Boat Survey and Paperwork Delays

Hauled out for repairs.

I had started to write about the survey process prior to moving aboard and then time just got away from me. Read a few previous posts and you can see what was occupying my time.

This first part is about our experience buying RoundAbout (Laura Ann)  in the BVI.

The survey: A boat survey usually takes 1 day, maybe 2 days, tops. The entire process involves the marine surveyor inspecting every inch of the boat, both in and out of the water. It includes the in-water portion of the survey, the sea trial, and haul-out for the dry dock inspection. The haul-out involves a power washing of the bottom and drying time. It is really important, as the surveyor can take moisture readings in the hull (something you don’t want to find at all) and it allows for a more thorough inspection of boat’s bottom systems and all other areas that are below the water line.

Geoff hard at work. Jared and Clive in the background.

We arrived for the survey mid-morning and our surveyor, Geoff, was already hard at work. We let him be, so he could concentrate. Upon this first part of the survey, it was discovered that the port engine had an oil leak and ended up needing to be removed from the boat for a complete overhaul due to finding further issues. This meant that after the first part of the survey was completed, they would haul the boat out, remove the engine, and then get to work on the remainder of the phase-out process. This was beneficial to us, as we would not incur the haul-out fees the buyer is normally responsible for.  It also meant that our survey would be stretched out over a week’s time, rather than 2 days.

The engine took awhile to repair and the sea trial ended up taking place about a month after the initial survey date. Not as neat and tidy as most surveys usually are. We were traveling across the US at this time, so Clive and Geoff went along with a few other company employees for the trial. We received a good report and we set a date to take ownership in a few weeks when the phase-out had been completed (there was a list of items that needed attention based off the survey report).

After we arrived on August 30th, we walked through the boat and took acceptance. The charter company was great in that if we were to find anything in the next few days that needed attention, to just let them know and they would take care of it. We didn’t find much beyond a couple of wobbly shelves, a corroded power cord, and some missing inventory items. They took care of these things the following day. We went on our merry way out of their marina and in to our slip at Nanny Cay. We mostly worked on hurricane prep though, and didn’t have time to enjoy our new home. A few days later, we were evacuating off the island as Irma (and later Maria) was heading our way.

Buying RoundAbout2.0 in Europe

Finding a surveyor: This time around was a bit more challenging. In the Caribbean, Clive knew our surveyor, Geoff, and he also came highly recommended by a lot of sailors we talked to.
In this case, we had to find one on our own. We did not know anyone who knew of a surveyor in Turkey. By this time, you probably know that Stef has mad skills when it comes to research. She can find out about anything and everything online, and so, she set about to the task of finding a surveyor. The one we chose had a lot of positive reviews on the forums and facebook groups we belong to, had a website, and was also on the list our broker came up with. After a few conversations via email, we hired him to conduct an initial survey on October 18th, so we could see what we were getting into with this new boat. We received a nice lengthy report with lots of photos. We appreciated his attention to detail and professionalism. After reviewing this report a few days later, we decided to move forward with the in-depth survey.

The survey:  The actual survey took place a couple of weeks later on November 3rd, (due to logistics of the busy yard schedule) and lasted an entire day. It began with the haul-out occurring the previous evening, so the hull would have time to dry out a little before the survey began the next morning. Starting at 5am, our surveyor worked all day and conducted the sea trial on the way back to the marina. The inspection lasted until 11pm. We received an email from our surveyor around midnight, his time, stating that no major issues had been found, and that the report would come along in a few days.

Negotiations: After we reviewed the report, we sent it off to our broker with the list of things our surveyor said needed repaired and servicing. While in the BVI everything on our list was repaired, this is NOT the case in the Med. We were told that boats in the Med are less used and are in really good condition. Um, nope! In fact, the boat was far from the condition we were told it was in. There are stress cracks in the gelcoat, fractures in the supports holding up the hard-top bimini, ripped rub-rails on the transom from hitting the dock, torn section on the genoa sail, chips in the gelcoat, saildrives and engines needed servicing, bleach stains on the galley table, among a few other items...and they won't include the inventory that was included in the BVI. Our surveyor said that for a charter vessel of 5 years, it was in good condition compared to other charter boats. Wow, if this is considered good condition, I'd hate to see what the other boats look like. We were very disappointed because we had such a great experience with the same company in the BVI and had set our purchase price for the boat in Turkey based upon this experience. Once we realized they do not do phase outs, we negotiated a lower price due to the amount of work we are faced with completing. The base has also closed down permanently, so the staff are not happy and obviously do not care about the quality of their work (as reported by our surveyor since we spoke with him).

 The next step was to send in the list of recommendations our survey had written up. The seller responded to fixing some of the gelcoat issues (which we aren't really confident about, but we will see how they look at delivery), two chafed lines, and a couple of other small items. After negotiating some more, we reached an agreement and set a date for delivery. This was supposed to happen the week of Thanksgiving. We booked our tickets and hotel and set off for New York (the only direct flight to Athens). The day before we were set to fly, we received a call that not all of the paperwork from the seller had arrived, and so we would have more delays. WTF?! We were beyond frustrated by this point, but what else could we do, but turn around and go back to Virginia to wait it out. We'd also have a home to stay in for Thanksgiving instead of a hotel.  We were told over and over that the documents were in the mail.

More emails and phone calls. I think everyone involved wanted this to be over already, no one more than us! Delivery was then set to take place after Thanksgiving--more delays!!! The hold-up was that we were STILL waiting for the seller's documents to arrive from France. Here we are in the middle of December and it took THREE tries for the seller to get the paperwork correct. Seriously.  Our broker got the head honcho of the company involved at this point, because, really? Three tries? At this point, I am amazed J and I did not take to drinking heavily due to all the stress!

We finally had everything in order as of Tuesday, December 12th. We received copies of all documents and the final piece was getting the boat's registry deleted from Guernsey and registered with Delaware (we will transfer registration over to the US Coast Guard). The stars had finally aligned and we were moving forward! But, we would not truly celebrate until we had inked those papers.
We were out to dinner Thursday evening (12/14) when we received a phone call that our documents were ready. Mind you, this was at 4:55pm and the banks closed in 5 minutes. They weren't supposed to be ready until the following day, but we weren't going to complain.

We HAD to get them notarized the SAME DAY, per instructions. A quick google search and Stef found a notary at a local UPS store. We boxed up dinner and promised the kids dessert after the paperwork was sent off.
Fortunately, it was a few minutes drive from the restaurant. 45 minutes later, it was all completed, scanned (so we'd have a digital copy) and on a UPS truck for delivery! Whew! We then drove back to the restaurant for dessert to celebrate!

We booked our flights and hotels on the drive home and then loaded up the u-haul to prepare for the drive to the airport the following morning. It was a 6-7 hour drive to Newark, so we wanted plenty of time to unload the boxes (we have 27 pieces of luggage--boxes plus we have 12 large backpacks) and return the uhaul and rental car.

From start to finish, it has taken over three months to get this deal done and a hell of amount of stress!

Delivery and moving aboard: 

Our SPOT gps tracking device.

We mailed a GPS tracking device to our surveyor who placed it aboard the boat on the morning of 12/15. While there, he took another look to ensure everything was done in according to our repairs agreement and we learned that NOTHING had been done as agreed.  Really, this was beyond frustrating! WTH people?!?!  The silver lining to this (because I always try to look for one and stay positive) is that at least we will know the work will have been done correctly, as we will be doing it or overseeing those who are. After more phone calls and emails, we will NOT be signing the release of liability until we are physically ON the boat! We did ask that the delivery take place under the seller's insurance though. There will also be the GPS tracker, so we can track RoundAbout's journey. After what we just went through, we are taking no chances and want to limit as much risk as possible. Once we see the boat in person, we will sign the remainder of the paperwork and set about moving in! We seriously cannot wait for this to finally happen!

Surprise, the registration documents needed to allow the boat to leave Turkey had not yet arrived to the captain. In our experience, our surveyor had to go pick up the package himself from the Fed Ex delivery agent. We have relayed this info to the company, so that the captain is aware he may need to go pick it up. /We kept checking every day, as we asked for and received the Fed Ex tracking number. It had arrived in Istanbul on the 19th, but just sat there.

We waited another week for the boat to be delivered to Greece and it was finally here two days after Christmas. We tracked the journey on our SPOT app and determined they were making 9-10 knots! The passage lasted about a day and a half in total and we arrived Wednesday morning to greet the delivery crew, meet our new home, and start moving aboard. But, that's another entire post itself!

Buying a Boat Overseas, Part 2

Got your beverage? Settle in, because this is a long one...

We said goodbye to our house after a long day of packing. After making sure all was set, we left the keys for the new owners, took one last family photo, said goodbye to our neighbors, and pulled away. After a quick stop for a coffee for J and I, and snack for the kids we set off. It had been a long day and we still had a 3 hour drive ahead of us. We were officially homeless, or in-between homes, as our boat is not ready for us just yet.

We set up a home base at the grandparents' and arranged for all of our packages to be sent there. There is so much stuff we have to order for this adventure! We made two large purchases the following day. Because part of our plan while we wait for the boat work to be completed, is to travel across country, we needed to find a travel trailer. We found a great one but realized our Honda Pilot would have a tough time towing it with it loaded down. So, after a short discussion, Jared and I headed over to see our family friend who is an auto broker. John is a dear friend who I have known since childhood and we have bought most of our vehicles through him. It's just easier that way because we avoid the whole negotiation process. We walked onto the lot, found a Toyota Sequoia that would do the job, and bought it. Just like that. None of the usual dealing and wheeling, as we got a great price! It is not brand new, but it is in great condition and will easily tow the trailer. 

With that big item crossed off the list, we could focus on the upcoming trip to the BVI.

We loaded up our bags and drove off at 3:30am for San Francisco airport. We arrived at 6am, found a parking spot, and caught the shuttle just as it pulled up. Checking in and going through security was a breeze, thankfully. At one point, the TSA agent asked Matt where he was going and what day it was. He got the first part correct, but being still half asleep, he could not remember the date. Poor tired kiddo.

We found breakfast and boarded the plane. The flight went well and our connection boarded early, which meant we arrived at St. Thomas a little earlier than expected. Right as you exit the airport there, you are surrounded by what our boat broker calls the taxi mafia. There are so many, that you never need to worry about being stranded. With a short drive to our hotel, we dropped the bags and headed to the beach to check it out. The kids really wanted to swim, but decided to go to the pool a few feet away instead of the ocean at night. The water was brightly lit up in different  colors, which they thought was pretty cool. An hour or so later, we were all settled in bed and crashed hard. It had been a long travel day.

After a lovely breakfast the following morning, we caught a taxi to the ferry terminal. $200 for all of us and our bags to go to West End, Tortola. Ouch! We took the kids to the restaurant upstairs for a cold drink (strawberry smoothies) and eventually made our way back down to the waiting area. The woman who was the security guard must have felt sorry for me struggling with braiding Cadence's hair in the wind, so she came over and helped me out. She showed me a new braiding technique with quick work of her hands. I need to practice more and branch out to the different styles. We boarded the ferry and arrived after 45 minutes or so, to West End. Jared and the boys road up top, while Cadence snoozed on my lap. The next step is to go through customs. There are three lines: Visitors, Residents, and Belongers. We hopped in the visitor line and a friendly customs agent checked us all into the country. After going through another security area, we were through and were welcomed to the BVI.

Fortunately, Clive, our broker, generously offered to pick us up. He pulled up just as we were exiting the building. He took us to Nanny Cay hotel and marina, which was our home base for the next few days. After dropping the bags off in our room, we hopped back in his car and went to see our boat for the first time! She was docked at the maintenance yard area, preparing to be hauled out. We stepped aboard and explored all over. We fell in love and she just felt like home. After a couple of hours exploring around, we returned to the hotel to relax a little.

Nanny Cay is a beautiful marina and has lush gardens and a nice swimming pool next to the beach. There is a lovely beach bar in-between the two and serves dinner as well. The environment is laid-back and very kid friendly. After exploring around, and trying out the beach (the swell was a bit large), the kids hit the pool and Jared and I had time to relax a bit. Later on, we walked past the marina to the little market to load up on drinks and snacks for the next day. Dinner was at Peglegs restaurant, which sits atop the building next to the beach. The kids had lobster for the first time and loved it. After a lovely dinner, we headed to get some sleep because tomorrow promised to be a long day.

We woke up and grabbed an early breakfast from the restaurant just passed the marina. Clive picked us up back at the hotel and we set off for our  boat. Geoff, the surveyor, was already at work. We settled the kids down below in their cabins with the AC running. Jared, Clive, and I walked around with Giles (he works for the Moorings). Sometimes, we would talk with Geoff, but we wanted to give him space in which to work and focus.

We had a bit of bad news though. One of our engines was leaking oil, so we could not do the sea trial. While Geoff would continue to do the in-water survey, Moorings would haul the engine for repair. We took measurements for solar panels, washer, and other things, and made more notes. Eventually, Geoff would need to go inside, so I walked the kids over to the pool at the Moorings base. It was so hot, I jumped in with my clothes on. No worries, because I dried off in like 5 minutes with the heat. I settled in a chair to watch the kids play. After a couple of hours, Jared came as the survey was finishing up. Giles had arranged for us to go out sailing on another Leopard 46 at 2pm, so we ate a quick lunch and swam some more to stay cool.

At 2pm sharp, we walked over to the D dock and climbed aboard to go out for a sail. Leopards sure do sail well! Wind was about 20 knots with 4' to 6' swells with some breaking (steep swells) and we didn't bash around much at all. Everything ran quietly and it felt so good to be back out on the water, sailing the same type of vessel as our boat. I recorded a lot of video, listened down below (not much water noise or creaking), and no one experienced feelings of seasickness. Score!

The update we received is that our boat would be hauled the following morning and Geoff would continue the survey then. We also might get to do the sea trial later in the week, if the engine was repaired in time. Fingers crossed.

After Clive dropped us off at Nanny Cay (his office is based there as well), we set a plan to meet up with him the following day. We let the kids play in the pool again while Jared headed off to do some work in the room. Clive's daughter joined us, as she is Cadence's age and those girls had a blast together! They swam, swung on the playground, and made a fort with towels in a tree. They played so well, that when her mother came to pick her up, she didn't want to leave! So, I watched her until Clive came to pick her up after work. The girls ended their playtime snorkeling on the beach and finding sea shells. The boys had returned to the room earlier to relax a bit before dinner, so I didn't see them again until I walked Cadence back to the room. We changed for dinner and decided to try out the beach bar. Ordered a couple of pizzas and cold drinks and watched the sunset. So lovely!

The following morning, Clive picked us up to take us to our charter boat that would be our home for the next week (since we couldn't be on our own boat, we decided to charter one instead of staying in a hotel). This would allow us to sail around the islands with the kids and make some fun memories. We dropped our bags, settled in with the charter company, and then grabbed a taxi to the market. A couple of hours later, provisions stowed, Clive picked us up to check out our boat up on the hard. She had been hauled out earlier that morning, so by the time we arrived, the boatyard crew were already at work. The engine had been hauled out the previous day, so she was getting a wash down with an acid solution. This gets rid of the corrosion, as well as any undergrowth. Geoff had already been by to conduct the out of water portion of the survey. He found only a few items: one of the rudders would need to be rebuilt, two seacocks replaced, and some work needed to be done to the keels. Our rub-rails also needed replacing. No delamination or osmosis, thankfully was found! We didn't stay too long, as we did not want to interfere with the work going on. Plus, it was hot.

Clive dropped us back at the boat and we made plans to meet up the following week. 

We had hired a captain to show us the ins and outs of docking a catamaran. While we have sailed quite a long time, we had not sailed a large cat. We wanted to ensure we were doing things correctly and so we took the time and spent the money for the instructor. We went over docking, anchoring, pulling up a mooring; all different on a catamaran. It was good to have this practice before we set off on our own. After a couple of hours, we had dropped off the captain and had set off for Norman Island.

Later that evening, we received an email from Geoff with the survey report that had been done so far. It was a long list, but better than we have seen before. But, I'll save that for another post.

For now, we are sailing around the islands and exploring the BVI a bit more. We will return about a week later and meet up with Clive to hopefully go out on a sea trial on our boat. If she isn't repaired by then, we will head back to California and work out way across country until we move aboard in mid-August. Clive will go on the sea trial with Geoff and Giles and update us. That's all for now.