IONIAN MARINE SURVEYS

Independent Yacht Surveyors in the Ionian

Our knowledge is your strength....

About Us

Ionian Marine Surveys are based in the heart of the Ionian and specialise in surveying Sailing & Motor boats in the Ionian Sea area.

Our modus operandi is simple, we know you can't possibly survey a vessel in detail in one day, so we spend two days looking in detail at every vessel we survey. Time spent with the vessel is key to discovering possible faults or hidden damage.

We operate in Corfu, Aktio, Preveza, Lefkas, Nidri, Kefalonia and Mesolongi as well as in the Adriatic and have a good working relationship with many of the marinas to help facilitate getting boats to and from survey. We appreciate that purchasing a Sailing or Motor boat is a significant investment and we are on hand to help guide clients through the process from advise on Pre-Purchase contracts to Final Survey Reports.

We frequently conduct Pre Purchase, Insurance, and Hull surveys on Sailing and Motor boats and have a good working relationship with many of the large insurers, who use us or are happy to recommend clients use us for their renewal surveys.

We are able to offer our clients a range of additional services which include Marine Valuations, Marine Project Management, Static & Sea Trials, Machinery Inspections, Oil Sample Analysis & Yacht Deliveries.

We carry full indemnity insurance and are recognised by the IIMS (International Institute of Marine Surveyors), YDSA (Yacht Designers & Surveyors Association), BMSE (British Marine Surveyors Europe), RINA (Royal Institute of Naval Architects) as well as being International Boat Building Training College (IBTC) qualified in Yacht and Small Craft Surveying.

Our Services

✔   Pre-Purchase Survey
✔   Insurance Survey
✔   Hull Surveys
✔   Mast & Rigging
✔   Limited Scope Survey
✔ Osmosis Inspection
✔ Drone Inspections
✔ Sea Trial
✔   Marine Consultations
✔   Tonnage Survey
✔   Yacht Deliveries

Our Principal Surveyor

My name is Rolf and I have been around boats my whole life. I have raced, delivered, and cruised on our own boat with my family for several years. I am a qualified Marine Surveyor affiliated with the YDSA (Yacht Designers & Surveyors Association & IIMS (International Institute of Marine Surveyors). Having studied at the International Boat Building Training College (IBTC) in Yacht and Small Craft Surveying and with over 30 Years of marine experience and 30,000 miles under my belt and most importantly as a boat owner myself, I know the need to have confidence in the vessel you purchase and set sail on.

Qualifications & Associations

Our Philosophy

We understand the pleasure which comes from the purchase of a first yacht, or upgrading to a larger vessel. Our aim to make sure clients are covered from any unforeseen issues which may arise with the purchase of a new vessel. We do this by conducting a meticulous marine survey, covering all key components parts of the vessels and then taking my findings and writing them up into a clear, concise & meticulous report. After the physical survey I am happy to have a preliminary discussion about my finings, before presenting clients with my detailed report. My aim is to make clients feel confident in the knowledge that the vessel they are purchasing is indeed as it should be.

Most recent Surveys

This fantastic Lagoon 42 was recently surveyed for one of our Canadian clients and was fully kitted out for some big adventuring. This big Cat really had it all, with a large owners cabin and all the mod cons, she had been very well maintained by the owner and was ready to give her new owners a fabulous base from which to explore the Mediterranean and beyond.

We survey many Catamarans every year from Sicily to Split and beyond and are always happy to receive new instructions to look at these vessels in closer detail.

Have a look at our recent surveys

Recently Surveyed Vessels

READ A RECENTLY WRITTEN SURVEY REPORT

Frequently Surveyed Vessels

What our clients say

'When I’m looking looking at reviews, I’m only interested in the answers to two questions: “would you use this person again?” and “would you recommend them to others?”.

So let me start with those... unquestionably YES and YES.
Rolf gives you far more than just a written report. From the first phone call, Rolf is unreservedly forthcoming with advice and guidance about his service, what he expects from boats, his advice and guidance on all aspects of the purchase process – both pre and post survey.

This was my 4th boat survey, so although I’m no expert, I had some expectation on what I should receive from a survey report – but also what not to receive!
It is however, equally for me that I connect with the surveyor, as I’m about to spend one of life’s bigger sums on something that is quite an emotional purchase.

I therefore need to feel the surveyor gets me, listens to me and is patient with my many stupid questions, happy to educate me along the way and by the same token, I need to feel I can trust him. Rolf ticked all those boxes and then some!

People seem to focus solely on price, but for me it’s about whether the value outweighs the cost – I have no hesitation in stating Rolf is worth every single penny, a number of times over.

At the time of writing, the survey (and purchase) was completed some 3 months ago and Rolf is still providing advice and guidance.

If you’re wanting a surveyor to work closely with you and someone who puts himself out to deliver quality service - I would now look no further than Rolf. ' - Steve

'We engaged Rolf whilst still in Australia and were not disappointed. The process of purchasing overseas was daunting but Rolf was a great communicator from the very start, and completed the pre-purchase survey and sea trial on a FP Catamaran over two days. We have been through this process twice before but we have never seen a survey to be as thorough. The issues found were relatively minor but all were discussed in great detail with us and the owners. We received the detailed report promptly and can not recommend Rolf highly enough. If you want more info feel free to get in touch with us at #sailingsagars' - Steven

'We hired Rolf, from Ionian Marine Surveys, to survey the catamaran we bought in Greece. I had seen reviews about him saying how thorough he is, and that was very true. He went over that boat with a fine-tooth comb, and found a few issues with the boat we didn't know about. We were able to negotiate the price down so that we could have the necessary repairs made.

I also really appreciated Rolf's integrity. The broker only wanted us to haul out the boat for one hour for the bottom inspection. Rolf thought that was suspicious, and said that if that was the case he would not survey the boat. As a result, we were able to keep the boat out of the water longer. Rolf was then able to perform a thorough bottom survey, and found the problems that needed to be fixed.

We were very happy with Rolf's services and highly recommend him to anyone who is serious about getting their boat surveyed.' - Karen

'Rolf did the pre-purchase survey for my Sun Odyssey 40 in Greece, which I ended up buying. His report is thorough and he identified several issues that weren't known until that point which resulted in further testing and negotiating with the previous owner. He's very knowledgeable, has always been available to communicate and his work is of high quality. I have been very satisfied with his work and I can definitely recommend him.' - Angel

'I can highly recommend Rolf at Ionian Marine Surveys after he recently completed a full sailing yacht condition survey for me. His detailed, well structured report with clearly presented findings has been extremely useful. Rolf completed the survey as planned and issued the report promptly. He was professional, knowledgeable and communicated really well with me throughout, responding quickly to my queries and overall providing a fantastic service including after issuing his report.' - Pauline

'Rolf at Ionian Marine Surveys did an amazing job surveying our first ever boat purchase! After many recommendations we knew we could put our trust in his hands to do a thorough survey and pick up any issues. He was friendly and easy to talk to and the survey report was in extreme detail with recommendations on how to proceed. Wouldn't hesitate to use his service again. - Chris & Shelley

'Rolf surveyed a Lagoon 380 for me in Corfu. He couldn't have been more helpful. Incredibly thorough survey and very detailed report which he went through with me item by item. I felt I really knew the boat before I brought it. Not only was I confidant I knew what I was buying but I also got a price reduction too. If you are looking for a good surveyor I would highly recommend Rolf.' - Jill

'We used Rolf Thunecke to survey and sea trial the Jeanneau 45DS we remotely purchased, whilst we were still in New Zealand. Rolf was recommended by a trusted New Zealand yacht broker. He was clear communicator, who helped us through the whole process, which was quite daunting for us, never having purchased a yacht sight unseen before. His report was very thorough and was exactly what we found when we finally arrived at the yacht months later. I would highly recommend Rolf at Ionian Marine Surveys to do surveys and sea trials.' - Marcel & Naomi

'2 weeks ago I had a pre-purchase survey done by Rolf Thunecke for Ionian Marine Surveys. He is one of the few IIMS & YDSA certified surveyors around Lefkas. The inspection was thorough and he delivered a detailed report with some valuable tips. I can certainly recommend him.' - Jules

'My thanks to Rolf Thunecke for a very thorough and comprehensive Survey recently carried out on my behalf. Very professional and excellent communication throughout. I would highly recommend Ionian Marine Surveys for anyone looking for their next purchase in the Ionian.' - Peter

'We had Rolf complete our survey and sea trial of our new Lagoon 42. His work was exceptionel in every respect, very professional with detailed reporting. We can't recommend him highly enough.' - Jane & Chris

'I am currently in Lefkada and I just had a survey done by Rolf. He's done an amazing job for me. Rolf even agreed to meet with me and the seller, to clear things up and to help with the sales process. Also his report left nothing unclear, was easy to understand and follow. I have already used his report and sent it off to insurance companies as I obviously need their services and got praise for the thoroughness of the report.' - Andy

'Thank you for your prompt and professional service. This is our first boat purchase and it was reassuring to have someone we trust advising us. We would not hesitate to recommend you to other boat buyers.' - Karen & Charles

'The survey was very thorough and well written. Rolf was a pleasure to deal with, and happy to answer follow-up questions.' - Stephen

'Thank you for all your help and assistance during the process of purchase. The level of knowledge and professionalism was fantastic and made the process a lot less stressful.' - Martin

'Thank you, for your very helpful and thorough report. The Jeremy Fisher is great, thank you for all your help.' - Frances

'Thanks Rolf, I have read your survey report and am pleased by how comprehensive it is. I really appreciate speaking with you after the survey was completed as this clarified a number of outstanding questions I had regarding the boat.' - Julie

'Thanks to Rolf I now hold a hull survey which certifies my boat has passed a thorough hull inspection check. This paper work is not only imperative for me to obtain my insurance for when I get back on the water but is reassuring nod that gives me the confidence to carry on with the project.' - Mike

'Thank you for your report which was very clear and concise and gave me the confidence to proceed with the purchase. I also found your recommendations very helpful as this also enabled me to negotiate further with the vendor of the vessel, prior to purchase' - Jack

'Thanks to you for all your help in the survey of our yacht. Not only was your report detailed but your knowledge and help preceding the survey in getting a pre purchase contract drawn up, which was invaluable and gave us the peace of mind to proceed with the purchase' - Kate & John

'We wanted a surveyor who was an expert in blue water sailing boats as we were looking at a number of vessels to take our family sailing in the Med and Caribbean. We found Rolfs wealth and depth of knowledge when it came to these types yachts invaluable. He was meticulous when it came to surveying the vessel and the very detailed report was superbly helpful when it came to negotiating with the owner' - Trudy & Ron

Types of Survey

Pre Purchase Survey

A pre purchase survey is intended to give peace of mind when purchasing a Sailing or Motor Yacht that the vessel is both sea worthy & has no hidden faults which may later be found.

Insurance Survey

An insurance survey may be required by insurers or underwriters upon new ownership of a vessel, or at periodic time periods; Typically every 5 years.

Hull Survey

The hull is fundamental to the overall structural integrity of a vessel, and our inspections are taken whilst vessels are out of the water. We check for Osmosis and external damage to all underwater appendages.

Mast/Rigging Survey

The Mast & Rig are key components of any sailing yacht and we are able to provide a full written report or opinion on standing rigging, running rigging, sails, mast and spars, associated equipment, winches & fittings.

Limited Scope Survey

A limited scope survey is often considered when a full pre purchase survey is not required. This may be because only part of the vessel needs to be inspected, for example the hull, rig or stern gear.

Tonnage Survey

As part of the Part 1 British registration a Tonnage Measurement certificate is a prerequisite. The Part 1 registration gives an owner proof of title which can prove beneficial when dealing with financial institutions such as lenders who may have a part in a yacht purchase.

Where we work

I survey extensively throughout the Ionian and Greece and am always happy to discuss your needs ahead of an instruction. I offer a free quotation service & am always happy to have a chat with clients ahead of a survey.

I can recommend a number of good marinas where I frequently conduct surveys. Please see some of the many Survey Locations in the Ionian.

Ionian Marine Surveys

email: [email protected]
Phone: +44(0)7963 050459 / +30 694 021 1991