If you're in the market for a boat, you've probably heard the term "ABYC" mentioned during surveys, in listings, or in conversations with brokers. But what exactly is ABYC, and why should you care whether a boat was built to their standards?

As a marine surveyor, I can tell you that understanding ABYC standards is one of the most important things you can do as a boat buyer. Let me explain why.

Every season, I find it—the innocent little screw that opened the floodgates.  A cleat, a rod holder, or a deck fitting installed with good intentions but no understanding of what lies beneath.  Most yacht decks aren’t solid fiberglass; they’re sandwiches of fiberglass skins and a lightweight core that gives stiffness without weight.  Drive a screw straight into that core and you’ve just created a hidden pathway for water, rot, and structural failure.  What looks secure today can quietly destroy a boat from the inside out.

One of the most common statements I hear during pre-offer conversations is, “I’m sure it’s just a bulb.” A light is out on the masthead, the steaming light doesn’t come on, the spreader lights are dark—and the seller assumes a quick, inexpensive fix. But on a 25–30-year-old sailboat, a non-functioning light aloft is often the first clue of a much deeper issue.

In one recent case, the buyer was told exactly this. After the sale, their rigger went up the mast to “pop in a new bulb” only to discover that the wiring inside the mast was so aged that the copper conductors literally crumbled on contact. The failure wasn’t the bulb—it was the entire wiring run, from masthead to exit, which now required a full replacement. A fix that costs a few dollars quickly became a major job.

Buying a boat is emotional. Brokers know it, owners know it, and buyers feel it the moment they step aboard. As a marine surveyor, I’m there to slow everything down—to peel back the excitement just long enough to make sure the vessel is being represented fairly, honestly, and without missing pieces. What continues to surprise me isn’t always what’s said during a survey… It’s often what isn’t.

When the owner of a brand-new Parker boat discovered water collecting inside his hull, he did what any responsible boater would do — he called the dealer. What followed, however, wasn’t reassurance or resolution, but a pattern of avoidance. The dealership claimed to have found and fixed the source, yet weeks later, the problem persisted. Instead of standing behind their product, management deflected, leaving the owner to navigate the issue alone. By the time I was brought in to investigate, what appeared to be a simple warranty concern had become a deeper story of neglect — one that revealed how easily a small leak can expose a much larger failure in accountability.