Know the yachtbefore you sign.
NAVI is an independent yacht consultancy. Our Team surveys a vessel from its architecture down to its last system. You decide on evidence, not assumptions.
What the listing might not say
You can read a listing closely and still miss what matters.
A yacht is sold on its finish: teak, joinery, a photograph taken in the right light. You can study the listing, walk the vessel twice, ask every sensible question. You will still know very little about the condition that decides what the next five years cost you.
In a brokered sale the information sits with the seller. Everyone you meet in the transaction is paid only when it completes. That is the structure of the market, not a criticism of the people in it. It does mean the condition of the vessel reaches you already interpreted.
Moisture held in a laminate does not announce itself. Neither does a gearbox near the end of its life. Nor wiring added over the years without proper fusing at source. Nor a refit invoiced as structural that went no deeper than the surfaces. An engineer with instruments and time will find these. A walkthrough will not.
Most surveys answer a single question: does the vessel meet a standard today? We begin from a different one. What will this yacht cost to own and to run over the next five years? That answer is aboard already, in the condition of what nobody has looked at.
Every vessel carries a second account of itself, below the waterline and behind the joinery. The only question is whether you read it before you sign or pay for it afterwards. How we establish it is set out in The Frame.
How it works
A single survey, two possible outcomes. Each protects your position.
The vessel is inspected once, thoroughly. What follows depends on what the inspection finds.
Agreed in writing before anyone steps aboard. The cost of finding out is known to you from the start.
Hull and structure, machinery, the condition of the equipment, the state of the interiors. Every finding is measured against the seller's listing.
We also survey what stays unseen. Hidden defects, early signs of future failure, gaps in the maintenance records.
What gets reported is what bears on value. Routine upkeep is not a finding.
The written record of what the survey concluded. It states whether the vessel matches its listing. It is issued whatever the answer is.
The vessel corresponds to its listing. You hold written proof of that before you sign. The engagement ends here.
The statement records that defects bearing on value were found. It does not name them. The full picture is released with the Stage 2 report, under a separate engagement.
Each defect documented with photographs and measurements. We assess what it costs to put right today and its impact in the years ahead.
You take the full report to the seller. It shows each defect and the quoted cost of putting it right. That cost is what you can ask to have taken off the price.
Terms are discussed privately, before any commitment.
Whatever separates what a yacht costs from what it is worth.
We report only what bears on the value of the vessel: structure, major machinery, alterations made without record. Where a defect will have an impact in the years ahead, we also set out the expenses it may bring.
A survey fee, a long list of faults, the negotiation left entirely to you.
Only what bears on value. A definitive answer either way. Evidence you can put in front of the seller.
The NAVI lens
At every stage, two disciplines: the engineer's and the architect's.
The vessel as a machine
- Hull & structure, moisture, keel, through-hulls
- Engines, gearboxes, shafts: hours against actual wear
- Electrical systems, batteries, wiring integrity
- Plumbing, fuel, bilge, safety systems, rig
The vessel as a design
- Design pedigree and build-yard reputation
- Structural build quality and refit history
- Layout, ergonomics, joinery quality
- Documentation, class records, service history
Evidence you can use
Findings graded by their bearing on value, photographed and measured. Repair costs are quoted by the trade rather than estimated by us. Routine upkeep is left out. A report written to be read. When needed, it goes across the negotiating table.
Why NAVI
Built by people who have spent their careers inside ships.
Engine rooms and machinery spaces, shipyards and new-build deliveries, sea trials, dry docks and technical management ashore. We have stood on the yard floor while vessels were built. We have seen how a vessel is specified, where the compromises are made and what those compromises cost the people who operate her years later.
FAQ
Questions buyers ask us.
What does the survey cover?
The whole vessel, from the hull to the bridge. The technical side covers structure, machinery, electrical systems and equipment. The architectural side covers design, build quality, layout and refit history. We also survey what stays unseen: hidden defects, early signs of future failure, gaps in the maintenance records. Everything is measured against the seller's listing.
What do I receive after the survey?
A Vessel Condition Statement, whatever the survey finds. It records whether the vessel matches its listing. Where defects are found it says so without naming them. The full report, with each defect and the cost of putting it right, follows under a separate engagement.
How is NAVI different from a standard surveyor?
We act for the buyer only. We do not sell yachts, broker deals or take referral fees. A standard survey asks whether the vessel meets a standard today. We also ask what it will cost you in the years ahead.
Do you report every fault on the vessel?
No. We report what bears on the value of the vessel: structure, major machinery, alterations made without record. Consumables and routine upkeep are part of owning a yacht and are left out. Where a defect will have an impact in the years ahead, we also set out the expenses it may bring.
Can a survey be used to renegotiate the price?
Standard sale agreements, including the MYBA Memorandum of Agreement, contain a survey clause. After survey the buyer may accept the vessel, reject it or renegotiate on the basis of documented defects. Our report gives you those grounds: each defect with the cost of putting it right, quoted by the trade rather than estimated by us. The negotiation itself remains yours.
When and where will you operate?
Commercial operations begin in 2027. We are based in London and will survey across the UK and the yachting hubs of the Mediterranean. Write to us to be notified at launch.
Contact
Buying a yacht in 2027?
Start the conversation now.
Tell us what you are considering. We will tell you when we can examine it with you.