Yacht and Small Craft Surveyors and Marine Consultants ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Our background
We are a family group with a love of all things maritime and with first hand experience of the dreams, and apprehensions, of boat ownership. Whether you are buying, testing the water, re-insuring, or have had an accident or incident afloat, we can offer advice or help with your surveying needs. We can advise you on choice of boat, and help you set up and operate your craft. If you are unsure about your latest acquisition, we can come with you and hold your hand for a while afloat.
As well as being experienced mariners, we are fully trained (IBTC Lowestoft) marine surveyors and members of BMSE (British Marine Surveyors Europe). We are both Yachtmasters and experienced RYA Instructors across a range of disciplines.
Mike & Tom are the 2nd and 3rd generation of the family involved in owning, maintaining, and rebuilding boats over many years. In the 1950’s and 60’s, Mike’s father, Cecil, was an engineer, who built, restored, or rebuilt many wooden boats ranging from an Edwardian motor cruiser, through clinker motor boats and high speed planing cruisers, to a 50ft ketch rigged Scottish MFV, the latter rebuilt from the keel up.
Mike was brought up in Dun Laoghaire and became involved in racing and maintaining dinghies and yachts, both before and during his 32 years as a Royal Naval engineer officer. He then spent a further 10 years at Portsmouth Naval Base involved in trials, inspections, and surveys on naval vessels. Mike’s boats have included a 20 ton 44ft 1887 gaff ketch Galway Hooker (joint owner), a Halcyon 27, a Rival 32, a Westerly Storm 33, and a Westerly Oceanranger 38. This breadth of boats has enabled Mike to gain hands-on experience of modifying, repairing, refurbishing, re-engining, and preserving many types of vessel. The Hooker was a major rebuild over several years involving re-planking, re-framing, and refastening. Mike has also been involved in instructing, and examining in a variety of FRP, wooden, and steel vessels (power and sail). As an Ocean Examiner and Instructor, he has sailed in European and blue waters, sailed the Atlantic as mate and navigator, and skippered in events such as the AZAB.
Tom spent his early life afloat on family boats before becoming an international wave-sailor (extreme heavy weather windsurfing) where he was well known on the competition circuit. He subsequently joined UKSA as a watersports instructor before cross-training into other areas of power and sail. Later on, he became involved in maintaining yachts and motorboats and in using resins and composite materials in the repair or modification of FRP craft. He is now freelance, working both ashore and afloat. His afloat roles include charter, delivery, race skipper or crew, navigator, tactician, and yacht and keelboat instructor. His ashore work is as part of a specialist teambased at the GBR Yard Cowes. This work typically involves racing yacht maintenance and support, advanced mast and rigging repair and maintenance, strengthening, or modification of composite materials and structures, marine woodwork and engineering, deck, stern gear and rudders, and keel removal, repair, and rebuild. He is also involved in preparation and tuning of boats for races and campaigns.
Where we are based:
Mike is usually based in Gosport, Hants, UK
Tom is usually based in Cowes, IOW, UK
Although principally central South Coast and IOW based, with sufficient notice we can often cover a relatively wide area, from Devon to Kent, & occasionally Southern Ireland
We can do this,
or this (the one in front though!),
or this.
Finally, a little bit of family history:
Mike's father, Cecil, hard at work in Dun Laoghaire in the 1970's restoring a 1921Ketch-rigged ex-Scottish MFV. Proof enough that messing about in boats runs in the family blood!
Mike was brought up in Dun Laoghaire and became involved in racing and maintaining dinghies and yachts, both before and during his 32 years as a Royal Naval engineer officer. He then spent a further 10 years at Portsmouth Naval Base involved in trials, inspections, and surveys on naval vessels. Mike’s boats have included a 20 ton 44ft 1887 gaff ketch Galway Hooker (joint owner), a Halcyon 27, a Rival 32, a Westerly Storm 33, and a Westerly Oceanranger 38. This breadth of boats has enabled Mike to gain hands-on experience of modifying, repairing, refurbishing, re-engining, and preserving many types of vessel. The Hooker was a major rebuild over several years involving re-planking, re-framing, and refastening. Mike has also been involved in instructing, and examining in a variety of FRP, wooden, and steel vessels (power and sail). As an Ocean Examiner and Instructor, he has sailed in European and blue waters, sailed the Atlantic as mate and navigator, and skippered in events such as the AZAB. 
Tom spent his early life afloat on family boats before becoming an international wave-sailor (extreme heavy weather windsurfing) where he was well known on the competition circuit. He subsequently joined UKSA as a watersports instructor before cross-training into other areas of power and sail. Later on, he became involved in maintaining yachts and motorboats and in using resins and composite materials in the repair or modification of FRP craft. He is now freelance, working both ashore and afloat. His afloat roles include charter, delivery, race skipper or crew, navigator, tactician, and yacht and keelboat instructor. His ashore work is as part of a specialist team based at the GBR Yard Cowes. This work typically involves racing yacht maintenance and support, advanced mast and rigging repair and maintenance, strengthening, or modification of composite materials and structures, marine woodwork and engineering, deck, stern gear and rudders, and keel removal, repair, and rebuild. He is also involved in preparation and tuning of boats for races and campaigns. 
