About Veteran Yacht Services

Who we are

Veteran Yacht Services is a veteran-owned marine surveying company based in Stuart, FL. We survey boats for buyers, owners, insurers and advisors along the Treasure Coast and south to Miami Beach.

John P. DeGoede IV leads the surveys and appraisals. The work stays personal: one surveyor on your boat, a clear written report, and a phone number you can reach.

We have 22 five-star reviews on Google.

John’s background

John is a United States Marine Corps veteran. He served as an infantry rifleman from 2000 to 2004. After the Corps, he worked in emergency services as a firefighter and paramedic, including for the Department of Veterans Affairs and as a fire captain. That background still shapes how he looks at safety, systems and risk on a boat.

He is also a USCG-licensed captain and an instructor for the Yacht and Small Craft Surveying course at the Chapman School of Seamanship in Stuart. He founded Veteran Yacht Services in 2019. He has completed more than 250 inspections and valuations on vessels from 14 to 150 feet.

John is a lifelong boater and sailor. Alongside his survey work, he has also worked as a captain and as a boat-handling instructor.

Credentials and memberships

John is a SAMS Accredited Marine Surveyor (AMS), listed in the SAMS directory for Stuart, FL.

His credentials include:

Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors: Accredited Marine Surveyor (AMS #1399)
Accredited Senior Appraiser, Machinery & Technical Specialties, Marine Surveys – Yachts (ASA), American Society of Appraisers
USCG Master, Near Coastal, 100 GRT, with Sailing and Towing endorsements
ABYC Standards Certified and Marine Electrical Advisor

Professional memberships: SAMS, ASA, ABYC, NFPA and IAAI (International Association of Arson Investigators).

Read more about marine surveyor accreditation.

What we do

We offer:

Damage and claim surveys
Yacht appraisals
Pre-purchase surveys
Insurance condition and value surveys
Boat research packs (desk research before a haul-out and survey; not a survey or an appraisal)

John does the surveys himself. Every survey we do includes an appraisal of the boat’s value.

Where we work

Home base is Stuart, FL. We survey along the Treasure Coast and south to Miami Beach, including Stuart, Palm City, Jensen Beach, Hobe Sound, Port St. Lucie, Fort Pierce, Vero Beach, Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens, Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale and Miami Beach.

Get in touch

For a quote, call 269-998-6767 or use the contact form. Tell us the year, make, model and length, which survey you need, and where the boat sits.

Email: john@veteranyachtservices.com