Marine survey report template: what every report must include
The complete structure of a defensible marine survey report — sections, language conventions, and the legal language that protects you when claims arise.
A marine survey report is a legal document. When a claim arises — and on a percentage of surveys one always does — the report is what your professional indemnity insurer will defend you with. Here's the structure every report should follow, and the language conventions that keep you out of trouble.
The standard sections
A complete small craft survey report should contain, in order:
1. Cover page — your branding, vessel name, client name, survey date, location, survey type 2. Vessel particulars — make, model, year, HIN/CIN, dimensions, engine details 3. Scope and limitations — what the survey covered and, crucially, what it didn't 4. Hull and structure 5. Deck, topsides and superstructure 6. Rig and sails (sailing vessels) 7. Mechanical and propulsion 8. Electrical systems 9. Plumbing, gas and tankage 10. Navigation and electronics 11. Safety equipment 12. Findings summary — categorised by severity 13. Recommendations — prioritised actions 14. Valuation (where applicable) 15. Standard terms and limitations
The language that protects you
Three conventions every defensible report uses:
- "Appeared to be" rather than "was". You inspected; you didn't dismantle. "The keel bolts
appeared to be secure on visual inspection" is defensible; "the keel bolts were secure" is not.
- "Visually inspected from accessible areas" to bound the scope. A surveyor who claims to have
inspected what was hidden is exposed.
- Categorised findings — usually `Defect`, `Recommendation`, `Note` — so the reader can't
conflate a cosmetic blemish with a structural concern.
The scope clause that saves careers
Every report must include an explicit scope statement. Sample language:
> This survey was conducted on a non-destructive, visual basis from accessible areas of the vessel > while afloat / out of the water. No machinery was dismantled. Hidden defects which could only be > identified through dismantling or destructive testing are excluded from the scope of this > report. The surveyor accepts no liability for defects not reasonably identifiable through visual > and non-destructive inspection on the date of survey.
This single paragraph has prevented more PI claims than any other piece of report craft.
Photo discipline
Every finding categorised as `Defect` or `Recommendation` should have at least one supporting photo, captioned with location and date. Untethered photos in an appendix are worth less than half as much as photos attached to specific observations.
Templates vs from-scratch
Writing every report from scratch wastes 2–4 hours per survey on formatting. Modern survey software like evalo ships pre-built templates for pre-purchase, insurance, condition and damage surveys — with the scope language, section structure, and categorisation conventions already built in. You bring the judgement; the template handles the structure.
The cost of getting this wrong
A surveyor friend ours skipped the explicit scope clause for the first 18 months of his practice. A keel detachment claim came in on a yacht he'd surveyed for insurance. His PI insurer paid out £42,000 — partly because the report had no language excluding hidden defects. He uses the full scope clause on every report now.
Use the template. Use the language. The 30 seconds it adds to each report is the cheapest insurance you'll ever buy.