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Maintenance Log Book

Discussion in 'Luhrs Yacht' started by Just Fishing, Jan 13, 2021.

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  1. Just Fishing

    Just Fishing New Member

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    Does anyone have a Maintenance Schedule/Logbook they use? I have a 93 380 with Detroit and would like to fix up a logbook to keep records.
  2. NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

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    I've seen a few, but didn't find them useful for smaller boats. I think you'll find a sectioned spiral notebook (especially with pockets for receipts) more useful.
  3. ranger58sb

    ranger58sb Senior member

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    I've found it more useful to use an Excel workbook, with individual worksheets for engines, plumbing, hull, genset, etc etc etc.

    -Chris
  4. NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

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    That's a great backup that can be accessed from any computer, but there's nothing like a book at your helm that can be immediately thumbed through. The problem with computer files is that you're generally working with you phone or at best a tablet when at your boat.
  5. MBevins

    MBevins Senior Member

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    I agree, I just prefer to keep a hard bound book at my helm. I can then jot my notes down quickly.
    If you use a digital format , you're usually doing it at the end of day as that's the convenient time. Too easy to miss stuff, unless you made notes throughout the day, which is counter intuitive in my world
  6. TahoeJohn

    TahoeJohn Member

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    Jennifer and James Hamilton of MV Dirona created and have shared an Excel spreadsheet that helps to alert you of pending maintenance items. It takes a bit of time to set it up for your boat / equipment, but then it's fairly easy to use and helps make sure that you're on top of things.

    https://mvdirona.com/2015/03/maintenance-log/
  7. MBevins

    MBevins Senior Member

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    Just remember the Dirona is a significantly larger and more complicated vessel than your 38 Luhrs.
  8. NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

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    In boating there's nothing wrong with wearing suspenders and a belt. This looks really good as a backup to a paper log and to make sure scheduled maintenance is taken care of. With the paper log you can not only keep track of maintenance issues but also day to day situations such as where you cruised, what times you cruised, any incidents that occurred and the number of passengers you had aboard. It's a contemporaneous record in case you'd ever want to write a book or to check back on when planning trips or for responders to work from should your boat ever be found empty. I like the idea of using both. Even here when cruising questions come up I can't remember everything about every place I cruised over the past 30 years, but I can refer back to my logs. I always carried a small leather bound book with removable pages that I could carry boat to boat, but if for my own boat again I'd go for a spiral notebook with several sections. One section for a daily cruising log, one for maintenance/repairs performed and at least one for scribbling notes, figuring , grandkid's tic tac toe and art projects, etc.
  9. d_meister

    d_meister Senior Member

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    I used Yacht Manager on the last yacht I ran. The yacht had a paper maintenance logbook, and it was a mess. Pretty much like a teenager's diary. Impossible to reference any kind of previous maintenance. If you wanted to see when any previous maintenance was done, you had to thumb through until you found it.
    With Yacht Manager, everything was accessible and searchable, with reminders. It always surprised me that a service interval reminder would pop up because I would be SURE that I had just done it a week ago. Maybe because it was checking the water on 12 L16 and 4 8D batteries and I never looked forward to it:(
  10. rtrafford

    rtrafford Senior Member

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    I keep all of the information in the yacht hardback log at the helm. Once a month or so I pull maintenance items and enter them into an excel tabbed for systems and structure.
  11. MBevins

    MBevins Senior Member

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    This makes sense.
  12. Just Fishing

    Just Fishing New Member

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    I want to thank everyone. I have been fishing a long time and have always kept a log on the bite. Most of those days were in freshwater, which was back when I was trying to make a little money. The last 10 years or so have been in the saltwater. I have always loved the chase of something bigger, which has lead me into this world of a Sport Fishing boat. Routine maintenance has always been a part of my boats. Just owning an older boat like this and then moving over to diesel has up the game a bit. Just so much to learn and trying to find someone to help is a task on its own. These forums are a real lifesaver. Thanks for your replies and I am sure I will have many more posts. I am sure I will figure out almost everything on this boat just because that's who I am but it will take me a few years. Each day I spend time with her, I learn something new. I hope that I can return the favor.
  13. ranger58sb

    ranger58sb Senior member

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    Fair point, but I prefer the ability to better organize stuff in the spreadsheets, keyword searches make retrieval faster, etc... and it takes no physical space at all -- as long as the laptop/tablet/phone -- which would be there anyway -- isn't counted against "log space." And I can read my typing, unlike my handwriting.

    Yes, it needs an access device. FWIW, we usually have two laptops and two tablets aboard (plus phones)... and we keep some of the important "need it everywhere, need it now" log files in a common cloud store like DropBox or OneDrive or whatever... so we can get to those files from anywhere. And we can get to all our system manuals the same way. Easier to drag tablets (versus laptops) down into the engine room or wherever.

    Everyone's mileage may vary.

    -Chris
  14. 993RSR

    993RSR Senior Member

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    I maintain two google docs spreadsheets. One for the boat and systems and one for the engines and gears. This way I can pull up the records from my phone if needed.
    The invoices are in two binders by date.
    Tricky part is keeping with with future maintenance when it is due. Who knew your windlass, bow thruster, steering rams... all have scheduled maintenance.
  15. GPO

    GPO Member

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    There are several software offerings that will track all the equipment on your boat and remind you of upcoming maintenance tasks. I use Vessel Vanguard. Check out their website to learn about all the features. I have their app on my phone and iPad. Maintain it (input data) on my Mac (with a proper keyboard).
  16. Robert Page

    Robert Page New Member

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    I use OneNote and divide it into scheduled and unscheduled maintenance. OneNote gives me total format freedom. It is available on my phone, laptop, and my Son has access to it as well. Since I own older boats I keep detailed notes about systems, substitute parts, preferred techs, and sources in this as well. I also link to all of my boat, engines, transmissions, and systems manuals which I have scanned into pdf formats and saved on OneDrive with the OneNote document. This works well for me, especially since I prefer to do much of my own maintenance and repairs.
  17. cleanslate

    cleanslate Senior Member

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    This is nice and impressive at first but it’s still only half done and complete in my mind.
    For example next to main engines oil change date and times there should be a subcategory for the part numbers for the filters kind of oil , amount of oil used,fuel filters etc. etc. with various part numbers for wix , Man- Hummel, NAPA etc.

    Can’t do the work without the part numbers at your fingertips which really comes in handy at the parts store or on line store.
    Last edited: Feb 7, 2021
  18. Just Fishing

    Just Fishing New Member

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    I want to thank everyone. I took what they had done and then customized it for my boat. Make the transition much easier. As you stated, I added the parts onto mine. Still working on this but so far, working out great. My plan is to add cost as well. This I already track in my accounting software but it would be nice to know the estimated cost ahead of time. Never enough time.
  19. NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

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    Another point I don't see covered is that the OP is into fishing. Smart anglers as well as professional anglers keep detailed records of what they caught where and on what gear and baits, etc. That would be another section or two of a spiral notebook. Not necessarily in place of a maintenance spreadsheet (which is great for making sure proper maintenance is done and you have a record of it) but in conjunction with it. Make your notes at the helm so you have a ready reference of what brought you to doing certain maintenance along with all the other things that should be noted at you helm log book, and then note the maintenance you've done and the cost on your spreadsheet so you can access it easily wherever you are when you contract for future work. IMHO you can never have too much information, but you want it organized and accessible. Computers are one tool. Log books are another tool.
  20. gr8trn

    gr8trn Senior Member

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    Yep, database is only good with data in it and accessible. More data please, I tell my staff that way too often. Not my boating staff, my office:), I tell myself that on the boat though.