alone can also be misleading. Several readily corrected items may be less consequential than one expensive defect whose extent remains unknown.

Even new boats can have high-priority findings. In my experience, boats that have been consistently maintained, updated and actively used often present fewer A findings than their age alone might suggest.

What if the extent of a problem is unknown?

A survey can identify a symptom without establishing everything behind it. Concealed components, inaccessible spaces and the limits of a non-destructive inspection can leave questions that need further investigation.

In a pre-purchase situation, those questions should be brought to the broker’s attention so the buyer and seller can discuss the next step.

Chainplate corrosion is one example. A rigger may need to remove components for closer inspection. Depending on the boat’s construction and access, that could be relatively straightforward or could involve substantial work, potentially including unstepping the mast.

Elevated hull-moisture readings are another example. A reading alone doesn’t establish the depth or significance of a problem. Depending on the hull and other evidence, further investigation may include a specialist assessment and carefully agreed examination of coatings or laminate.

Any intrusive work needs the seller’s permission, with the scope, costs and responsibility for reinstatement agreed before work begins.

The surveyor’s role includes explaining what the evidence supports, what it cannot yet establish, and where a specialist can help. Where a potentially expensive issue remains unresolved, that uncertainty needs to be part of the purchase decision.

This is one reason I consider communication after delivery of the report essential. The buyer needs a way to ask questions and understand what further investigation is intended to resolve.

How survey findings can help with negotiations

Documented findings and realistic corrective-work estimates can give a buyer a sound basis for discussing the price with the seller through the broker.

The useful question is what the newly established condition means for the agreed price. A finding becomes more useful in that discussion when its significance, likely remedy and cost are understood.

The boat’s age, advertised condition and the basis of the original agreement all matter. Ordinary wear on an older yacht may already be reflected in its price. A substantial, previously unknown deficiency can change that picture.

In my experience, helping buyers understand findings and attach realistic costs to them is a valuable part of the survey process. It can support a price adjustment, an agreement about repairs, or a decision to step away. No particular negotiating outcome is guaranteed.

What to do when your survey report arrives

1. Read the whole report, then speak with your surveyor

Start with the report’s scope and category definitions, then read the findings in context. Make a note of anything you don’t understand.

Ideally, the major findings should already have been discussed with you before the written report arrives. Waiting several days after an inspection without any indication of what was found can be frustrating, particularly when you are managing travel or a purchase deadline.

I aim to give clients useful feedback as the assessment develops, while making clear where conclusions still depend on further information.

2. Identify what affects your decision and deadlines

Clarify which findings require correction before operation, which need further investigation, and which can become planned maintenance.

Where specialist follow-up is needed, discuss arranging it promptly. Depending on the equipment, that may involve a rigger, a systems specialist, the manufacturer or an authorized service representative.

Bring purchase deadlines, travel arrangements and other practical constraints into that conversation early. The time required to investigate a problem can matter as much as the eventual repair.

3. Confirm what your insurer requires

A pre-purchase survey often also supports an application for insurance. Ask the insurer which findings must be addressed, what evidence of correction they need, and what deadlines apply.

If an underwriter needs clarification of one of my findings or recommendations, I can discuss it with them. The insurer remains responsible for deciding the terms on which it will offer cover.

When you haven’t seen the yacht yourself

Many buyers hire me to inspect a boat they have only seen in an advertisement. They may already have made an offer through a broker and need an independent assessment before deciding whether to travel.

In that situation, I’m acting as the buyer’s eyes and ears. The findings need enough explanation to help them understand the boat’s condition, the likely work ahead and whether a visit still makes sense.

That is especially useful when distance, limited time and travel costs make it difficult to inspect every candidate personally.

A useful report should help you make a decision

Surveyors bring different backgrounds and work to different agreed scopes. My own design, construction and operating experience informs the context I try to give clients alongside the findings.

A marine survey is not a complete engineering or redesign study. It can, however, identify deficiencies that warrant further technical analysis and explain what a sensible next step toward correction might involve.

Ultimately, the letters beside the findings are a starting point. What matters is understanding the condition, the consequences, the remaining uncertainty and the corrective work.

Have a survey report you need help interpreting? I offer yacht buyer advice and technical consulting to help you understand findings, prioritize follow-up and decide what questions to resolve before proceeding.