Buy with confidence.
Over 200 checks across multiple categories — digital report with photos and recommended actions, delivered on the spot at the end of the inspection.
- Buying a secondhand boat and want an independent condition assessment
- An owner wanting a full vessel condition report for insurance or peace of mind
- A seller wanting to provide a certified condition report to a buyer
- An engine service (annual, 50-hour, logbook)
- An engine health check on a boat you already own
- A repair or fault diagnosis visit
What we check
Every inspection covers the 8 standard categories below. The last 2 are optional add-ons available at booking.
Hull & structure
Hull condition, gelcoat, stress cracks, transom integrity, deck hardware, hatches and seals.
Engine & propulsion
Visual inspection, compression check, flushing system, trim and tilt, propeller, gear shift and throttle operation.
Electrical systems
Battery condition and charge, navigation lights, bilge pump, instruments and wiring condition.
Steering & controls
Steering free-play and response, throttle and shift cables, kill switch, trim tabs operation.
Bilge & through-hulls
Bilge pump operation, bilge condition, through-hull fittings and seacocks integrity.
Safety equipment
Flares, life jackets, fire extinguisher and EPIRB — compliance class and expiry dates checked.
Trailer
Lights, wheel bearings, brakes, tyres, winch, frame condition and coupling.
Fuel system
Fuel lines, primer bulb, tank condition, venting and connections — age and condition of fuel noted.
Thermal imaging Optional
Thermal camera scan of the engine while running — identifies hotspots, cooling faults, exhaust blockages and bearing issues invisible to the eye.
Oil condition test Optional
On-the-spot oil analysis — one drop tested instantly for contamination, water ingress, fuel dilution and wear metals. Independent of seller’s service claims.
We strongly recommend arranging the inspection at a boat ramp so we can conduct a full water test. Some issues only reveal themselves under load — engine power output, cooling, trim operation, overheating and propeller sizing can only be verified on the water.
On engines with diagnostic capability (e.g. Evinrude E-TEC, Yamaha, Mercury SmartCraft) we download the full engine history — hours of operation, fault codes and running profiles. This data is included in your report and cannot be falsified by the seller.
Optional add-ons
Select these when booking for an even more thorough inspection. Prices are shown in the quoting system.
On-the-spot oil condition test
A single drop of engine oil is tested on-site using a calibrated analyser. Instantly measures contamination levels from soot, water ingress, fuel dilution, wear metals and acidity — giving you an independent read on the actual oil condition regardless of what the seller claims about recent servicing.
If contamination is found on an engine claimed to have been recently serviced, this becomes immediate grounds for price renegotiation — or a flag that something more serious is going on inside the engine.
Engine thermal imaging scan
Using a thermal camera, we scan the engine while running to identify hotspots, cooling system restrictions, exhaust blockages and bearing issues that are invisible to the eye. Problems found here typically escalate into major engine damage if left unaddressed.
Particularly useful on older engines, engines with unknown service history, and sterndrive units where the exhaust manifold and risers are known failure points.
Diesel fuel tank inspection
Diesel engines onlyVisual inspection of the fuel tank, fuel sample test for diesel bug (microbial contamination), water and sediment. Contaminated diesel is one of the leading causes of fuel system failure and engine damage — and it’s often invisible until the engine stops at the worst possible moment.
Results are not available on the spot — sample is sent for analysis and results are included in the final report addendum within 5–7 business days.
Full laboratory oil analysis
An oil sample is taken and sent to an accredited laboratory for full spectrographic analysis — wear metals, viscosity, additive depletion, contamination and fuel dilution measured to parts-per-million accuracy. A detailed written report is returned within 7–10 business days.
Recommended for commercial vessels and compliance purposes. For recreational buyers the on-the-spot oil test above is sufficient in most cases.
How it works
Ready to book your inspection?
Get instant quote & book →The first question we ask at a repair job on a boat that was just purchased:
“Did you get a pre-purchase inspection?”
The answer is almost always no. In over 30 years of marine work we have seen it countless times — a boat bought in good faith, on the water within weeks, and then a repair bill that dwarfs the purchase price. A seized impeller, corroded wiring, a cracked exhaust manifold, diesel bug in the tank. None of these are visible to the untrained eye. All of them show up in an inspection.
A pre-purchase inspection costs a fraction of what a single hidden repair costs. The average repair bill we see on uninspected purchases runs to many times the inspection fee — before you factor in the time off the water, the towing, and the frustration of owning something you can’t trust.
What our customers say
“He went through the boat with a fine tooth comb, both on dry land and on the water, and gave me a comprehensive inspection report. I was able to use that report to not only confirm my intention to purchase the boat, but also to negotiate a better price with the vendor. What I found most incredible was Res’s professionalism, guidance and advice throughout the inspection process. He systematically showed me things about the boat that I simply had no idea about. The service Res provides is second to none.”
— Verified customer, Sydney