Joe Rowles - Marine Surveyor

Joe Rowles - Marine Surveyor

Currently Joe works as a full time independent Marine Surveyor carrying out marine surveys for yacht owners and buyers, insurance companies and finance companies. He also carries out MCA code of practice surveys and tonnage measurement for British flagged yachts.

Surveys are carried out on all types of yachts both sail and power and built of various construction methods. Joe has up to date equipment including moisture meters for GRP yachts and ultrasonic thickness gauge for aluminium and steel yachts.

In addition to the Marine surveying Joe offers professional advice and project management on new yacht construction and yacht refit work. Joe has firsthand experience of many boat yards and repair facilities throughout Turkey and the Eastern Mediterranean Please contact me for impartial advice.

Choosing a Marine Surveyor

The marine surveying industry is unregulated meaning anyone can legally call themselves a marine surveyor. There are many ‘self appointed’ boat experts in the industry, some of whom are good, however in my opinion a surveyor should have some form of membership to at least one of the internationally recognised marine surveying organisations. This shows a commitment to the industry and ensures the surveyor is up to date with the latest marine industry standards.

Membership to one of these organisations does not guarantee a good marine surveyor, but it does ensure that the marine surveyor is vetted. In addition, the marine surveyor is required to be actively surveying and up to date to remain a member of the recognised organisation. If you choose a recognised marine surveyor you have a better chance of finding the right person for the right job.

You can find Joe Rowles’s surveying organisation membership details, qualifications and level of experience here.

If the surveyor is not recognised by one of the organisations they will not be able to carry out the following types of surveys:

• Tonnage measurement
• MCA small craft surveys (under 24 metres) for commercial yachts

Surveying Organisations

There are two internationally recognised British based organisations that represent surveyors.

• The International Institute of Marine Surveying (IIMS)
• The Yacht Designers and Surveyors Association (YDSA)

Before choosing a surveyor, ask which organisation they are a member of and if the survey will be carried out in accordance with that organisations code of practice.

Experience and Qualifications

Hands-on surveying experience is critical to being a good marine surveyor as marine surveying is fundamentally a practical skill. The surveying organisations listed above only endorse marine surveyors with relevant qualifications including hands on experience.

There are good marine surveyors without surveying qualifications but you have more assurance of finding the right person for the right job if the surveyor you choose has formal marine Surveying qualifications.

You can find Joe Rowles’s surveying organisation membership details, qualifications and level of experience here.