Save $$$$$ in survey fees

Exactly. You may not get all your answers, but you'll learn what the broker or owner knows and doesn't know. Much cheaper to find out a boat is wrong for you by phone or email than by flying cross country...especially with surveyor.

Yep, "Puffing." We do ask a lot of pointed questions. Then you ask about invoices for maintenance and repairs, then the amnesia starts.

No answer is also an answer.

Good, but pictures always look good, often the brokers are half a country away from the boat, and the boat may be in storage (winter or otherwise). Do you have detailed maintenance logs and do you know of any deficiencies would be others.

How about questions like this for Pre survey?
Like Judy recommends, how old are the pictures?
What are the know issues/problems? We all know there are issues/problems on all vessels. as NYCAP indicated a no answer is telling here.
Is there a ships log?
Is there a maintenance log?

As many have indicated these are the logical questions a listing broker should be diligent about in the first place.

Good advice. The bold section I highlighted is where opinions vary. Lets say you run the boat 5 days in advance and find issues. What kind of repairs do you think would be done in 5 days. Do you want the owner finding the cheapest way to fix things in a hurry? My opinion is go do a personal inspection. If you like everything, schedule a sea trial and survey on same day. Negotiate price again, after you see the survey findings, and get estimates for repairs how you would want it done. That way the repairs aren't rushed and you can use a yard you trust.

Summary from Judy & Pascal makes a lot of sense. Save on the short haul/survey if the seatrial does not go as desired.

How do you run the seatrial?

I don't know what the running temp is for various engines, 170 degrees F is common?
I don't know what RPM should be at WOT on various motot/grear/prop/hulls, is that a check point on the seatrial?
I don't know the bow height at cruise on various hulls and whether full trim is required, is that on the list?

So for me, I would need to hire a Captain who is familial with the vessel and has a good check list to do this with, no?

Sounds like something the owner and broker should handle, before the official sea trial survey. The buyer could ride along and do a personal inspection verify how it runs. A good idea, we have done sea trials when the boat had problems and was not really ready and spent thousands only to decline the boat.