Boat Operating Instructions

[LadyInBed]

Getting into and preparing to get underway on my boat is quite a complicated procedure - Alarm to turn off, hidden battery isolators, location of sea cocks to name but 3, so I have started writing a boat SOP which is expanding into an explanation of the fresh water system, filter locations, etc. Solar and Wind Gen charging System, Heads operation (one is electric) and the list goes on!
My reasoning is that if anything happened to me or when the boat is sold, anyone new to the boat would stand a chance of getting the boat going.
Have anyone else gone through this process or taken charge of an unknown boat?

 

[pvb]

I did a detailed handover file when I sold my old HR352. The file had captioned photos to explain all the bits and pieces. In recent years, new AWBs usually come with a comprehensive owner's manual detailing the various systems.

 

[Boathook]

Getting into and preparing to get underway on my boat is quite a complicated procedure - Alarm to turn off, hidden battery isolators, location of sea cocks to name but 3, so I have started writing a boat SOP which is expanding into an explanation of the fresh water system, filter locations, etc. Solar and Wind Gen charging System, Heads operation (one is electric) and the list goes on!
My reasoning is that if anything happened to me or when the boat is sold, anyone new to the boat would stand a chance of getting the boat going.
Have anyone else gone through this process or taken charge of an unknown boat?

A nice idea. My boat from new (mid 70's) never had anything like that, but then there were very few systems involved. Writing one will keep me occupied but the lockdown means that I will have to wait before I can include pictures.

 

[Sandy]

I have a boat manual that I've written over the years. Not just notes on systems but things like the date the batteries were added. The lengths and make of halyards and sheets. Found it really useful over time, e.g. when the genoa sheet needs replacing I can visit or call Jimmy Green and get either the exact rope or change it slightly.

Finding some 130Ah batteries that were the same size as the 100Ah ones was a great find over the winter (even if they are just 115 Ah in reality that's an extra 30 Ah in the same space).

 

[JumbleDuck]

Back in the 90s I used to lend my then boat (Westerly Jouster) to lots of different people, so I had a Little Red Book on board in which I wrote down everything I thought anyone might need to know about the boat and invited users to add things I'd missed. I haven't done anything like that for the current boat, partly because I don't lend her out and partly because I have spent time making everything as simple as I can.

 

[lw395]

Back in the 90s I used to lend my then boat (Westerly Jouster) to lots of different people, so I had a Little Red Book on board in which I wrote down everything I thought anyone might need to know about the boat and invited users to add things I'd missed. I haven't done anything like that for the current boat, partly because I don't lend her out and partly because I have spent time making everything as simple as I can.

I've long thought that it's a good idea to either have things so simple or standard that they are obvious, or have really clear documentation, the yardstick being, I ought to be able to lend my boat to anyone with half a clue.
Even if one day I just needed someone to move it or check things.

A lot of boats seem to have very convoluted charging/solar/battery switching which maybe the don't even fully understand themselves.

 

[pcatterall]

Good idea! Our yacht is now in joint ownership so potentially 6 different crews. We have several documents. An inventory/location doc. listing all spares and tools, a 'handbook' detailing 'how to' do just about everything from fixing the loo, starting the engine, shutting down the boat, safety briefing for new crew etc. It would be really really good if people would read it before picking up the phone!!
On older boats there are always things which are easy for a long term owner to sort but where newbies could struggle with.
Then of course for those of us past a certain age an aid memoir is certainly valuable!

 

[JumbleDuck]

A lot of boats seem to have very convoluted charging/solar/battery switching which maybe the don't even fully understand themselves.

Absolutely. That's why I ripped out all the supply and charging wiring and started again. Now I turn a single switch to "on" at the start of a cruise and back to "off" when I am packing up the boat. After that, everything happens automatically. In a similar vein, I ordered a "flybridge" control panel for the engine, so there is no key, just an "on/off" switch and a "start" button.

 

[prv]

I wrote a manual for the previous boat when we sold her - a lot of it was about the rig rather than the systems, since the electrics and plumbing were very simple but the new owner was new to gaff rig.

No manual for the new boat, but hopefully everything is self-explanatory to someone who knows boats. The electrical system is fully automatic after turning on one big obvious isolator when you come aboard, and all the switches are carefully laid out and properly labelled. The main fuse box at the chart table has a label pointing to the two other fuse locations on board - one inside the autopilot for the Seatalk bus and a small fuse box near the batteries. The heads and engine plumbing is all pretty standard, and the one seacock that was hard to find has a labelled trapdoor cut in the panel over it. The engine maintenance logbook has an inventory page for consumables, with the Volvo and third-party part numbers at the top of each column.

Pete

 

[RJJ]

I have a simple engine start checklist, which requires the seawater inlet to be checked twice. Apart from that everything can wait, if I forget, until it's needed.

I am more worried about my closedown checklist. I am always in a hurry, wife and kids are always niggling and under my feet, and I had enough anxious weeks wondering if I turned the batteries off etc.

Batteries, thievables below, hatches locked, fresh water through heads and galley( having switched batteries back on because I wrote the list illogically), seacocks, fridge clean and left open, batteries again, wheel secure.

Get home, worry, realise I wrote down a list of spares for some little job and left it on the boat.

 

[LadyInBed]

partly because I have spent time making everything as simple as I can.

Very laudable, but what is simple for you isn't necessarily simple for someone stepping aboard for the first time.
Unfortunately my boat came to me complicated, ie 12 Sea Cocks (that surprised me when I counted them up), all hidden away, and a 12v and 24v DC system with two alternators.
I must admit, I haven't made life easier by installing a 24v WG and 12v Solar and arranging it to 'mix and match' so the WG can be run through a 24v to 12v converter / charger and the solar can be wired in series to charge the 24v batteries.

 

[matt1]

ie 12 Sea Cocks (that surprised me when I counted them up), all hidden away

How on earth can you have 12 seacocks in a 33' boat?

 

[JumbleDuck]

Very laudable, but what is simple for you isn't necessarily simple for someone stepping aboard for the first time.

Of course, and I did say that a major reason is that I longer lend the boat out.

 

[Sandy]

How on earth can you have 12 seacocks in a 33' boat?

Easy!

Mine are:

1. Engine raw water inlet
2. Salt water tap inlet
3. Sink outlet
4. Heads inlet
5. Heads outlet
6. Wash hand basin outlet

So double that number is easy.

 

[superheat6k]

We had these in the Navy on how to start a Type 42 Destroyer or Type 22 Frigate - SAFERS they were called - Sequential Action Flow Routines. Although we were trained to operate without them they were a god send to make sure nothign imortant was overlooked during the start up process, with similar for shut down. Once the oil was warmed up it took about 15 minutes to start a Type 42 from "Full Watch Below" to when the Bridge and Skipper were advised "engines ready for Sea, Sir".

Sad that I can remember this !

I have had similar for all my boats, and they are excellent for making sure things like the batteries and gas are properly off before you leave the boat.

 

[Gwylan]

Getting into and preparing to get underway on my boat is quite a complicated procedure - Alarm to turn off, hidden battery isolators, location of sea cocks to name but 3, so I have started writing a boat SOP which is expanding into an explanation of the fresh water system, filter locations, etc. Solar and Wind Gen charging System, Heads operation (one is electric) and the list goes on!
My reasoning is that if anything happened to me or when the boat is sold, anyone new to the boat would stand a chance of getting the boat going.
Have anyone else gone through this process or taken charge of an unknown boat?

That has been one of my guilty secrets. I wrote mine as a briefing document and it just grew.

Maybe I should get it out and update it.
Explain the subtle nuances of the water system. Not least where the isolation tap is for the cold water tank.
How on earth you can change the water filter without taking the cockpit locker apart.
How to prime the pressure tank thingie for the water system.

Why there is a very long screw driver in the heads locker? - it's so you can take the bog pump apart without removing the pan.
Hasn't blocked since I got it, or is that tempting providence?

What does that funny switch in the battery compartment with a key lock do? Means you can switch the solar panels from charging the fridge battery to charging the domestic set.

How on earth do you assemble the Porta-Bote?
Also why you launch it very carefully bow first or you will flood it and it will become difficult to manoeuvre

Just got put on the confinement list
Thanks for the spur.

 

[William_H]

One thing to add to the manual fairly prominently would be an equipment list. Required for ocean racing listing safety equipment and it's location plus of course locations labelled. ol'will

 

[LadyInBed]

How on earth can you have 12 seacocks in a 33' boat?

2- Fwd Heads
2- Aft Heads
1- Fwd sink, shower tray, Galley sink
1- Saloon Bilge pump
2- Engine Bilge pumps (1 Manual, 1 Electric)
1- Engine Raw water inlet
4- Cockpit drains
Hold on, thats 13

 

[ScillyPuffin]

I have an SOP for engine start-up, engine running and leaving the boat checklist obviously laid out in case it's not me (and I use the leaving the boat list myself so I remember everything). VHF has poster with instructions and boat information. Heads has pictures of how the valves should look laminated and cable tied to them (under V berth so you do need to know they're there). Engine keys are kept by raw water seacock as a secondary visual reminder.
More details about other systems are in the boats manual which isn't as obviously located but contains maintenance and manufacturers info etc. There could be a lot more included though - an at home project perhaps...

 

[Clancy Moped]

We did a comprehensive hand over explaining how everything worked which he filmed with a Go-pro, all in all it was about 3 hours long in which his partner wrote everything up.