Manuals/Handbooks?

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PhilipF

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Interested to learn how common/uncommon it is for boats to be provided with a Handbook when they are sold - either new or secondhand?

Almost everything sold nowadays has some kind of manual enclosed with it - I think it is a law that this should be so.

A boat however is often rather unique - sometimes just one model is built and sold - a manual specially written and provided to the buyer - is this likely?

What about longer runs of boats - are manuals for these usually accurate and informative? Where specified items mentioned in the manual - bilge pumps being an example, actually provided on the model to which the manual refers?
 
RCD manual

The Recreational Craft Directives demands that a boat should come with user instructions (carefull: "user instructions" is not necesarily "a manual").

What the directive foresees is something compared to the manual you get with your car, not a full "sailing for dummies" handbook (allthough that wouldn't be such a bad idea for some people I know).

A lot of people laugh about this requirement, but I would love to have a car-like manual for my boat, detailing how the technical systems work, how the wiring was done, how the maintenance should be done.

SO next time you buy a new boat, please ask for the use instructions
 
Re: RCD manual

Try e-mailing Mustang in Oz, I found them very helpful.

I guess addresses have changed with the re-structure they underwent, but try thier website

Or Whittey Marine in the UK
 
Fairline give you a custom Fairline manual for the boat (quite a big book, but not entertaining reading) plus a couple of briefcases containing the individual manuals that came with each installed piece of equipment. Kinda unwieldy, but perfectly ok and frankly I don't see what else they can sensibly do.

I wouldn't want the boat builder to rewrite the manuals provided by the equipment suppliers and produce a single combined manual. That is wasted cost, and I'd rather read it directly from the horse's mouth, so I prefer the system where they give you a box of separate manuals from all the equipment suppliers.
 
My Sealine came with a rather generic manual and of course all the manuals from equipment manufacturers.
The electrical diagrams are fairly useful but factory boat electricians don't always follow them and have their own ideas (typical British approach unlike the Germans!!)
 
My Beneteau came with similar to the above, an A4 binder of boat specific instructions (wiring, plumbing etc) plus a couple of canvas laptop sized bags containing manuals for all the gear that was fitted at the factory. In addition I got all the Raymarine manuals from the dealer installation. The biggest problem is that the instructions for the combi microwave oven are in french which neither I or swmbo speak past 'allo 'allo standard. Fortunately evrything else is in good English.
 
Those microwave instructions in full:

(1) Appuyez sur le bouton pour quelques instants
(2) Regardez le four avec soin
(3) Quand il commence a fumer, appuyez sur le bouton encore une fois
(4) Éteignez-vous les flammes
(5) Jetez les restes dans la poubelle
(6) Recommencez-vous
 
as far as I know, boat manufacturers provide the original manuals from all the bits and pieces they install, f.e, bilge pumps, IMO thats the best and only way to do it.
The ones I know provide a manual on the hull, with drawings of the installed cirquits (water, electricity, waste water, ....), but I notice that usually this manual and drawings are made ones, and copied during the years, or used for diffrent models.
I can't speak for all manaufacturers, but the few that I have experience with, supplyed drawings that where not correct anymore, or not valid for my boats version.
As I do a lot of installs and reinstalls myself (have them done from somebody by myself /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif) I make a habit of making new accurate drawings f.e. of the electricity. and supply these to the new owner when I sell the boat.
About used boats, the way that the orriginal manuals from all bits and pieces have been kept, and the status of them, gives an indication of how much the previous owner loved and treasured (is this the right english word ?) his boat. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif IMHO
 
Press the button
Watch the oven carefully
When it starts to smoke, press the button again
Extinguish the flames
Chuck the remains in the dustbin
Start again

Hope this helps..... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Useful set of replies......many thanks.

> When I bought my boat new, I got a massive bag full of manuals of all equipment on board < Yes, so did we. But as to the boat itself, no. I reckon a handbook/manual should have been provided at the time we got the other manuals. But it was a full two months, and following a bit of pestering to the importer, did we finally obtained a couple.
 
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