Raja Ampat Yacht Broker
Pre-purchase due diligence before you buy
Pre-purchase due diligence in Raja Ampat covers two files: the technical condition of the vessel, assessed by an independent surveyor, and the legal and commercial file — title, certificates, permits, inventory, crew and bookings. This desk represents buyers; the survey itself is commissioned independently and reported directly to you.
We are the buyer’s broker, not the surveyor
Keep the two roles apart on purpose. A broker who also writes the condition report has an interest in the deal closing. Independent marine survey and inspection work is referred out — you can commission an independent marine survey and receive the report directly, unfiltered. Our job is to make sure the right questions reach the surveyor and that the findings are used properly in the negotiation.
The technical file
- Structure. Steel: thickness readings, corrosion mapping, tank internals. Ironwood: fastenings, frames, keel, garboards, sheathing and caulking. Composite: moisture and laminate assessment.
- Machinery. Main engines and gearboxes, generators, hours against records, cooling, fuel system, shafts, seals and steering.
- Systems. Electrical distribution, batteries, watermaker, air conditioning against cabin load, bilge and firefighting arrangements.
- Safety. Life-saving appliances with in-date certification, fire detection and suppression, EPIRB, liferafts and their service dates.
- Dive plant. Compressors and hours, tank hydro-test dates, nitrox arrangements, rental inventory condition.
- Sea trial. Under load, at working revolutions, with the buyer or their representative aboard.
The paper file
| Document | What you are testing |
|---|---|
| Title and ownership chain | That the person selling can actually convey the vessel, and that nobody else has a claim over it. |
| Class and statutory certificates | Whether they are current, what conditions are outstanding, and when the next survey falls due. |
| Operating permits | Whether the vessel and its operator may legally carry paying guests where the brochure says they cruise. |
| Import and customs position | The single most common source of unpleasant surprises on foreign-built hulls. |
| Inventory schedule | Exactly what is included — tenders, outboards, electronics, dive gear, spares, linen. |
| Crew contracts | Obligations you may inherit, and which people are essential to keep. |
| Forward bookings and deposits | What has been sold, what cash has been taken, and who must deliver those trips. |
Red flags worth walking away from
- A seller who will not permit an independent survey, or who wants to nominate the surveyor.
- Missing ownership documents explained as “normal here”. It is not.
- Pressure to pay a deposit before the vessel has been inspected.
- Certificates that expired during a period the seller describes as light maintenance.
- A booking book that cannot be reconciled to bank receipts.
Using the findings
A survey almost never comes back clean on a working tropical vessel, and that is fine. What matters is sorting the findings into three groups: safety and structural items that must be corrected before use, deferrable items with a cost and a date, and cosmetic items that are simply the age of the boat. Those three lists become the basis of a rational price adjustment. The sequence in context sits in the foreign buyer’s guide, and applies to every hull on the for-sale desk — including phinisi, where the timber file is the whole negotiation.
Talk to the broker desk. Tell us the vessel type, the cruising ground and the budget band in USD, and we will come back with what is genuinely available and what it will take to close.
Frequently asked questions
Who should pay for the survey?
The buyer. A survey paid for by the seller belongs to the seller, and its scope was written to their brief. The cost is small compared with what an independent report finds on a working tropical vessel.
What is the difference between a survey and due diligence?
A survey is a technical assessment of the vessel by a qualified surveyor. Due diligence is the wider file: title, certificates, permits, corporate structure, inventory, crew, bookings and liabilities. A clean survey on a vessel with a defective permit position is still a failed purchase.
Can a wooden phinisi be surveyed reliably?
Yes, by a surveyor experienced with traditional ironwood construction. It is a different discipline from steel or composite work, and the report should say explicitly what was accessible and what was not.