Marine Survey Bureau - Peritos navales de yates en Palma

Marine Survey Bureau is a yacht survey and consulting firm with an office on the Palma Seafront Promenade, just a few minutes’ walk from the bay’s main marinas. From Mallorca, it provides inspection services for recreational yachts and superyachts both in the Balearic Islands and around the world, and assists owners, buyers, insurers, and shipyards with important technical decisions throughout a vessel’s life cycle.

Yacht Surveys

• *Condition and valuation survey: the essential report before buying, selling, insuring, or financing a vessel.
• Compliance inspections and certifications: inspections to verify that the yacht complies with regulations and the requirements of its flag state or the applicable code.
• Damage assessment: following a grounding, collision, water ingress, or fire, to determine the extent of the damage and the cost of repairs.
• Non-destructive testing (NDE): techniques that allow for the assessment of the condition of structures, welds, and laminates without disassembling or damaging the vessel.
• Specific inspections of particular systems or areas at the client’s request.
• Materials testing and laboratory analysis.
• Expert witness in legal proceedings, providing technical reports for litigation and claims.

New Construction and Refits

In addition to expert assessments, Marine Survey Bureau offers supervision of repairs and refits and supervision of new construction projects. In a major refit, having an independent technician representing the shipowner helps ensure quality control, adherence to deadlines, and management of budget overruns with the shipyard and subcontractors.

What Type of Survey Do You Need

Situation	Recommended Survey
You’re buying a used boat	Condition and valuation, including dry-docking and sea trial
You’re purchasing or renewing insurance	Condition assessment and valuation for the insurer
You’ve had an accident	Damage assessment
You have concerns about a structure or weld	Non-destructive testing
You’re planning a major refit	Pre-refit inspection and refit supervision
Dispute with a shipyard or seller	Expert report for legal proceedings

How to Get the Most Out of a Pre-Purchase Survey

A survey is only as useful as the information provided to the surveyor and how the report is used. Some general tips:

• Schedule the dry docking and sea trial in advance: many defects are only visible when the boat is out of the water or underway.
• Ask the seller for documentation: maintenance invoices, engine hours, accident history, and certificates.
• Accompany the surveyor if you can: it’s the best opportunity to get to know the boat and understand what needs immediate attention and what can wait.
• Use the report to negotiate: the defects found and their estimated cost are objective arguments for adjusting the price or requesting repairs before delivery.
• Consider an engine oil analysis if the boat has high hours: it reveals internal wear and tear that isn’t apparent during a test run.

Why an Independent Surveyor

The surveyor works for whoever hires them, not for the seller or the broker. It is this independence that gives the report its value in the eyes of an insurer, a bank, or a court. In a market like Palma, which has one of the highest volumes of yacht sales in the Mediterranean, a thorough technical report prevents costly surprises after the contract is signed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Marine Survey Bureau located? At Paseo Marítimo, 44, Unit P-18, in Palma de Mallorca.

Do they work only in Mallorca? No. They are based in Palma but offer their surveying services worldwide.

Do they conduct surveys for insurance companies? Yes, they perform condition surveys, appraisals, and damage assessments following an incident.

Can they supervise the refit of my yacht? Yes, they offer supervision of repairs and refits, as well as new construction projects.

What are non-destructive tests? Inspection techniques that allow for the evaluation of structures, welds, and materials without damaging or disassembling them.