Boat Survey

For insurance purposes ‘Bumper’, my Virgo Voyager, has had to undergo a marine survey. At first I was not pleased to have to part with £253.00 for a survey on a 23 foot yacht, but when I compared prices I found this was good value.

I have now come to realise how beneficial it was to have the boat surveyed, because it forced me to consider the condition of every part of the boat. In the event, the list of things needing attention was not too long.

I always intended to replace the cooker which was a bit of a liability, since it was an old, two burner camping stove, not even fixed to a secure base. It was totally inadequate for preparing food and drink while underway. I’ve replaced it with a stainless steel Techimpax Skipper cooker supplied by Southern Marine Supplies. This is securely fitted to gimbals, and is far superior to the old cooker, but for insurance purposes and my own peace of mind it has yet to be examined by an accredited Corgi gas engineer.

Another thing requiring attention was the condition of the seacocks. The intake seacock for the cooling water to the Bukh 10 diesel engine was really difficult to service, because it was under the forward part of the engine, deep in the bilge where it narrows into a vee. The surveyor also recommended I should attend to some minor crazing of the gel coat at the base of two stanchions. In the event, this was quite a simple thing to put right. Another job currently needing attention before the boat can be launched is the stern gland packing. Meanwhile I’ve left the sail and the sail cover with the local sail maker for a winter valet.

All in all, ‘Bumper’ is in very good condition, and she is almost ready for the coming season, so I’m grateful to the surveyor for spurring me on and for endorsing what I already believed to be the case.