40 QUESTIONS

Choosing a Boat

1. 01

   What licence do you need to operate a private boat up to 24 m in Turkey?

   For non-commercial private boats up to 24 metres an Amateur Seafarer Certificate (ADB) is sufficient; engine power does not change the requirement. If you carry VHF, take the Short Range Certificate in the same session — without it you cannot legally operate the set.

   What confuses people is that the purpose of use, not engine power, decides: the same boat runs on an amateur certificate privately and on seafarer qualifications in charter. That distinction should be settled before price negotiation.

2. 02

   What are the known weak points when buying a used Hunter?

   Three areas get marked specifically: fatigue cracking at the forestay attachments on the B&R rig, ageing in the aft cabin underwater discharge hoses, and galvanic corrosion at the Selden mast step. On pre-2000 models leaking keel bolts are also common.

   A known weak point is a defect that recurs by design or production method rather than by chance; knowing them shortens the survey and turns straight into a negotiating position.

3. 03

   Can a Hunter cross an ocean — is it a blue water boat?

   Hunters are optimised primarily for coastal and short offshore passages. Hull weight and stability ratios may meet CE Category A, but they are less comfortable on long ocean passages than heavy-displacement, full-keel designs.

   A CE category is a design limit rather than a recommendation: it says a boat can withstand those conditions, not that she will be comfortable in them. Before any ocean plan the rig, keel bolts and bilge capacity deserve a survey of their own.

4. 04

   Is the backstayless B&R rig on Hunters safe?

   The B&R rig carries the load through swept-back spreaders and a stiff mast section instead of a backstay; correctly tensioned and regularly checked, it is safe. The critical point is that spreader angles must not drift from factory tolerance.

   If they do, the mast bends forward and this is not visible by eye. Spreader bases and lower brackets are therefore examined closely — neglect on this type of rig produces faults faster than on a conventional one.

5. 05

   What recurring problems should you look for on a used Westerly?

   Most commonly: micro-cracking at the hull-to-keel joint on bilge-keel models, which is the first thing damaged in a grounding; local softening of the stringers from moisture collecting in the bilge under the engine bearers; and internal corrosion in the original steel fuel tanks on pre-1980 boats.

   These come from the design rather than from chance, so knowing them lets the survey go straight to the point rather than working outward from a generic checklist.

6. 06

   Are bilge keels safe and how do they affect performance?

   Bilge keels draw less than a single deep keel and let the boat stand upright when she dries out — which is why they are common in British waters. They present no safety problem, but windward performance and sharp manoeuvring lag a single deep keel somewhat.

   What matters in a survey is whether both keels distribute load evenly into the hull and what condition the attachment bolts are in. Where the load is uneven, one side takes more than its share.

7. 07

   Why do Westerlys have a reputation for being built like tanks?

   The reputation is earned in the laminate thickness: British yards of the period worked generously, which means a heavy hull but high impact and grounding tolerance.

   A strong hull is not the same as a hull that needs no maintenance. The old sealant in the hull-to-deck joint hardens with time and becomes a water entry point — an area scanned specifically in a survey.

8. 08

   What should be checked first on a used Jeanneau?

   Priority goes to three areas: leak traces along the screw lines in the hull-to-deck bonding band, stress cracking at the keel roots, and the age of the sail-drive bellows on Volvo Penta models.

   If the bellows are over seven years old, replacement is recommended even with no visible problem — the failure mode is direct water ingress. Knowing these three shortens the survey and sharpens the result.

9. 09

   What does Jeanneau’s Prisma Process actually mean?

   Prisma Process is an injection-infusion method in which hull and deck are laid up in a single mould with computer-controlled fibre-to-resin ratios; the result is more homogeneous laminate and more consistent hull weight in series production.

   The practical benefit to a surveyor is a lower risk of weak spots caused by thickness variation compared with hand lay-up. It does not mean the laminate is beyond question — moisture is still measured and the hammer survey is still done.

10. 10

    What is the difference between Jeanneau and Beneteau, and which sails better?

    Both are French volume builders under the same group, so the structural quality gap is smaller than the debate suggests; differences follow the designer and the purpose of the particular series.

    Which is why "which brand" is usually the wrong question. "Which model, which year, which specification" is the right one — and a survey answers it about the actual boat rather than the badge.

11. 11

    What should you watch for when buying a used Bavaria?

    Recurring items cluster on the fittings side: backing under deck hardware, the keel attachment and interior joinery fixings. Production standards may be high, but maintenance history varies widely from boat to boat.

    This is why the brand’s general reputation matters less than this boat’s maintenance log and measured values. Two identical Bavarias can be in entirely different condition.

12. 12

    Are Bavaria yachts safe offshore and in heavy weather?

    In heavy weather what decides the outcome is the boat’s equipment condition and preparation rather than her badge: rig age, hatch sealing, bilge capacity and whether the reefing system actually works.

    A CE category describes the design limit, not the boat’s present state. On any boat bought with offshore plans, those items are flagged specifically during the survey.

13. 13

    Are production-built boats like Bavaria lower quality?

    Series production means consistency rather than low quality: a hull laid up in a mould under controlled conditions carries fewer surprises than one dependent on hand craftsmanship.

    Weakness usually comes from subsequent use and maintenance rather than from production. Telling those two apart is exactly what a survey is for.

14. 14

    Beneteau or Jeanneau — which should you choose?

    The decision comes from how you will use the boat rather than from the brand: weekend coastal sailing, longer passages and the possibility of entering a charter fleet call for different layouts and specifications.

    Both carry wide model ranges, so the difference between two models within one brand can exceed the difference between the brands. A survey brings the comparison down to the specific boat.

15. 15

    Are Beneteau yachts suitable for ocean passages?

    Production yachts are optimised for coastal and short offshore work; an ocean passage is possible but comfort and fatigue tolerance lag heavy-displacement designs.

    Where a crossing is planned, rig, keel attachment, bilge capacity and hatch sealing should be treated as a survey heading of their own. The decision rests on this boat’s condition rather than on the type.

16. 16

    Where are Beneteau boats built and what is the brand’s origin?

    Place of manufacture is more than trivia for a surveyor: batches of the same model built at different plants can differ in specification and laminate.

    Model year and hull identification number therefore tell you more than the brand does. Both should be verified before purchase rather than taken from the advertisement.

17. 17

    What mistakes should you avoid when buying a boat?

    The most expensive is deciding on appearance. The second is leaving the survey until after the deposit, by which point the negotiating position is gone. The third is focusing on the asking price and ignoring first-year costs.

    A survey is the antidote to all three: it replaces appearance with measurement, arrives before the money moves and itemises what the first year will actually cost.

18. 18

    How should you choose a boat for offshore passages?

    On a long route what matters is fault tolerance rather than speed: redundant systems, accessible plumbing and margin in the gear. Stability curve, shelter volume, fuel and water capacity come to the front.

    These criteria diverge from coastal sailing, and they should be assessed specifically during a pre-purchase survey rather than assumed from the model’s reputation.

19. 19

    What should families with children prioritise in a boat?

    Safety details take precedence over performance details: guardrail height, non-slip decks, hatch safety, cockpit depth and secure fixings below.

    Most of these do not show in an advertisement photograph but are obvious aboard. Deck safety and life-saving equipment form their own heading in a survey.

20. 20

    How do you compare boat insurance policies?

    When comparing, the deductible and the exclusions decide rather than the premium; two policies at the same price can offer very different protection.

    The insurer’s request for a survey report enters here too — a current, independent report improves both acceptance and terms. After an incident the same report shows the damage did not pre-exist.

21. 21

    Which refit work adds value, and which does not?

    Work that adds value is work that reduces a buyer’s risk: engine rebuild, rig replacement, rewiring and plumbing, osmosis repair. Work that does not is a matter of taste — upholstery, colour, choice of electronics brand.

    A valuation states this distinction explicitly, so you can see from the report which spend converted into value and which did not.

22. 22

    What type of boat is most practical on the Turkish coast?

    For the Aegean and Mediterranean coast, bay use and the summer meltemi decide: a mid-size boat with moderate draught, good shade and sound ground tackle ends up being the boat actually used.

    Too large and berthing and handling costs suppress use; too small and discomfort does. Since annual costs rise exponentially with length, the length decision sits at the centre of the budget.

23. 23

    What catamaran disadvantages get overlooked against a monohull?

    The costs most often missed are berthing (charged at a multiplier for beam in most marinas), the doubling of systems and structural fatigue in the bridgedeck.

    The comfort advantage is real, but both running cost and survey scope grow. Because we price the engine room per engine, that difference appears directly in the fee.

24. 24

    How do you compare the costs of a motor yacht and a sailing yacht?

    The comparison should be made on annual usage rather than purchase price: fuel and engine maintenance dominate on a motor yacht, rig and sail replacement on a sailing yacht.

    A motor yacht used a few weeks a year can cost more than a heavily used sailing yacht. In a survey the weight shifts too — the engine room on one, the rig on the other.

25. 25

    What matters in a boat for living aboard?

    For permanent living the decisive factors are moisture and energy management rather than sailing performance: ventilation, insulation, water capacity, battery bank and charging arrangement.

    On a boat lived in through winter, condensation is the principal structural enemy. Interior and electrical surveys therefore carry extra weight where liveaboard use is planned.

26. 26

    What should you check when buying a RIB?

    A RIB is two products: the tubes and the engine. On the tubes look for seam separation, pressure loss and UV fatigue; the outboard keeps its own record, and a diagnostic tool reads running hours, their distribution across rev bands and fault history.

    Lifting eyes and the hull bottom are inspected separately for rubbing damage from going alongside rocks — the most common damage on a tender and the easiest to overlook.

27. 27

    Which Turkish yards are reliable to buy from?

    A yard’s name alone is not a guarantee; boats built by the same yard in different periods and with different teams can differ markedly.

    The assessment is therefore made on the boat rather than the builder: laminate quality, fitting installation and the layout of the systems are visible through measurement. References help but do not replace a survey.

28. 28

    How much do engine hours matter when buying?

    Hours alone are misleading: a lightly used marine engine more often shows corrosion, dried gaskets and fuel system sediment. What decides is the distribution of those hours across rev bands and the maintenance history.

    Both are read from the engine control unit. The dash panel can be changed; the ECU record stays — which is why it outweighs the hour meter.

29. 29

    Are modern boats or classic designs better sea boats?

    Seaworthiness is a design choice rather than a matter of era: older designs tend to be heavier displacement with an easier motion, newer ones are beamier, faster and more habitable.

    What decides is the route you intend to sail. And in the decision, the boat’s present structural condition weighs more than her year — which only measurement can show.

30. 30

    Is a bow thruster essential for manoeuvring?

    Not essential, but reassuring for a skipper handling the boat alone; what matters is not that one is fitted but that it works and is correctly fused.

    The thruster compartment is one of the dampest spaces on a boat, and corrosion starts at the motor mount and the terminals. Tunnel sealing and fuse rating are checked separately in a survey.

31. 31

    What does "recently refitted" mean in a boat advertisement?

    In advertising language a refit can mean anything from paint and upholstery to a complete systems replacement; on its own it carries no technical information.

    What is meaningful is which item, when, with what material and by whom — a refit with invoices is a different thing from one without. A survey sees fresh work regardless and records it as recent.

32. 32

    What are the average annual costs on top of the purchase?

    Annual cost follows length rather than value, so on an inexpensive older boat it looks much heavier as a proportion. The main items are berthing, haul-out and antifouling, insurance, engine maintenance and unplanned repair.

    A survey is what turns the last of those from a guess into a forecast — which is the item that actually breaks budgets.

33. 33

    Catamaran or monohull?

    The decision is made between comfort and cost: a catamaran offers more living space and less rolling, against higher berthing charges, more systems and a wider survey scope. A monohull offers sailing feel and windward ability.

    Whichever side you take, the decision is not complete until the specific boat’s present condition has been measured.

34. 34

    Should you buy an ex-charter boat?

    You can, but with a different eye: a charter boat has been used heavily and usually maintained regularly. The risk lies less in the intensity of use than in the variety of users — steering, fittings and interior wear quickly.

    Maintenance records and the engine’s ECU data are particularly decisive on this type of boat, because usage patterns vary far more than on a private boat.

35. 35

    How should you decide on boat length?

    Length sits at the centre of the budget because annual costs rise exponentially rather than linearly with it: underwater area, deck area and the number of systems all grow faster than length.

    There is also a limit to what can be handled single-handed. Every metre you do not use is a line item you pay for every year.

36. 36

    Is it sensible to buy a 1970s or 1980s hull?

    Yes, provided the repair timetable is visible. The resins of that period were less water-resistant, so moisture is usually a matter of grading rather than a yes-or-no question. Rig, wiring and tanks are also close to their age limits.

    The survey’s job is not to rule the boat out but to set out the next three years of spending in advance — which is what makes an older boat a rational purchase rather than a gamble.

37. 37

    Is a survey compulsory when buying second-hand?

    Not legally, but in practice it becomes so in two places: insurers ask for a current report when writing a policy, and banks ask for one when lending.

    Even without those, the arithmetic settles it — a survey costs in the order of one per cent of the boat’s price, while a single missed item can reach a significant share of it.

38. 38

    Should I choose a sailing yacht or a motor yacht?

    The decision comes from how you will use the boat rather than from performance preference: a sailing yacht covers long routes on less fuel but asks for time; a motor yacht saves time but makes fuel and engine maintenance the main line item.

    The survey emphasis shifts too — the rig leads on one, the engine room on the other, and the fees differ accordingly.

39. 39

    GRP, timber or steel?

    The material sets the maintenance pattern: moisture and osmosis in GRP, rot and caulking in timber, corrosion and thickness loss in steel and aluminium. None is absolutely superior to the others.

    What decides is which maintenance routine you can realistically keep up. The survey method changes with the material; the scope does not.

40. 40

    What should a first-time buyer look out for?

    The most common first-boat mistake is buying too big: every unused metre returns as annual cost and makes single-handed manoeuvring harder. The second is leaving the survey until after the deposit.

    The third is focusing on the asking price and ignoring the first-year items — transfer, survey, haul-out, insurance and the initial maintenance package that almost every boat needs.