June 26, 2020

Bill,

I want to thank you again. What a through and expert evaluation.

If there is a way I can rate your work on line let me know and I will we happy to endorse your professionalism.

Terry, Mimi and Brian

May 8, 2020

RE: Quick Learners

I am writing this testimonial about Charles & Jackie. They found a runabout that caught their eye but turned out to be less than expected. Gave them their homework, they did their research and within two weeks found this gem.

They were very pleased with the oohs and ahs they received when they brought it to their marina. I like shiny objects too!

Regards,

William K. Gladding, AMS® #810
Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors
Gladding Marine Surveying and Consulting, LLC

September 10, 2019

Great survey,

Very well done and documented. In comparison to two that I’ve had done recently it’s exceptional.

Good find on the fuel level indicators in the engine room, did you notice if there was a valve to open/close to check the level? I didn’t pay much attention at the time and others I’ve seen have had it.

Thanks for the great work

Jeff

August 7, 2019

Good Day Bill,

I wanted to commend you on the professional approach, attention to detail, and, the consistent communication with me during the course of the recent survey of a potential boat purchase I had in Jacksonville.

From the distance I am from Jacksonville, the thoroughness of your straightforward approach was easy to follow. With me in mind, you reviewed all necessary systems, provided an amount of pictures from different angles that I could enhance in order to arrive at a sound material condition of the boat.

The sea trial and compression test were also very helpful. A summary report, and, then a full report, and recommendations, cemented the opportunity for me to make a sound decision.

I highly encourage any potential buyer to engage Mr. Gladding’s services.

Respectfully,
Keith M.
Virginia

October 2017

When I went looking for a pre-purchase surveyor for a Bayliner 4788 motoryacht, I sought references from brokers having long experience with Bayliner/Meridian pilothouse models. As Bayliner owners can attest (and as a previous Bayliner owner myself), finding a surveyor who knows the ‘personality traits’ and potential issues in these boats can make all the difference between buying a dream boat or inheriting someone else’s nightmare. Bill Gladding was recommended to me by Blake Davis, the ‘Pilot House King’. Blake has brokered more Bayliner/Meridian pilothouse models over the last 25 years than any other broker in the eastern US and possibly worldwide, and Bill Gladding was the only surveyor Blake recommended. It is impossible to list all of the superlatives I could express about Bill’s work on our behalf, but there are three that stand out; knowledge, professionalism and customer service. Bill knows how boats are built because he built boats and he knows where the gremlins hide. Bill is a consummate professional from start to finish and beyond, in every aspect of his work he is head-and-shoulders above every surveyor I have previously worked with. I am admittedly a very tough customer and generally more knowledgeable than the vast majority of boating industry professionals I have encountered. When I hire a professional in any field my expectations are extremely high. I can say without reservation that in my thirty-plus years of experience as a boat owner, Bill is one of a small handful of professionals who left me thoroughly delighted with his work. Bill’s work as a surveyor and consultant exceeded every expectation and was worth far more than the price we paid, it would have been a bargain at twice the price.

Eric W.

May, 2016

Bill I am sending you this E-mail to thank and commend you on a 5 star boat survey you conducted for me on my Tiara 3500 Open.

I have purchased several boats from different parts of the country as well as locally, which I witnessed having surveyed. I had a past opinion after watching several other surveys of “why am I paying for surveys when I could do whats being done”. My opinion changed immediately after witnessing the Professional, Knowledgeable and Detailed survey you performed.

I would highly recommend your service to the closest of family and friends. Please feel free to give any potential customers my number if they want a reference.

Thanks Again !!!

John

February, 2016

Bill was great! I am a complete newbie to the boating world, and I am purchasing a boat 800 miles away from where I live. Therefore, I am a bit nervous about the whole endeavor. Bill was very informative, way beyond just survey information. He gave me great advice, and held my hand the whole way through. His work was incredibly thorough and detailed. He talked me though the specifics, during and afterwards, so that I could understand all the all of the issues.

He went above and beyond! His patience, professionalism, and expertise were greatly appreciated!

Shanna Jay

I highly recommend Bill Gladding of Gladding Marine Surveying of Fleming Island, Florida. He just completed a survey for me on a Defever 44 in Palm Coast (Prim). It is the third survey he has done for me. The two previous 44’s turned out to be, well, not-so-good. Bill is extremely thorough. Last Tuesday he spent nine hours aboard, including the sea trial. At the very end, after the sea trial, he asked the captain to again start each Lehman 120 separately and idle them. Something didn’t sound right to his ear. It turned out that the starboard engine had a clattering valve which indicated that the valves needed adjusting. They were adjusted before the vessel was moved back to its home berth. We take possession in one week.

Hope your survey goes as well as our third one.

John Bickford

Bill,

Thank you so much for helping me with the purchase of my next boat. I would recommend you to anyone looking for a professional vessel survey. Your attention to detail was excellent! The pictures you documented of every item in the boat helped me put things into perspective and painted a clear picture of what needed attention and proved successful in the negotiating process.

Your knowledge of custom boats,how they are made and the problem areas to look out for was priceless. I look forward to hiring you to re survey the boat upon completion of this near total refit Rybovich.

Sincerely,

Joe

March 14, 2013

Hi Bill,

Thank you very much for your hard work and honesty. I appreciated your hard non-stop work very much, the detailed report, the time you took to explain it to me, and for letting me know what was minor, cosmetic, and what was really important. Thanks to you I saved myself from what would have been a huge issue, and the seller was able to issue a credit to fix it. Your passion for your work clearly shows, and again, I appreciated it very much. I would recommend you to anyone looking to inspect/buy a vessel, and feel free to post this on your site.

Alex Baglioni

RE/MAX Performance
Office: 954-765-6567

10 August 2012

Bill,

You’ll recall from our first conversation that I had almost no knowledge of power boats larger than a single engine outboard runabout and I was at the mercy of the seller when it came to considering purchasing a 2005 Mainship 34 foot trawler. Fortunately for me, you were recommended to conduct the survey/inspection and after viewing your web page and credentials, I had assurance that you would provide a quality survey. Notwithstanding, I significantly underestimated the quality, extent, and detail of the thoroughness of your survey. It’s easy to see that you have been doing this kind or work for many years, and your qualifications are reflected in the attention to detail throughout the actual inspection and following up with the printed findings. Providing the list of findings to the seller was the tool that generated the necessary “fixes” and repairs.

Not only did your survey reveal crucial items that were obviously the responsibility of the seller to correct, you provided me a reference document and a list of items that I can use for continuing to make improvements to this boat. I’m confident that all the essential deficiencies were identified and over time, I can make this boat even more seaworthy.

Another greatly appreciated benefit of your survey is the assistance following the completed survey. You have willingly answered questions about all aspects of the boat and provided assurance that the deficiencies had been identified and corrective action was being addressed.

If you have clients who would like to have a recommendation about the quality of your work and the finished product, please have them contact me. I’d be very pleased to provide assurance that your survey and inspection would exceed their expectations as it did mine.

My sincere thanks,

Earl Tingle
New Smyrna Beach, Florida
386.402.4288

January 2, 2012

Hi Scott,

We used the service of William Gladding in Jacksonville to survey a 1987 Krogen 42 I don’t know how far he travels. We recommend his service very highly. We are newbies. He were present during the entire process. He was very patient in helping us understand how the various systems worked (or should work), and how expensive it would be to correct. Great guy. We had the survey done in May and the results were used by our trusted technician over the summer to refit the boat. He was impressed by the thoroughness as well. Give him a call, 904-945-0511. Tell him Glenn & Lee said hi.

P.S. Good luck with your future Krogen. Hope she fills your dream