A full pre-purchase survey will cost you somewhere between £400 & £600; if the survey is out of the water it will also cost between £100 & £200 docking charges depending how the boat is taken out of the water - dry dock and slipway are generally cheaper than a fixed crane. A mobile crane that has to be brought on site may cost as much as £550 - be wary, sometimes the price quoted is one-way only ie £300 to take it out & £300 to put it back in.

The level of survey is your choice. It can be a full pre-purchase survey of the whole craft, or an "in the water" report of the boat interior (internal services and quality of fit out etc.) or an out of the water hull survey alone, or simply an engine report.

Remember that if seeking marine finance, the survey must include a valuation.

If you have specific questions or worries, put the questions in writing to your surveyor before the inspection, asking for specific answers.

Also ask if (s)he carries professional indemnity insurance & if (s)he is a member of a professional association.

It is important to ask the surveyor what he is going to inspect and what he isn't; what he will do and what he won't do - there is no set routine/format as to what constitutes a pre-purchase survey.

The list is in county order to help find a surveyor in the area where the boat is.