Vessel Inspection (Pre-Purchase)
From $199 · Basic & Plus options
Honest, Professional Opinion
Any Boat, Anywhere Worldwide
Over FaceTime / Video Call
Inspection Results
A look at real inspections — the boats, what was found, and the verdict that followed. Most boats don't pass. Finding the right one takes a special skill set and knowledge base.
"Rusted keel bolts and a pan interior peeling away from the hull — on top of a long list of other red flags. An easy call: we walked away."
Beneteau 40
Verdict: Failed
Next → Kept Searching with Boat Buyer Consulting Program
"A genuinely great boat we wanted to love — but a leaking water tank and standing rigging well past its service life — so we walked away."
Island Packet 37
Verdict: Failed
Next → Kept Searching with Boat Buyer Consulting Program
"Looked solid on the surface — but the keel bolts had been glassed over and the chainplates were hidden from view. Two serious red flags. We walked away."
Jeanneau 36
Verdict: Failed
Next → Kept Searching with Boat Buyer Consulting Program
"In decent shape overall — but we found rot in the flybridge. Not worth the risk. We walked away."
Mainship 36
Verdict: Failed
Next → Kept Searching with Boat Buyer Consulting Program
"Great bones and nothing but cosmetic work needed. We gave it the green light — and our client acquired it for a steal."
CHB 34
Verdict: Passed
Next → Acquired It · Vessel Orientation + Courses
"A nice layout — but it needed a new port-side engine, and the packing glands were leaking dangerously. We walked away."
Uniflite 32
Verdict: Failed
Next → Kept Searching with Boat Buyer Consulting Program
Most boats have serious problems. Most sellers don't disclose them. And most buyers don't have the technical background to see them without help.
A formal marine survey runs roughly $30 per foot — about $1,200 for a 40-foot boat. Want the engine and rigging surveyed too? Add another $600 each, and you're looking at $2,400. It happens after you've already traveled, after you're excited, after you're emotionally in. Nine times out of ten, that survey comes back negative, and you just spent $2,400 to find out it was the wrong boat all along.
A Vessel Inspection (Pre-Purchase) is the step that tells you what the boat actually is (a money pit or a dream boat?) — before you spend thousands of dollars finding out the hard way.
The Solution
It all happens over a live video call — FaceTime or Cal Video (a secure video meeting platform), right from your phone. You (or the seller) walk the boat while your inspector tells you exactly what they see. If reception ever drops, your inspector will have you snap photos and videos of exactly what they need and review them — but nine times out of ten, signal hasn't been a problem.
01
Choose Basic or Plus & Book
Pick the tier that fits — Basic for a straight read on the boat, or Plus to also get it in writing with pricing and negotiation help. Then choose your date, time and your video platform — either Cal Video (a secure video meeting platform) or Apple FaceTime by phone number. Once your inspection is scheduled, you'll get an email from Cal.com (the booking platform) with your payment link. Need to reschedule or coordinate anything? You can manage it right from that email, or just text 415-910-5507 and we'll take care of you personally.
02
Walk the Boat on Video
You, the seller, or the broker walks the boat on FaceTime while your inspector directs the whole thing — where to point the camera, what to look closer at, what to test. They're taking notes the entire time and helping you ask the right questions, so nothing important slips by.
03
Live Assessment the Whole Way Through
Your inspector calls out what they see in real time — deferred maintenance, wear patterns, system age, structural indicators, anything that stands out as a real problem or a real cost.
04
Get Your Verdict
When the walkthrough wraps, your inspector gives you a clear verdict — move forward, or walk away — with the evidence behind every call. On Plus, you also get it all in writing: a written findings report, a repair-cost breakdown, and an offer consideration range you can act on.
05
You Decide — Either Way, We're With You
Don't be discouraged by a no. Most boats don't pass — that's the whole point, and it's far better to know now than after a $1,000+ survey confirms it. If this one's a walk-away and you still want to find your dream vessel, what you paid rolls straight toward your Boat Buyer Consulting Program enrollment. A dead end on one boat is just the next step toward the right one — and either way, we're by your side through the whole search with an honest, professional opinion.
What's Inspected
The full boat — every system that matters.
Hull & Structure
The bones of the boat — what holds it together and keeps water out. The stuff that's expensive when it's wrong.
Engine & Mechanical
The drivetrain, the cooling system, the fuel system. If it moves, pumps, or drives the boat — it gets looked at.
Electrical & Safety
The systems that keep you safe and the wiring that can burn a boat down. Both matter more than most buyers realize.
Rig & Deck
What's up top and what's underfoot. Hardware, standing rigging, deck condition — the things that fail quietly until they don't.
Plumbing & Systems
Below-waterline fittings, raw water systems, bilge, tanks. The unglamorous stuff that sinks boats and kills deals.
Overall Maintenance Standard
How has this boat actually been cared for? That one question tells you more than any individual system.
Dustin Allen is a marine surveyor, working technician, and multi-vessel owner with over a decade of hands-on marine experience. He served as Lead Technician at OCSC and Modern Sailing — two of the largest sailing operations on the Bay — and has worked across hundreds of vessels in every condition imaginable.
He has found rot under teak, corrosion behind panels, and failed systems that listing photos never showed. He knows what deferred maintenance looks like on a video call and what it will cost the next owner to deal with it.
He gives you a straight read on what the boat is — no optimism, just what he actually sees.
Marine Surveyor
ABYC Member
Former Lead Tech — OCSC
Former Lead Tech — Modern Sailing
10+ Years Marine Technical Experience
Multi-Vessel Owner — Worldwide
Choose Your Inspection
Two ways to go. Basic gives you a straight read on the boat. Plus adds the written report, cost breakdown, and hands-on help pricing and negotiating the deal.
|
Basic |
Plus |
| Best for | Evaluating one boat | Evaluating, pricing & negotiating one boat |
| Live virtual inspection | ✓ | ✓ |
| Findings explained live | ✓ | ✓ |
| Written findings report | — | ✓ |
| Repair-cost breakdown | — | ✓ |
| Offer consideration range | — | ✓ |
| Negotiation assistance | — | ✓ |
| Price | $199 | $199 + 3% success fee |
Both tiers are $199 up front. On Plus, a 3% success fee (charged as a use-of-products success fee) applies only if you move forward and purchase the boat.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between Basic and Plus?
Both include the full live virtual inspection and a clear verdict explained on the call. Basic ($199) is for evaluating one boat. Plus ($199 + a 3% success fee) adds a written findings report, a repair-cost breakdown, an offer consideration range, and hands-on negotiation help — so you can price and negotiate the deal with confidence. The 3% success fee only applies if you go on to purchase the boat.
How is this different from a formal marine survey?
A formal survey is a credentialed, in-person written report typically required by insurers and lenders — and it usually runs $1,000 or more, done after you've already traveled and made an offer. A Vessel Inspection (Pre-Purchase) is an earlier, cheaper filter: a live video walkthrough with your inspector that tells you whether a boat is even worth pursuing to that stage. It's advisory, not a substitute for a formal survey before purchase.
What if the video call loses signal on the boat?
It rarely happens, but if reception drops, your inspector will have you or the seller snap targeted photos and videos of exactly what they need to see and continue the assessment from there.
Who walks the boat during the call?
You, the seller, or the listing broker — whoever's available dockside. Your inspector directs the entire walkthrough remotely, telling them exactly where to point the camera and what to test.
Can I inspect a boat anywhere in the world?
Yes. As long as there's someone at the boat with a phone and a video connection, your inspector can inspect it — this service has covered vessels across the world, in oceans and waterways all over the planet.
What happens if the boat fails?
Most boats do fail — that's the point of catching it now instead of after a $1,000+ survey. If you walk away and want to keep searching, what you paid for the inspection rolls straight toward your Boat Buyer Consulting Program enrollment.
How long does an inspection take?
Most video walkthroughs run 45–75 minutes depending on the size and condition of the boat. You get a clear verdict live on the call; the written findings report, cost breakdown, and negotiation help come with the Plus tier.
Book Now
Know Exactly What You're Buying — Before You Buy It.
Book your video call, walk through the boat with your inspector, and get a straight read on its real condition before you commit another dollar.
From $199 · Basic & Plus options
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Looking at More Than One Boat?
The Boat Buyer Consulting Program is the full picture — your consultant works with you through your entire search. Unlimited Virtual Pre-Purchase Inspections across every serious candidate, help defining the right type of boat for your mission, listing filtering, and guidance all the way through to close. If you're serious about finding the right boat and doing it right, this is the program.
Shipshape Society is not a broker and does not represent any seller. Virtual pre-purchase inspections are advisory and do not constitute a formal credentialed marine survey. All final purchasing decisions remain yours. A formal marine survey by a credentialed surveyor is recommended prior to purchase.