Axsail
How it worksFor SurveyorsFor OperatorsPricingGuidesAboutVisual Evidence ↗Coming soonStart free
FREE TEMPLATE · PRE-PURCHASE SURVEY

Pre-purchase survey report template

UPDATED 4 NOVEMBER 2026 · 9 SECTIONS · WORD, NO SIGN-UP

A free Word template for a yacht pre-purchase survey report: every section explained, example wording, the sea trial and valuation, and example findings graded A, B and C.

Download the Word template.DOCX

A pre-purchase survey report tells a buyer what they are about to own: the condition of every system you inspected, what needs fixing and how urgently, how the boat behaved on the sea trial and what it is worth. The buyer uses it to decide and to renegotiate, the lender to lend against your valuation, and the insurer to set cover.

This template follows the order most surveyors use, and the same order as the reports Axsail writes. Download it in Word, or read on for what goes in each section, example wording and example findings.

The report, section by section

SURVEY REPORT
Pre-purchase survey
VESSEL
CLIENT
DATE OF SURVEY
PLACE
  1. 01Particulars
  2. 02Scope of survey
  3. 03Summary of recommendations
  4. 04Survey by system
  5. 05Sea trial
  6. 06Measurements and readings
  7. 07Overall condition
  8. 08Valuation
  9. 09Surveyor's certification
01

Particulars

Who the report is for and which boat it describes. The buyer's lender and insurer will check these details against the registration papers, so copy them from the boat and its documents, never from the listing.

  • Survey: client, date, place, whether afloat or ashore, report number
  • Vessel: name, make and model, HIN, year built, length overall, beam, draft, hull material, flag and registration
  • Machinery: engines with make, model, serial numbers and hours; generator; drive type
  • Tanks: fuel, water and holding tanks with capacity and material
  • A photo of the boat out of the water
EXAMPLE WORDING

Hallberg-Rassy 40, HIN SE-HRY40123H708, built 2008. Inspected ashore at Port Napoléon on 14 October 2026 and afloat for the sea trial the following day. Engine Volvo Penta D2-55, serial 2203456789, 2,140 hours.

02

Scope of survey

What you were asked to do, what you did and what you couldn't reach. This section limits your liability, and a buyer reads the list of areas not inspected as a list of risks.

  • Purpose of the survey and the client it was written for
  • Method, such as visual inspection, percussion sounding, moisture meter readings and operating the systems
  • Conditions on the day, ashore and on the sea trial
  • Areas not inspected, and why: fixed headliners, fuel tanks behind joinery, the masthead
  • Specialist surveys left out, such as the engine internals or a rig survey at height
EXAMPLE WORDING

The survey was non-invasive. No fittings were removed and no destructive testing was carried out. The fuel tank was concealed by fixed joinery and was not inspected. An engine survey by a specialist and an oil analysis are recommended and do not form part of this report.

03

Summary of recommendations

The page most buyers read first, and often the only one their broker reads. List every recommendation once, grouped by grade, with a reference to the finding it comes from.

  • A, safety: fix before the vessel is next underway
  • B, 12 months: fix within about a year
  • C, routine: maintenance and notes
  • A reference number on each item, matching the finding in the next section
EXAMPLE WORDING

A1. Replace the seized cockpit drain seacock before relaunch (finding 4.6).

04

Survey by system

The body of the report. One subsection per system, in the order you walked the boat, and one finding per observation, each with its location, what you saw or measured, and what should be done.

  • Hull below the waterline, keel and keel bolts, rudder, running gear, through-hulls and seacocks
  • Hull and deck structure, with moisture readings and sounding
  • Rig and sails, or flybridge and superstructure on a motor yacht
  • Engine, drive and exhaust; fuel system; gas system
  • Electrical (DC and AC), plumbing, steering, ground tackle
  • Safety equipment and navigation equipment
  • Accommodation and general condition
05

Sea trial

What the boat did under way. The readings you take here show how the machinery behaves under load, which you can't see at the dock. If there was no sea trial, say so here and say why.

  • Conditions, crew on board and duration
  • A table per engine at several engine speeds, including full load, with RPM, speed, coolant temperature, oil pressure and charging voltage
  • Steering, gear shift, vibration, leaks seen under way
  • Under sail: the sails set and how the boat handled
EXAMPLE WORDING

Sea trial in the Golfe de Fos, wind W 12 kn, slight sea, 1 hour 10 minutes, owner and broker on board. Full load 3,000 RPM against a rated 3,000, 7.4 kn, coolant 84 °C, oil pressure 3.8 bar, charging 14.2 V.

06

Measurements and readings

The numbers behind the findings, in one place, so a reader can check them. Name the instrument and its scale.

  • Moisture meter readings for hull, deck and rudder, with the meter and scale
  • Battery voltages at rest and charging
  • Engine hours and the dates of the last services
  • Expiry dates of the life raft, extinguishers and flares
07

Overall condition

One rating and a short paragraph that explains it. Keep the scale your clients and insurers know.

  • A rating: excellent, above average, average, fair, poor or restorable
  • Two or three sentences on why, naming the findings that set the rating
EXAMPLE WORDING

Average. The hull and deck are structurally sound, with normal wear for a boat of this age. The rating is held back by the original standing rigging and the seized cockpit drain seacock.

08

Valuation

The market value, and the replacement cost if the client or lender asks for it. Lenders lend against this figure, so show how you reached it.

  • Market value and replacement cost, in the currency of the sale
  • Comparable boats sold or for sale, with year, price and source
  • The adjustments you made for condition and equipment
EXAMPLE WORDING

In the surveyor's opinion the fair market value of the vessel on the date of survey is EUR 228,000, based on six comparable Hallberg-Rassy 40s of 2006 to 2010 listed or sold in the last 12 months, adjusted for the condition found.

09

Surveyor's certification

The statement that the report is your own work and opinion, with your name, accreditation, signature and date.

  • The statement of independence and of who may rely on the report
  • Name, accreditation (SAMS, NAMS, IIMS, YDSA) and membership number
  • Signature and date of issue

Example findings

Each finding says what the system is, where it is, what was found and what should be done, with a grade for how urgent it is. These are written the way Axsail writes them from what the surveyor says on board.

UNDERWATER GEARA
Cockpit drain seacock, port aft

Seized in the open position. The handle can't be moved by hand.

Recommendation: Free and service the seacock, or replace it, before relaunch.

ELECTRICALA
House battery bank, under the saloon berth

Two 110 Ah batteries stand loose in the locker and can shift in a knockdown.

Recommendation: Secure the batteries with a box or straps fixed to the structure.

SAFETY EQUIPMENTA
Life raft, pushpit cradle

Service label shows the last service in June 2022, with the next due June 2025.

Recommendation: Have the life raft serviced before the vessel goes to sea.

RIGB
Starboard aft lower shroud chainplate, at the deck

Rust staining and failed sealant where the chainplate passes through the deck. Crevice corrosion can't be ruled out.

Recommendation: Remove the chainplate and inspect it. Replace if pitted, then rebed.

DECKB
Foredeck, either side of the anchor locker

Moisture readings of 25 to 35 on the meter's relative scale over about 40 by 60 cm, against 10 to 12 elsewhere on deck. No softness underfoot.

Recommendation: Remove and rebed the windlass and fittings in the area, and check the core at each fastening hole.

ENGINEB
Exhaust mixing elbow, Volvo Penta D2-55

Salt deposits and weeping at the elbow flange.

Recommendation: Replace the mixing elbow and its gasket, and check the elbow bore for carbon build-up.

HULLC
Topsides, port bow at the waterline

Gelcoat scratches and small chips from fendering.

Recommendation: Fill and polish at the owner's convenience.

ASafety. Safety or compliance deficiency. Fix before the vessel is next underway.
B12 months. Deficiency that needs timely attention. Fix within about 12 months.
CRoutine. Note or observation, cosmetic or maintenance. Routine maintenance at the owner's convenience.

What makes a pre-purchase report different

A pre-purchase report is longer than an insurance survey report because the buyer needs every system covered, and it carries a deadline. Most purchase agreements give the buyer 14 to 30 days to accept or reject the boat after the survey, so a report that arrives late can cost your client the right to walk away. Agree the delivery date when you book.

Two sections carry more weight here than in any other report:

  • Areas not inspected. On an older boat, a long list of exclusions tells the buyer where the risk sits. Say why each area wasn't inspected, and recommend how to inspect it.
  • The valuation. If your figure comes in below the agreed price, the loan shrinks and the negotiation starts. Give the comparables and the adjustments, so the figure stands up when the seller's broker challenges it.

Writing findings a buyer can act on

Each finding should let the buyer get a yard quote without calling you. That means the location on the boat, what you saw or measured, and a recommendation specific enough to price. "Corrosion noted" can't be priced. "Crevice corrosion on the starboard aft lower shroud chainplate where it passes through the deck; remove and inspect, replace if pitted" can.

Put the photo next to the finding it shows. A buyer forwarding the report to a yard needs the picture and the words on the same page.

For the full list of what to inspect on each system, see our yacht survey checklist. For how the survey fits into the sale, see pre-purchase yacht survey.

Frequently asked

How long is a pre-purchase survey report?

On a 10 to 20 metre yacht it usually runs to 20 to 40 pages including photos. Length tracks the number of systems and findings more than the size of the boat. The summary of recommendations should fit on one or two pages.

What must a pre-purchase survey report include?

The particulars of the boat, the scope and areas not inspected, a summary of recommendations by urgency, the findings system by system, the sea trial, the overall condition, a valuation and your signed certification. Lenders and insurers will look for the valuation and the summary first.

Can I use this template for a motor yacht?

Yes. Replace the rig and sails with flybridge, superstructure and stabilisers, and expect more rows in the sea trial table, one set per engine. Most motor yacht buyers also want a separate engine survey, which you list in the scope as excluded.

Is the Word template free to use in my own reports?

Yes. Download it, put your logo and terms on it and use it for your own surveys. No sign-up.

Your full survey report, minutes after the walk-round

Dictate as you inspect. Axsail builds the findings and the report for your signature

Start free

More report templates

All templates
FREE TEMPLATE · WORD

Insurance survey

A free Word template for a condition and valuation survey report for boat insurance: each section explained, the insurer's requirements, market and replacement value, and example findings graded A, B and C.

Open template
FREE TEMPLATE · WORD

Damage survey

A free Word template for a boat damage survey report: instructions, the incident as reported, damage found, cause, repair method and cost, unrelated defects, and example findings graded A, B and C.

Open template
FREE TEMPLATE · WORD

Out of water survey

A free Word template for an out of water boat survey report: the hull below the waterline, moisture readings, running gear and through-hulls, with example wording and example findings graded A, B and C.

Open template
FREE TEMPLATE · WORD

Engine survey

A free Word template for a marine engine survey report: engine records, visual inspection, cold start, readings under load, oil analysis and conclusions, with example findings graded A, B and C.

Open template
FREE TEMPLATE · WORD

Rig survey

A free Word template for a sailing yacht rig survey report: mast and spars, standing and running rigging, chainplates, furlers and rig age, with example findings graded A, B and C.

Open template
FREE TEMPLATE · WORD

Appraisal

A free Word template for a boat or yacht appraisal report: purpose and basis of value, comparables and adjustments, market value and replacement cost, assumptions, and example findings that affect value.

Open template

Related guides

YACHT SURVEYS · 7 MIN

Pre-purchase yacht survey: what it covers, how to book one and what to do with the report

What a pre-purchase boat survey covers, from the haul-out to the sea trial, how to choose a SAMS, NAMS, IIMS or YDSA surveyor, the survey contingency in your offer and how to use the report.

SURVEY REPORTS · 7 MIN

Marine survey report: what goes in it, section by section

The sections of a marine survey report, how to write a finding an insurer or buyer can act on, how recommendations are graded, and a template to follow.

INSPECTION CHECKLISTS · 7 MIN

Yacht survey checklist: what a surveyor inspects, system by system

The full boat and yacht survey checklist, from hull and keel to rig, engine, gas and safety kit, and what changes between a pre-purchase and an insurance survey.

YACHT SURVEYS · 10 MIN

How to buy a yacht: the buying process, step by step

How to buy a yacht, new or used: budget and owning costs, broker or private seller, the purchase and sale agreement, survey and sea trial, closing, and what the Amadea sale shows about surveys.