Boat maintenance log

Keeping a boat maintenance log is an ideal way of reminding owners what needs to be done to a boat and when. Read on for some tips, advice and a sample maintenance log.

However keen you may be to work on your boat, organising yourself can be challenging on occasions. Planning routine boat maintenance in advance can really help you in the long term.

Getting organised

If you are thinking of doing the bulk of the work yourself then it is advisable to be realistic about how much work needs to be done and approximately how long it is going to take. The winter weather can often put a spanner in the works so you may need to build in some flexibility. For those fortunate enough to have friends or family who are happy to give you a hand, the sooner you can firm up dates in diaries for doing this work the better. Remember to give them plenty of advance warning, preferably when the sun is still shining.

Even if you are not going to do the routine maintenance work yourself due to the pressure of work, physical impediment, or because you can afford not to, then you still need to do some planning well ahead of time. This means speaking to your boatyard early on and explaining what tasks need to be done and when. It is a little foolhardy just to take the boat ashore at the end of the season and then three months later ask the yard to do all the maintenance just before you plan to go afloat in the spring. Not a good plan.

Doing the work yourself

Begin by checking through the boat’s maintenance history, noting when work was done in previous years, how much it cost and estimating how long each task took.

Make a list of the materials and tools you will need for each task coming up and remember to keep a note of what you spent on materials and where you bought them. With boating, it always pays to shop around to get the best price for parts.

While your local chandlery might be your favourite shop in the world to browse in, if you are after non-specialist products, such as sponges, brushes, paint rollers, thinners, solvents and tape, you will most likely find similar items in large hardware stores at a fraction of the price. Also, if you are really organised, then buy enough materials to last for a whole season and you will save yourself both time and money in the long run.

Maintenance log spreadsheets

There are some excellent downloadable boat maintenance log spreadsheets available and one in particular I would recommend is produced by Viki Moore of Astrolabe Sailing see www.astrolabesailing.com. Viki’s spreadsheet collates all kinds of information which is boating related including maintenance, boat details, spare parts, annual budget, personal inventory, passage log and more.

Viki’s boat maintenance worksheet is designed to work as a reminder of work to be done as well as a record of what has been done in the past. There are columns to add the parts required, their part number, measurements and other details to make life easier when you need to place orders and plan the work.

Below are some extracts taken from Viki’s maintenance log that gives an overview plan of the routine maintenance that needs to be carried out annually on a typical mid-size cruising yacht.

BOATYARD MAINTENANCE LOG
Item	Checks	Notes
Engine	Oil level
	Coolant level
	Battery fluid
	Drive belt tension
	Check raw water inlet strainer is clear
	Stern gland lubrication
	Fuel water separator – drain water
	Change engine lubricating oil
	Change lubricating oil filter
	Transmission oil level
	Air cleaner element
	Raw water pump impeller
	Wasting anode, replace when necessary
	Remove heat exchanger tube stack, clean . Replace rubber O rings
	Lubricate key switch with WD40
	Check all external nuts, bolts and fastenings are tight
	Check ball joint nyloc nuts for tightness on gearbox and speed control levers
	Grease control cable joints and end fittings
	Grease exposed parts of gear shift mechanism
	Check for leaks in fuel system
	Drain water off fuel filter
	Check engine mounts
	Change engine oil and oil filter at end of season
	Top up fuel tanks to prevent condensation
	Protect the sealed cooling circuit with anti-freeze
	Protect the raw water cooling circuit with anti-freeze
	Disconnect the batteries and take ashore
	Ensure cockpit engine instrument panel is protected
	Spray engine instrument panel key switch with WD40 or equivalent
	Clean engine space

Stern gear	Stern tube
	Stern gland – requires annual maintenance
	Propeller – grease moving parts as required
	Prop anode

Hull and keel	Pressure wash immediately after lift out
	Check hull-deck joint
	Inspect for chips and dings in the gelcoat
	Check for signs of osmosis – mark any blisters
	Check bulkheads and internal hull members for signs of movement
	Check keel bolts
	Check keel for rust spots
	Check for signs of grounding damage

Rudder	Check rudder is in line with keel
	Check rudder bearings for excessive play
	Check rudder mountings and pintles are in good condition
	Check tiller and tiller head for condition

Steering	Check steering cables
	Lubricate steering cables
	Check adjustment nuts are tight
	Check sheave supports are firmly mounted
	Ensure area is free from gear and tangles
	Examine rudder shaft
	Test emergency steering

Deck	Check for signs of delamination or damage
	Check hatches for signs of leaks
	Check windows for signs of leaks
	Check star crazing in the gelcoat
	Check the toerail is properly fixed and in good condition
	Check stanchions, pushpit, pulpit and guardrails are all well fixed and serviceable
	Check all deck gear is in a serviceable condition
	Check the mast base is sound and well fixed

Electrical	Clean battery tops and terminals
	Lubricate terminals with petroleum jelly
	Check electrolyte levels in wet cell batteries
	Check all electrical connections are clean and secure
	Check fuses
	Check light bulbs
	Check shore power connections
	Check for any loose connections
	Check wiring for signs of chafe
	Use cable ties to tidy loose wires

Gas system	Check gas lines and pipes
	Check hose clips
	Check CO2 alarm is working

Plumbing	Clean bilges
	Check sea cocks
	Ensure all through hulls are in sound condition and have wooden plugs
	Check bilge pumps are working
	Check and clean water tanks
	Check water pumps are working
	Check sea toilets are working. Service where necessary
	Check all taps are working correctly
	Check shower sump and drain
	Inspect all hoses for leaks and kinks
	Ensure all hose clamps are tight

Anchoring	Lubricate bow roller
	Clean and inspect anchor chain
	Check anchor shackles
	Clean and inspect anchor
	Check mooring lines
	Check and clean fenders
	Check line and buoy for emergency ditching

Navigation and communications	Check GPS is working
	Check chart plotter is working
	Do VHF radio check
	Swing compass
	Check compass light
	Check handheld VHF

Deck gear	Look for signs of water ingress or corrosion
	Replace any bent or corroded fastenings
	Check lifelines
	Ensure stanchions are secure
	Service winches
	Check cleats – ensure back plates and nuts are secure
	Check jammers
	Check sheets
	Check grab rails are secure
	Check all blocks and shackles are in good condition
	Wash blocks with detergent to remove salt and dirt
	Polish stainless
	Wash traveller cars with detergent

Sails	Remove sails for storage ashore
	Wash and dry sails in fresh water / send to be laundered
	Wash sheets and halyards
	Check for any tears and shafing
	Check seam stitching
	Check condition of eyes and cringles
	Lubricate sail track
	Check battens and pockets
	Inspect head, tack and reef points
	Replace tell tales if required
	Examine all halyards

Galley	Clean cupboards
	Check gimbals on stove works
	Clean stove
	Check and clean fridge

Rig	Safety first
	• Check halyards used for rig inspection are not damaged • Check the bosun’s chair is in good condition • Attach two halyards to the chair using knots • Attach tools by a lanyard • Have two capable people operating the winches
	Deck check
	Split pins are not broken or missing
	No broken strands of wire
	No visible signs of cracking along swage
	No visible signs of rust streaking indicating broken strands or cracks
	Halyards lead correctly to exit slots, chafe guards if fitted are secure and in good condition
	No visible signs of damage to forestay from anchor

	Masthead
	Halyard sheaves rotate freely
	Split pins are not broken or missing
	Sideways movement of sheaves not too excessive
	No sharp edges of sheaves able to cause wear to halyards
	Electrical wires are clamped correctly and no signs of chafing
	Windex and wind instrument gear correctly aligned and operating freely

	Forestay and furler
	Roller furler headstay is not damaged from halyard wrap
	Halyard leads at the correct angle to the swivel car (see furler manual)
	Slacken genoa halyard and inspect wear on sheaves, fairlead and top swivel
	Mast tang pin hole has not elongated
	Split pins are not broken or missing
	No signs of corrosion around mast tangs
	Fastenings are all secure
	No visible signs of cracking along length of swage
	No visible signs of rust streaking, indicating broken strands or cracks

	Inner forestay / cap shrouds
	Mast tang pin hole has not elongated
	No signs of corrosion around mast tangs
	Fastenings are all secure
	No visible signs of cracking along length of swage
	No visible signs of rust streaking, indicating broken strands or cracks
	Split pins are not broken or missing

	Spreader root
	No signs of cracking or movement
	Fastenings are all secure

	Spreader ends
	Remove covers for inspection and replace afterwards
	Wire is securely seized or clamped in spreader end
	No broken strands or wear

	Spinnaker pole ring and car
	Attachment points are secure
	Pole ring is sized correctly for pole end

	Deck collar
	Collar is secure in position
	Watertight shield is secure and not perished

	Mast step
	No evidence of excessive corrosion
	Mast step is secure to hull

	Chain plates
	No sign of elongation in pin holes
	Split pins are not broken or missing
	Chain plates align with stay angles
	No evidence of fracture in chainplate at deck level
	Chain plates are fastened securely below deck to hull integrity

	Gooseneck / vang knuckles
	No signs of corrosion around mast tangs
	Split pins are covered and well protected to avoid damage to sails
	Fastenings are all secure
	No signs of excessive wear on spacers or bushes
	No signs of elongation in fittings

Dinghy	Clean
	Check painter
	Check anchor
	Ensure there is a bailer

Safety gear	Check fire extinguishers
	Inflate life jackets
	Check life jacket cylinders
	Service life raft
	Check life rings
	Check safety harnesses
	Check life lines
	Replace batteries in grab bag
	Replace batteries in EPIRB
	Check expiry date of PLB
	Test bilge pumps and alarm
	Check first aid kit
	Check grab bag
	Check flares and replace as necessary
	Check jack lines and pad eyes
	Check fog horn
	Check wire cutters

Should you decide not to keep a computer based maintenance log, it would still be a good idea to make a plan of what routine maintenance needs to be done through the year, noting the jobs that can be done only when the boat is hauled out. We hope the checklists above will help you get started.

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