Spencer Christopher Yacht and Ship does not direct clients to a specific surveyor. In keeping with IYBA professional standards, the selection of a marine surveyor is the buyer's decision. The following are surveyors known to us through transactions and professional relationships along the Eastern Seaboard — provided here as a starting point for your own due diligence. Credentials listed reflect each surveyor's stated accreditation at the time of publication.
SAMS · NAMS · ABYC
Blake Stahl
Accredited Marine Surveyor, Yacht and Small Craft
Blake Stahl is an accredited marine surveyor based in Jupiter covering the Treasure Coast and Palm Beach corridor. His pre-purchase surveys are built around a thorough, documented assessment of the vessel's structural condition, mechanical systems, and market value — the kind of report that holds up at closing and gives a buyer a clear picture before the contingency clock expires.
Contact Blake Stahl
Steven Makley
Steven Makley provides pre-purchase and insurance surveys for vessels throughout South Florida. His practice is focused on giving buyers an honest read of what they are buying — structure, systems, and fair market value — without padding that makes a survey easy to write and hard to act on.
markleymarinesurveying.com
Doug Birley
ABYC Accredited, Principal Marine Surveyor
Doug Birley holds ABYC accreditation and operates out of Stuart — the same market SCYS calls home. His Principal Marine Surveyor credential reflects a depth of training beyond entry-level certifications, and his familiarity with the vessels trading on the Treasure Coast makes him a practical and experienced choice for buyers in this market.
Contact Doug Birley
Mike Firestone
Mike Firestone provides pre-purchase condition and valuation surveys across his service area. His practice is personal and direct — buyers work with him, not a staff, and the report reflects what he physically inspected aboard the vessel.
Contact Mike Firestone
Kerry Nikula
Accredited Marine Surveyor, Yachts & Small Craft
Kerry Nikula is an accredited surveyor based in Dania Beach, well positioned for the Fort Lauderdale and Broward County market. His credentials cover yachts and small craft, and his proximity to the working yards and marinas in that corridor means survey and haul-out coordination are handled without logistical friction.
Contact Kerry NikulaBrian Stetler
Accredited Marine Surveyor, Yachts & Small Craft
Brian Stetler is an accredited marine surveyor based in Jupiter, credentialed for yachts and small craft throughout the Palm Beach and Treasure Coast market. His reports are structured to give buyers what they need to make a sound decision — not a clean bill of health, but an accurate one.
Contact Brian Stetler
Greg Michael
Greg Michael surveys vessels through Pinnacle Marine Group, bringing experience across recreational and cruising yacht categories. Buyers who have worked with him note his thoroughness and his willingness to walk a client through the findings in plain language rather than leaving them to interpret a technical report alone.
Contact Greg MichaelStephen J. Klaity
Accredited Marine Surveyor, Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors (SAMS)
Stephen Klaity holds accreditation through the Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors and operates across two distinct markets — Coconut Creek in Broward and Cudjoe Key in the Lower Keys — making him a practical option for buyers whose vessel is based anywhere between Fort Lauderdale and the Florida Keys.
Contact Stephen KlaityJon Howe
Accredited Marine Surveyor, Yachts & Small Craft
Jon Howe provides accredited pre-purchase and insurance surveys out of St. Augustine, covering the upper Florida East Coast. His reach into the Northeast Florida and Georgia markets makes him a useful contact for buyers looking at vessels kept north of the Palm Beach corridor.
Contact Jon Howe
John Banister
Accredited Marine Surveyor, Yachts & Small Craft
John Banister is an accredited marine surveyor based in Palm Beach Gardens. His pre-purchase surveys cover the full range of yacht and small craft categories, and his Palm Beach County base positions him well for the vessels trading between Stuart and Fort Lauderdale.
suenosazules.com
Carl McCann
Accredited Marine Surveyor, Yachts & Small Craft
Carl McCann covers the Southwest Florida market from Naples, providing pre-purchase condition and valuation surveys for buyers operating on the Gulf Coast side of the peninsula. For transactions involving vessels based in Naples, Marco Island, or Fort Myers, he is the geographically logical choice on this list.
associatedmarineconsultants.com
Malcom Elliot & Tony McCormack
Association of Certified Marine Surveyors (ACMS)
Florida Nautical Surveyors brings two credentialed surveyors under one firm, both operating out of Fort Lauderdale. Their ACMS credentials and dual-surveyor capacity make them a useful option when timing is tight — two boats under contract, a narrow survey window, or a situation where a second set of eyes on the same vessel has value.
fnsurveys.comEvery firm on this page was identified through transactions and professional relationships. Tell us what the transaction looks like and a broker will help you pick the right one.
