Funny story - sort of checks out with some of the comments re surveys made above in a way. When I purchased Lotus, nearly 12 yrs ago now, I had a survey done, mainly because the insurance co I wanted cover with insisted. However, I had done my own reading up on the important items to look for, and had done one myself when she was out on the hard being anti fouled. So, I was pretty sure she was tired, needed a lot of cosmetic stuff done, and had a few issues which might well have put others off, but which I felt I could live with, some ultimately change, many I could improve myself, but that she was basically sound in the areas that mattered, and good to go, as it were.
Well when the surveyor did his number, he was pretty ruthless, and I could see the PO's face going paler and paler as he saw his sale going down the gurgler, or so he thought. I was impressed when surveyor scratched the bronze seacocks, and muttered, "yes, although frozen, and needing working, they were genuine bronze and showing no de-zincification" ( I think was the term he used). I remember thinking 'aha, clearly he knows his stuff', as I remembered reading about how important that was in an article I had read on the subject. You can imagine the laughs when I later mentioned this, and he then informed me he was aware of the article, as he wrote it..!
Laughs aside though, if anything, his survey was rather more negative than it could have been, and could have put me off, but I knew enough that I could cope with the negatives, and remedy most of them myself, thereby saving a lot, and thereby making her affordable for me with no need to borrow, whereas if she had been a younger, smarter, neater vessel, she would have been out of my price range.
The point is, I could have literally just gone by my own examination and gut feeling, knowing she was not perfect, and she would still have been a good, (better by the cost of the haul-out and survey actually, if I could have avoided the survey), because she has proved this over the succeeding 12 yrs down the track.
Would I have set off on my own to deliver her 100nm away? - I think not - not then, but with more experience I would, (and she would have made it, as in 12 years her engine and running gear have never missed a beat), as long as I could harbour hop, as I understand Trawler Micki did GFC..?