Marine surveyors often refer to compliance assessments and technical reports. But what is this mission really all about? For Jean-Claude Frantz, it's a deeper exploration, far removed from simple verifications. It's a journey into the boat's history, analyzing its structure, its materials and the very soul of its construction. In this second interview, the expert reveals the invisible dimensions of his profession, where each assessment often reveals more than a simple inventory.
How do you organize a typical day of appraisal, and what technical tools and instruments do you use during your appraisals?
I prefer to think in terms of "typical missions". Let's take as a basis the pre-transactional appraisal of a standard sailboat, the heart of today's market. After the administrative and operational preparation phase: definition of specifications with the client, quotation, contract, planning of operations according to the constraints of each party, the availability of handling equipment, the vagaries of the weather, modifications to the schedule and, finally, the hard part - the survey. This type of boat will require several days' work.
The first day will be devoted to investigations, with the boat dry and afloat, a dynamic test, a verbal assessment with the client... Investigations are carried out in a highly structured manner over several hours, following a pre-established logical order that can be modified according to external constraints, and using standard tools.
A quick aside about the tools I use. Personally, I work "light", with :
âeuros¢ a small notebook and pencil
âeuros¢ a Led flashlight
âeuros¢ a high-definition compact camera with burst, flash and video modes
âeuros¢ a zoom camera for sailboats
âeuros¢ a digital recorder
âeuros¢ my smartphone, just in case
âeuros¢ my RC insurance certificate in the bag
âeuros¢ a summary of specific information about the boat collected prior to the investigations (defects noted by users, weaknesses, positive points, points to be checked imperatively, particular construction details...).
The following days will be devoted to long hours at the office, in front of computers, one for the texts and the other for the enlarged images. This begins with the sorting and filing of photos, videos and memos according to the course of the survey, followed by the drafting of the report based on a standard matrix, which must be constantly modified, corrected, completed, improved, restructured... Even if an identical boat has already been processed in the past, you have to start from scratch.
The rule: no two identical boats, built in the same month, are ever the same. A lot of study, choices, options, doubts and questions. With photos, memos and videos, the boat is broken down into small, detailed pieces that can be used to piece together the puzzle on a screen, and to find interesting details sometimes overlooked in visual investigations. The search for information on the web is very present, with the help of artificial intelligence. A busy day that frequently continues into the next day.
What do you consider to be the most critical control points on a pleasure craft? Have you noticed an evolution in recurring defects across boat generations?
Anything that could endanger the lives of boaters must be examined with the utmost care. The poor condition of the clamps on the pipe connected to the engine's water inlet valve is certainly more important than the failure of the electric wine cellar's thermostat.
In extreme cases, as long as the boat is plugged up, water is not penetrating through the bottom or elsewhere, the structure is not dislocated and there is some food left in a crew, life can certainly be preserved until the end of the nightmare. Our investigations are general, but much more detailed on all points concerning on-board safety, with priority given to the overall structure of the hull: ballast fixing, through-hull fittings, valves, portholes, various structural glues...
Today, advances in manufacturing techniques and materials have made it possible to limit certain defects, such as reinforced PVC gates and through-hulls, boxed and foamed bottom structures, and ever more effective adhesives. All this comes at a cost, which is amortized in maintenance costs. Of course, plastic-coated hatches on clips with integrated variable LEDs will never have the charm of a wooden sailboat's barroted saloon ceiling. Equipment evolves much faster than the uses to which it is put.
Some recent "records":
âeuros¢ A 60-year-old screw valve at the bottom of a wooden boat, in period bronze, open and hard to touch.
âeuros¢ On an old gas stove used to heat the coffee water on every fishing trip all year round, a flexible hose, like an helix tree, stamped "1979", a good vintage (on the cracks).
Have you had to deal with major defects on new units? How do you handle such situations, particularly with regard to the builder or the site?
Personally, no. I've been approached on several occasions by colleagues in charge of problems revealed after delivery of new boats. Problems linked more to human failings than to design errors or poor technological solutions, such as water ingress from a sail-drive diaphragm incorrectly fitted or tightened, problems with faulty gluing of structural bulkheads (noises, squeaks), insidious infiltrations through a hull passage. These problems should normally be solved by the manufacturer's after-sales service, but they often end up in lengthy legal proceedings during which the customer is unable to enjoy his boat to the full.
Have you observed any changes in the profile of the yachtsmen you work with? What are their main expectations today?
Boats have evolved since the 60s, and boaters with them. The sea has also changed, as have sailing conditions and the weather. Having taken part in a number of boat shows with shipyards, such as the one in Paris, I've noticed that, in the 90s, visitors to the show began with a tour of the deck and its fittings. 20 years later, the visit often starts with the interior, to appreciate the comfort of the cabins, the quality of the alcantara on the benches and the size of the fridge. Same thing at sea, in the 80s, at the height of the sailing season, sails everywhere offshore, little red and green lights very present on a crossing to Corsica at night. 30 years later, there are far fewer sails beyond the 5-mile mark, but there's a lot of congestion at anchor in the calm outer harbor and few people at night between Toulon and Calvi, apart from the ferries.
Today, when a client comes to us, he wants to be reassured about the price of the boat he's interested in, and about the certainty that he'll have little or no repair or compliance costs, and that he'll find all the comfort he needs to spend pleasant weekends in port, with the possibility of family outings. Another way of looking at the sea and sailing, which should remain a pleasure activity...
In your opinion, what is the expert's moral and legal responsibility with regard to the recommendations he makes? Have you ever been called into question after a sale or a claim?
It is the work of the surveyor and his relationship with the principal that must enable the signing of a deed of sale for a pleasure boat. Investigations must be complete and impartial. Each problem identified must be explained, and its treatment must be the subject of a realistic recommendation or prescription, even if this compromises the purchase.
No defect should be downplayed, for whatever reason. The expert's moral and legal responsibility is engaged by forgetting or minimizing important disorders, by failing to advise, or by negligence. The expert's mission cannot be taken lightly or with detachment, to please, not to worry, by smoothing over the problems. The expert's writings and choices can lead to dramatic situations that he or she will have to accept. I find it hard to imagine the consequences for an expert who neglected to prescribe the replacement of a corroded, blocked bottom valve, the rupture of which would have led to the sinking of a ship.
To date, after some 500 expert appraisals, I have never been implicated.
With the ageing of the pleasure-boating fleet, are experts increasingly called upon for follow-up or safety assessments?
The ageing of the fleet is causing several problems. The first is the presence in harbours of bunker boats and other floating wrecks, recognizable by their advanced state of disrepair. The harbor master's offices have begun to address this problem, and the phenomenon is gradually diminishing. To obtain a berth for a boat of a certain age, the owner is increasingly required to provide the harbor master's office with a certificate of seaworthiness for the boat in question, which must be of satisfactory appearance, autonomous in terms of motor maneuvering, compliant with safety standards and watertight. This type of assignment has recently become increasingly popular. It's the ideal opportunity for expert beginners who want to learn and get their feet wet, without taking too many risks.
The second is the sale between private individuals of old boats for reconditioning at low prices. In this type of transaction, an expert is rarely called in, as the cost of the service is too high in relation to the value of the boat.
How do you see the ecological transition in the boating industry? Do "greener" boats pose new technical challenges for expertise?
The ecological transition began a long time ago with the compulsory black water tanks needed to drop anchor in certain places. Today, the development of electric propulsion will attract more and more yachtsmen, provided that the cost remains within bearable limits. This latest development is aimed at those who enjoy short trips and don't need to refuel in the afternoon. However, there will be a risk, as with electric cars immobilized "out of fuel" on certain super-charged freeways during peak summer periods.
The problem will be different for larger cruisers. Electric propulsion presents constraints in terms of electricity supply and storage, but also advantages in terms of lighter maintenance of propulsion and transmission components. I'm convinced that in a few years' time, and depending on how fast technology evolves, boats will be able to be completely autonomous and generate their own electricity. And at the same time, new generations of "thermal" engines will certainly see the light of day, just as clean as electric motors.
You are also involved in training young experts. What advice would you give them to succeed in their work in the yachting industry?
"Training" is a big word, and "young" even more so. The life choice to go into marine surveying implies a body of knowledge and experience uncommon when you're young. On the other hand, "not so young" is more compatible. I'm not looking to train young experts, but rather to share and pass on my experience and skills to those who want to get their foot in the door, or to those who are already established, and who understand that you learn a lot quickly by sharing experiences.
When I started out, I was lucky enough to meet an unusual character, who had expert experience dating back to the early days of popular yachting in the 60s. He was always there when I had to deal with technical problems, ethics, standards and regulations. Without him, I probably wouldn't have persevered, given the time it would have taken to do all the research and answer all my questions.
My advice for getting ahead in this job is to work hard, to accept that you don't know everything, to know how to question yourself and to respect and listen to your clients. It's the image that clients will have of the expert, his skills, his behavior, his honesty, his impartiality, that will make his best advertisement. "Radio Ponton is a formidable tool in this respect.
There is the solution of joining a group of experts, provided that the latter has the capacity and the will to develop and maintain an internal dynamic: regular and punctual training, mutual assistance, conviviality, transmission of skills, organization of succession, tutoring... These are all things that are perfectly normal for the long-term survival of the expert business. It's essential to be able to rely on a network of contacts and to be able to quickly obtain an opinion, advice, document or reassurance, to share experiences and pass them on when someone else needs them. This was the motivation behind the creation of the C.E.M.F. blog (cemf.blog4ever.com), a club that today includes both experienced experts and others in training under individualized, hands-on tutoring, and which covers both technical and legal aspects.
