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Pre-Season Check

Every system checked in one pass before the season; findings delivered as a priority-ordered work list you can hand straight to the yard.

  • ECU fault records read at the start of the season
  • Electrics and battery bank scanned with a thermal camera
  • Bilge, fire and liferaft dates checked
  • Winter damp and mould traced to source
  • Findings prioritised before the season starts
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A pre-season check establishes with instruments whether the boat is ready for the water after winter. The aim is not to document defects but to find the failure that would otherwise appear mid-season.

Season failures are made in winter

Most early-season breakdowns — a starter that won’t turn, an overheating engine, a dead bilge pump — are problems that matured slowly through the lay-up. The pre-season check catches them while the boat is still ashore, so repairs happen on your calendar, not in mid-season panic.

Cabling and connections checked in the engine bay
On a boat that stood all winter, rodent damage, cable insulation and loose terminals are the three most common findings.

What the check covers

The hull is scanned for lay-up damage, anodes measured for wastage, seacocks cycled, and the propeller, shaft, cutless bearing and steering checked for play. Engine oil and coolant condition, belts, hoses and clamps are inspected; wintered fuel is checked for sediment and water, and the raw water impeller — the classic season-opener failure — specifically examined. Batteries are load-checked and connections inspected; navigation lights, electronics and the panel tested. Safety equipment expiry dates are tabulated — extinguishers, flares, lifejackets, liferaft service — since these are the first items an insurer or harbour inspection asks about. Fresh water and sanitary systems get leak tests.

Battery tester connected to a battery bank
A boat that has stood all winter tires its batteries and charging circuit; the connections are scanned with a thermal camera.

Why with instruments?

Three things happen to a boat laid up over winter, and none of them is visible.

  • The batteries and charging circuit tire. Connections corrode; a hot terminal only shows under load and only through a thermal camera.
  • The engine has stood for months. The ECU record shows the faults left behind going into winter and the warnings still pending — there is no need to wait for them on the first passage of the season.
  • Damp advances quietly. Condensation builds up in a closed boat; a moisture meter and a borescope show the state behind the linings without taking them off.
Propeller, anode and corrosion traces on the underwater hull
Anode consumption tells the season’s electrical history: an anode gone early means stray current in the hull.

The report

Findings come in three classes: before launch, during the season, monitor. Each item carries indicative labour and parts information — a work list you can hand straight to the yard.

Duration and fee

The check takes 1 working day.

Scope Fee
Pre-season check 18 € / ft

Fees vary with the length of the boat, where she lies and the season. For a firm price call us — tell us about the boat and we will give you the number on the phone.

Estimate your survey fee

From the field

What this work looks like on board

6 frames

These frames were taken during real surveys. None of them are stock: each one is a measurement or a check described on this page.

Frequently asked questions

Common questions

When should the check happen?

At least 3-4 weeks before launch, so items it surfaces - anode changes, hose renewal, a tired battery - can be dealt with before the season starts. Yard schedules fill up fast in April; an early check means an early booking.

Is this the same as a pre-purchase survey?

Similar scope, different purpose. A pre-purchase survey gathers evidence for a decision and includes a sea trial; the pre-season check verifies your own boat's readiness. It is shorter, and the report is framed as a maintenance plan rather than a negotiation file.

Do you carry out the repairs yourselves?

No - we inspect, we do not repair. That separation guarantees the report's impartiality. You can use any local yard for the work, and on request we add a follow-up check verifying it was done properly.

Services

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Contact

Book your survey

Tell us where the vessel lies and your approximate date — we reply the same day.

Serkan Kotel — yacht surveyor, portrait

Serkan Kotel

Yacht surveyor · IIMS · ABYC · MCA — the person who answers the phone, walks the boat and signs the report is the same person.

Service areas

Bodrum · Yalıkavak · Turgutreis · Milas · Göcek · Fethiye · Marmaris · Datça · İstanbul · Ayvalık

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