Pre-purchase marine surveys conducted by SAMS®- and NAMS®-credentialed surveyors. Accepted by every major lender and insurer.
Schedule your survey
Anyone can fall for a boat.
We tell you whether you can trust it.
A credentialed inspection of every system on the vessel — hull, mechanical, electrical, rigging, safety — documented in a 30+ page report with photographs of every finding and a fair-market valuation.
Every system. Every finding. Nothing assumed, nothing skipped — and accepted by every major lender and insurer.
SAMS® · NAMS®
The two recognized national standards for marine surveyors.
Works for you
Not the seller. Bound by a published code of ethics.
Accepted
By the lenders and insurers who require a survey.
Tell us about your boat and marina, pick a date. We confirm by email within one business day.
An accredited surveyor inspects the vessel at your marina, on the date you chose. Photographed in full.
You receive the Marine Survey Report. Ready for your lender and insurer.
Every Helm surveyor is based in Connecticut, knows the harbors and marinas of Long Island Sound, and signs the findings they put their name to.
Lead Surveyor · SAMS® AMS®
Twenty-two years in marine surveying. Specializes in production sail and power vessels under 50′.
Marine Surveyor · NAMS®-CMS
Background in marine engineering. Leads our mechanical and propulsion assessments.
Surveyor · ABYC Certified
ABYC-certified across electrical and standards. Long Island Sound, all marinas.
Surveyor · SAMS® SA
SAMS® Surveyor Associate. Focus on hull and structural moisture analysis.
"Helm's surveyor found moisture in the transom the listing never mentioned. That one finding paid for the survey ten times over in the renegotiation."
"The report was thorough enough that my lender approved financing the same week. No back-and-forth, no requests for more documentation."
"My insurer accepted the report without a single question. For anyone who's fought with marine underwriters, that's worth everything."
"They walked the entire boat with me afterward. I didn't feel sold to — I felt informed. We walked away from that deal, and I'm grateful we did."
"I've bought four boats up and down this coast. This is the first surveyor who clearly knew our waters — the marinas, the haul-out yards, all of it."
"Soft spots in the deck core, documented down to the moisture readings. The seller covered the $14k repair before we closed."
"I came in skeptical — I'd been burned by a cursory survey before. Thirty-eight pages later, I couldn't find a single corner cut."
"Booked on a Sunday, surveyed that Thursday, report in my inbox Monday morning. The whole process respected my time."
"No theatre to it. He arrived early, worked the boat for the better part of a day, and told me exactly what he found — and what it meant."
A basic inspection covers what's visible. A proper marine survey covers what isn't — moisture in the deck core, corrosion in the wiring, fatigue in the rigging, evidence of prior damage. We perform the kind of survey marine lenders and insurers actually require. The difference is the depth and the documentation.
Our survey includes a visual and operational assessment of the engine, drivetrain, and steering — we report on what we observe with the systems inspected and running. A full internal engine evaluation (oil analysis, compression or borescope testing) is a specialized mechanical survey performed by a marine mechanic. For higher-hour or higher-value engines we'll tell you plainly when one is worth it, and we can coordinate it alongside our inspection.
Most pre-purchase surveys take four to six hours on-site. You receive the Marine Survey Report within two to three business days of the inspection. We don't rush it, and we don't pad it.
The report is yours. It documents what we found — the systems that are sound, the items that need attention, and our notes on each finding. What you do with it is your decision: negotiate, walk away, or proceed. We're not in the business of selling you repairs.
Yes. The accredited surveyor who inspects your boat is the one who writes, signs, and stands behind the report — no junior handoff, no anonymous template. You'll know exactly who did the work, and you can reach them directly with questions long after the report is delivered.
You're welcome to attend, and many buyers do — it's the best way to understand the boat first-hand. But it isn't required. Either way, we walk you through every finding once the report is in your hands.
A standard pre-purchase survey covers the vessel in and out of the water as access allows. Sea trials and short-haul / out-of-water inspections can be arranged when the seller or yard makes the boat available — tell us what you need when you book and we'll coordinate it.
A pre-purchase survey is a thorough, non-destructive inspection — we don't open up structure, dismantle the engine, or remove tanks, headliner, or fixed joinery. It's a point-in-time assessment of accessible systems and condition, not a warranty or a guarantee of future performance. Internal engine testing and any work behind sealed or inaccessible areas fall outside the standard scope. Where something can't be fully assessed, we say so in the report — in plain language — rather than guess.
No card to reserve — you pay after the survey's complete.
01 Your boat
Estimated investment
$900
30′ vessel · pre-purchase survey
02 Choose your day
03 Your details
Thank you — we'll confirm your appointment window by email shortly.