About

Wise Yacht Survey, LLC provides marine surveys, evaluations, and consultations for both privately owned and commercial power and sail vessels. We are based in the Northern Chesapeake Bay and serve the entire U.S. east coast and Caribbean. Surveyor Frederic S. Wise III has extensive experience in boat building and marine surveying and is a SAMS Accredited Marine Surveyors (AMS®) .

Fred Wise

Fred has conducted pre-purchase and insurance surveys on more than 2,000 sail and power vessels. His client base extends throughout the East Coast and Caribbean.

Fred is a second generation master boat builder with extensive experience in the marine industry, including his apprenticeship with his father Fred Wise, Jr.,  who was Master of the Boat Shop at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, the site of the first fiberglass boat production in the U.S.

Fred owned and operated Wise Boat Building Company in Onancock, Virginia from 1979 – 1984, where he built custom and stock boats in wood and fiberglass.

From 1986 – 1997, Fred worked as  project manager and boatbuilder at Bachelor’s Point Yacht Co. in Oxford, Maryland, where he was involved in full and partial refits on large power and sailing yachts. There, he had the  distinct pleasure of working with Mitch Gibbons-Neff, president of Sparkman and Stephens, Inc. on many projects, including:

• 55′ Frers Al. Race to cruise conversion

• 70′ Camper Nicholson

• 49′ Hinckley

• 55′ Lyman Morse custom Hood design

• 60′ Paul Luke S&S custom

• 57′ Camper Nicholson

• 60′ Custom Al. S&S power yacht  – former America’s Cup “Mothership”

Fred formerly served as the yard service manager at Swan Creek Marina, Rock Hall, Maryland, as boat builder and spar-maker at Cutts and Case Shipyard, Oxford, Maryland, and as quality control inspector for the Engineering Department of Wittaker/Columbia Yachts in Portsmouth, Virginia. At that time, Wittaker was the largest boat builder in the world and the owner of Bertram Yachts, Trojan Yachts, Columbia and Coronado Yachts, and Lenoir Chemicals (resin manufacturer).

Fred’s personal projects throughout the years include the restoration of numerous boats, including an S&S 35′ Lawley sloop, the 32′ Wm. Atkin ketch “ERIC” (the 1924 original design that became the Westsail 32),  a 43′ Alden Schooner, and a 39′ Pearson Yawl. His latest project is the restoration of a 42′ Hanna double-ended ketch.

Though most of his career has been in the boat building and repair business, Fred has also had numerous sailing adventures along the way. In addition to sailing on of the following vessels as captain or mate, he was also directly involved with their restoration, repair, maintenance and refitting.

• 55’ Alden Yawl “Vintage” Nolfok to Miami (featured in Beiser’s “The Proper Yacht)

• 72’ L. Francis Herrsholf “Ticonderoga” Norfolk to Bermuda

• 32’ Wm. Atkin Ketch “Eric” Rock Hall to Great Exumas, Bahamas

• 57′ L. Francis Herrsholf Schooner “Mary Harrigan” Tortola to Bermuda to Oxford Oxford to Tortola and return via Bermuda to Oxford.

• 44′ Alden  “Grand Molly” Newport to Maine cruise.

• 55’ Hood/Lyman Morse Custom Hilton Head to San Salvador, Bahamas after major refit.

• As crew onboard the 41’ S & S Yawl “Katama”, Nick Potter 8 Meter “Angelita”  Schooner “Charlotte”, Yawl “Jole”, and the NY32 “Falcon” in the Eggomogmin Reach Wooden Boat Regattas.