Are You Getting the Most Out of Your Marine Surveyor Rotterdam?
How to select a Marine Surveyor... it's more difficult than meets the eye.
You just found the boat of your dreams and you set out in selecting a surveyor to give you a report that you can use to get that financing and insurance so you can close the deal and start playing captain.
Your task in selecting a Marine Surveyor is more difficult than meets the eye as you will see in the following examples. Marine Surveying is not a regulated or licensed industry. Anyone can call himself a Marine Surveyor and it will be up to you, the client, whether you think he's qualified or not! Scrutinize liberally.
I have been/am a member of SAMS, US Surveyors, and other Societies and Associations so I'm in a position to explain exactly what that means. It means that the surveyor paid his dues! There might be a partial open book test and some other requirements but it is certainly no proof of qualification although they make it sound like it is! A true measure of qualification is, for example, a seminar or course involving at least several days followed by a closed book test and proctored. If you pass, you become certified in that particular knowledge base. Such certifications are issued by the American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC). To earn an ABYC certification you must pass a test after at least a several days seminar. They are not easy and demonstrate proficiency in that particular knowledge base. Then you must re-take that test every few years to maintain competency!
If anything, the positive side of belonging to an Association or Society is that the surveyor is committed enough to the profession to pay dues and belong to an organization. Belonging to a Society is no measure of competency.
On the other hand, The American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC) is the authority and final word on non-commercial vessels and the report that you will receive after a survey is based on those standards! ABYC educates professionals in the marine field and ABYC has the final word on boat building and spell out the details of anything marine. Certifications by ABYC are a true measure of competency.
This is what I mean by "More than meets the eye."
Sorry to make all this seem like time-consuming work but you need to protect your hard-earned dollar no matter how much of a rush you are to get things going in acquiring the love of your life. Do your homework and select with care!
Marine Surveyor courses were designed to create surveyors who can properly look at a boat's external and internal fixtures and equipment and make sure that it is in tip top shape. Whether they do this for a buyer or they do it for a company, these courses were meant to be mechanical and detailed in nature.
When choosing a school, make sure it is accredited by the Accredited Marine Surveyors or AMS. This certifies that they are teaching correct curriculum to students looking to become marine surveyors. Specific courses a prospective student should look for are courses such as cargo surveying, container damage, hatch surveys, yacht surveying and some of the business aspects of surveying as well. The business side will cover things like marine insurance and report writing which are two very important parts of the business.
Most of these classes are available online, but there places in some areas that offer these courses in school settings as well, if that is the students preference. Some schools offer both choices. All classes are instructed by a professional surveyor and instructor whether the courses are in the area or online.
The relationship of teaching is a surveyor to an apprentice. The course handling time sometimes takes 4 to 6 months depending on how much time an apprentice can actually spend with the surveyor. When coming into a hands on schooling course such as the marine surveyor course, it is important to come in knowing at least a little of the knowledge required do the job you are interested in. Having a knowledge of either sailing or boats is preferred when starting a surveyors course. It is even more important to have a good idea of the subject matter when doing online courses as you will not have someone to ask a question to directly.
Usually the cost of these courses varies, but they are split up in various ways. Most schools will charge a flat fee (around $10,000) for the course itself. Anything other than that, whether it be books or housing is covered separately by the student (or apprentice).
Some separate entities may offer additional marine surveyor courses through seminars or classes that are based on credits needed to pass the AMS standards. Some marine surveyors who are already in the profession sometimes take these courses as refreshers to keep their skills fresh. These types of courses and seminars are beneficial to the student because they help understand newer technology as they come out with new products for the marine boats. These classes charge a one time fee and that's it. Like actual full courses, they offer seminars and furthering education classes either online or hands on.
All certification of marine surveyors is through private organizations. There is no set licensing requirements set forth internationally or otherwise. Some people completely skip the schooling altogether. But, in order to be a good surveyor and be respected by your clients or general public, it is best to take marine surveyor courses and complete the units.
There are many fields that use surveyors for their jobs. As long as you have a general knowledge of what it takes to be a marine surveyor and have taken the proper courses, you can be put in situations and jobs you wouldn't have dreamed could be related to marine surveying. For one, you could be called to testify in a trial because a surveyor with education to back he or she up is more likely to have expert information on cases that have to do with boats or anything marine related in general. Few marine surveyors are recognized without some kind of educational certification. So its best to take the correct courses to succeed in the surveyor profession.
