Marine Surveyor Requirements

Marine surveyors appraise boats and provide information about their condition

• If you like to get out onto water and enjoy the bounty of the sea, you may be interested in buying a boat. If you go boating often enough, this may be a worthwhile investment. Before you buy a boat, though, you need to reassure yourself that you are making a good investment. If you need someone to check out the boat beforehand, you could use the services of a marine surveyor.

Skills Required

• A marine surveyor needs to have comprehensive knowledge of a boat's equipment and systems in order to effectively inspect them. This gives the surveyor a basis for determining if the boat is safe. A surveyor should be familiar with most boat models in order to undertake his duties.

Certification

• Although no formal certification is required to become a marine surveyor, a number of professional organizations provide certifications. These include the Certified Marine Surveyor certification of the National Association of Marine Surveyors and the Accredited Marine Surveyor certification of the Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors.

  These types of credentials typically call for a combination of on-the-job experience and skills testing through a written examination.

Job Requirements

• The job duties required of a marine surveyor are to appraise the condition of a boat and file a report. Banks and insurance companies often use marine surveyor appraisals on vessels to decide if they want to lend to a prospective buyer of the boat. Marine surveyors conduct a thorough inspection of a boat and look at its structural integrity. They also look at its various systems, including its electrical systems, propulsion system, fuel system and navigation system. A marine surveyor looks at the overall cosmetic appearance of the boat, and conducts a sea trial and an out-of-water inspection.