Simon Ransome-Williams — Independent Yacht Surveyor, BSc(Hons) Naval Architecture, AMCMS

Simon's construction background led naturally to a role as a yacht broker with Multihull World, based at Port Solent in Portsmouth. Working at the Southampton and Paris Boat Shows, he developed an extensive knowledge of yacht manufacturers, their designs, and their relative strengths and weaknesses. As part of this role, he delivered yachts throughout the UK and Europe, including a Fountaine Pajot Marquises 56 and a Bowman 57 - building first-hand experience of how yachts of all types perform in real conditions.

Simon Ransome-Williams is an independent yacht and small craft surveyor based in Lyme Regis, holding a BSc(Hons) in Ship Science (Naval Architecture) from Southampton University and AMCMS membership. With a career spanning yacht building, brokerage, professional crewing, and surveying, Simon brings a depth of practical knowledge that goes well beyond the certificate. Whether you need a pre-purchase survey, an insurance report, or a damage assessment, you're in the hands of someone who has built, sailed, sold, and surveyed yachts at every level.

Simon learned to sail as a child on the lakes near Ringwood in Hampshire, and first experienced yacht cruising aboard his father's Silhouette on Poole Harbour and the Solent. That early love of the water led him to Southampton University, where he gained an Honours Degree in Ship Science - developing a solid grounding in fluid dynamics, propulsion, and vessel design, while crewing on Three-Quarter Tonners and sailing with the University at weekends.

On leaving university, Simon joined a team of three graduate friends to design and build a 30ft trimaran, Caledonia, for the Carlsberg Single-handed Transatlantic Race. Involved in every stage of the build — from constructing the male mould to stepping the mast and fitting deck hardware — Simon gained an exceptional understanding of yacht construction from the inside out. Caledonia went on to break the class VI record, outperforming yachts in both Class II (50ft) and Class V (35ft). Simon completed a transatlantic crossing returning the yacht to the UK after the race.

A Lifelong Passion for Sailing

From the Drawing Board to the Open Ocean

Building a Record-Breaking Trimaran

Professional Yacht Builder

Yacht Brokerage and Delivery

After the race, Simon worked for several boatyards building both production and one-off yachts. Notably, he produced the prototype of the John Shuttleworth Cheetah cruising catamaran and developed the moulds for production. He gained specialist knowledge in vacuum-bagged composite layups and production yacht construction - skills that directly inform his survey assessments today.

Teaching, Instructing, and the Royal Navy Cadets

A period of teaching A Level Physics saw Simon also serve as a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy Cadets, leading trips aboard HMS Albion and the cadet ships HMS Bristol and HMS Hindostan, and teaching cadets to sail on dinghies and yachts including Fox Terrier 22s and Contessa 38s. He holds an RYA Senior Dinghy Instructor certificate and an RYA Yachtmaster Coastal qualification. Simon continues to give back to the sailing community as an instructor at the Lyme Regis Sea School, teaching people of all ages to sail, and is an active member of Lyme Regis Sailing Club where he races regularly.

Surveying Qualifications and Professional Memberships

Simon's route into surveying was a natural progression — bringing together his Naval Architecture education, his hands-on construction experience, and his lifelong involvement in the sport. He studied with Omega Yacht Services to gain practical surveying knowledge from experienced practitioners, and has completed a Diploma in Yacht and Small Craft Surveying with the Marine Training Academy.

Simon is an Associate Member of the Society of Consulting Marine Engineers and Ship Surveyors (AMCMS) and a member of the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST). He carries full Professional Indemnity Insurance and has a strong working knowledge of both monohulls and multihulls.

Offshore Experience - ARC+ Transatlantic Rally

In 2024, Simon completed the ARC+ transatlantic rally aboard the catamaran Kasafari, sailing from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria to the Caribbean. This offshore passage adds to an already extensive blue-water sailing CV and reinforces the practical seamanship experience that underpins every survey Simon carries out.

Book a Survey with Simon

If you're looking for a thorough, independent yacht survey from a qualified Naval Architect and AMCMS member, get in touch to discuss your requirements and request a quote.