The Marine Inspection Association

The MIA is a group of like-minded yacht brokers and Marine Technicians, which include surveyors, boat builders, marine engineers, repairers and other boat specialist involved in the inspection, sale and purchase of second-hand sail and motor boats, throughout the UK and overseas.

The aims of the MIA are:

1. to encourage anyone who is selling their second-hand sail or motor boat to commission an Independent Pre-sale Assessment (or IPA) of the condition of the vessel and certain equipment onboard, by an experienced Marine Technician, in order to increase the information available about the vessel to prospective buyers and the likelihood of selling the boat quickly;
2. to provide a comprehensive inspection criteria and testing checklists for preliminary vessel assessments which address the critical areas of a vessel which will be of interest to a buyer of a typical second-hand yacht or motor boat; and
3. to approve a panel of suitably experienced Marine Technician, through membership of the MIA, who are sufficiently experienced to undertake such preliminary vessel assessments at reasonable, fixed fees, determined by the size of the vessel to be inspected.

MIA Marine Technicians report and comment on up to 56 critical areas of a second-hand vessel.

Once approved by the seller, the IPA report will appear alongside a boat’s advertised specification and will be easily available to any prospective buyer who views or requests information about the boat.

IPAs do not replace full condition surveys of vessel which are usually recommended by Brokers prior to completion of a sale and purchase.

Useful Links

Broker & Marine Technician Testimonials

IPAs are a tremendous tool when marketing a boat for sale. They help an interested buyer get a clearer idea about a boat they are interested in, which accelerates the entire sale and purchase process. IPAs can give a boat a real edge in a busy marketplace!

Wendy Barker Boatshed Yacht Broker

Over 15 years of selling used boats across the world has shown me that transparency and providing accurate, clear, comprehensive information is the key to finding the right buyer for the right boat, quickly and at the right price. IPAs are an important development in the second-hand yacht and motor boat market, which will make life much easier for sellers and buyers.

Neil Chapman Founder of Boatshed.com