Pre-survey assessment
Flights, a slip day, and a surveyor's travel are paid before the buyer sees the boat in person. If the engine in the advert is wrong and VAT was never paid, that money is gone - though both facts were readable from papers at home. A FairHelm pre-survey assessment reviews the candidate remotely and answers one question: is this hull worth lifting out of the water. It is not a hull survey.
This is
Remote review before you fly: risk cues and a go-or-no-go answer
This is not
Not a hull survey and not a moisture meter on deck
Next step: send the link and your questions in the form below. If the answer is go, we move to survey. If you only have a URL, start with the €49 listing review.
Fee agreed on request against the published advisory menu. If you only have a URL, start with the €49 listing review. Full buyer consultation starts from €150.
How the assessment works
Send candidate links, VAT or title questions, and when you can travel. We match the advert to photos and papers, list risk cues, and reply in writing: go, wait, or walk. If the answer is go, the reply includes survey scope for the surveyor: whether a haul-out is needed, moisture map, oil analysis, sea trial. We coordinate the independent surveyor separately, through the advisory menu.
- Review listing and documents
VAT status, title chain, and photo consistency before you buy tickets.
- List risk cues
Hull, rig, engine, and seller behaviour from photos and correspondence.
- Draft survey scope
Haul-out, moisture map, oil analysis, and sea trial: what the surveyor needs.
- Book independent survey
Commission a surveyor who does not sell the boat. FairHelm can coordinate logistics.
What we check
Whether the advert and photos match. VAT and title gaps visible from paperwork. Risk cues on hull, rig, and engine in the photos. What the surveyor should check on the slip: moisture, oil, specific fittings. Whether a sea trial belongs in scope. FairHelm coordinates independent surveyors. We do not survey boats we sell.
What this assessment does not do
No moisture meter on deck, no oil sample, no legal title opinion, no insurance survey. Soft decks and bilge smell do not show in photos; that needs a surveyor on site. Thin listings get a short, cautious brief, and we say so in writing.
Pre-survey FAQ
- Is this the same as a professional survey?
- No. The assessment is remote: we review the listing and documents and plan survey scope. An independent surveyor inspects the boat on site, usually after haul-out. The assessment helps decide whether that trip is worth booking.
- Can I skip this if the boat is cheap?
- Flights and a slip day cost the same for a cheap boat or a dear one. A low ask more often means deferred refit than seller generosity. When documents or photos are thin, a short assessment still costs less than a wasted trip.
- How do I book and pay?
- Use the form on this page; there is no separate Stripe product for this briefing. After the request we confirm scope and fee against the published advisory menu (buyer consultation from €150, survey coordination as quoted). Listing review stays a separate €49 Stripe checkout.
- What deliverable do I get?
- A written survey-scope brief and checklist for your candidate boat, with a go, wait, or walk call. Share it with a surveyor or use it in deposit talks with the seller.