Maintenance Log - Need examples

I want to start a maintenance log for the engine. I'm looking for some examples, templates, etc.

I keep it as simple as possible. I just have a lined ledger. Nothing fancy. Example of an entry is:

5/10/12 Changed oil. 6 qts. 40W - Eng. hours 2234
6/11/12 Changed fuel filters Eng. hours 2266

This is realy just an Excel file with grid lines but no data. I print several, then put them in a notebook on the boat. I have similar ones for fuel purchases, trip log, etc.

GonzoF1 said:

I keep it as simple as possible. I just have a lined ledger. Nothing fancy. Example of an entry is:

5/10/12 Changed oil. 6 qts. 40W - Eng. hours 2234
6/11/12 Changed fuel filters Eng. hours 2266

Click to expand...

Thats what we use, a ledger book. You can buy them at any office supply store.

We have one for the boat, and one documenting every trip we go out on. Lots of memories in that book.

Fotoman said:

I want to start a maintenance log for the engine. I'm looking for some examples, templates, etc.

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iPad free app. Boating Suite.

It has Fuel Log, Expense Log, Maintenance Log, Log Book, To do List and Shopping List. All free and easy to use.

Also as aside. Active Capt. just posted an email that he has found every item on his boat as in repair manuals in a PDF form and has eliminated almost all of the paper repair or parts manuals by loading the PDFs to his iPad. Eliminates a lot of books and storage of paper.

So, I Got Bored Offshore

I made this spreadsheet for my new-to-me boat.
You are welcome to use it. It is password protected with no password.
I do that to prevet accidental dragging and dropping. If you have XL 2007, hit REVIEW then hit UNPROTECT. If you have 2003 version, hit TOOLS and then hit UNPROTECT.
OOOOOPS!! looks like it wont upload XLS on here.
Send me an IM with your e-mail addy and I will gladly send it to you.
It contains 6 tabs: General Info and Parts, Surveyors Items, Routine Mtce, Eng. Mtce, Wish List and Trip Stops on my way to Ky. Lake.
I made another separate XL book for Budget and actual cost tracking

I also use an Excel spreadsheet for recording maintenance information and use it for the entire boat. Importantly, I have found it very useful to make a distinction between maintenance, repairs and improvements.

My column headers are simply:

Date Eng Hours Maintenance Repairs Improvements

Maintenance includes things like oil/filter changes, waxing, or changing zincs.

Repairs includes things like fixing a coolant leak, replacing a bow thruster prop, or a broken blind string.

Improvements includes things like installing an AIS, an additional vent fan for the refer, or adding a bimini.

Keep it simple!

JD said:

iPad free app. Boating Suite.

It has Fuel Log, Expense Log, Maintenance Log, Log Book, To do List and Shopping List. All free and easy to use.

Also as aside. Active Capt. just posted an email that he has found every item on his boat as in repair manuals in a PDF form and has eliminated almost all of the paper repair or parts manuals by loading the PDFs to his iPad. Eliminates a lot of books and storage of paper.

Click to expand...

I looked at all the iPad apps out there including Boating Suite and I didn't really like any of them. Mainly because I don't need something to just write down notes, I want somthing that will make me think about little details I would otherwise forget. Kinda like an hybrid between a checklist and a log I guess. Some members sent me Excel files that are pretty good at doing that. I'll pick and choose what makes sense to me and make my own.

About Active Captain, I read the newsletter this week and really liked the idea of having soft copies of all my manuals in my iPad. Don't think I'll ditch my hard copies since space is not an issue for me but I will look for all the PDF versions of what I have onboard.

Fotoman said:

.......... I want somthing that will make me think about little details I would otherwise forget. Kinda like an hybrid between a checklist and a log ..................

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The Mtce Log I made is probably close to what you want. This separates everything that must be done and at what interval. This is more of a reminder sheet than a cost sheet. I lose tract of time and so since this is a new-to-me boat, I figure that I better write everything down.


I also made a separate XL log for tracking costs of maintenance and improvement items. This log separates everything by area i.e. Salon, Master Suite, V-Berth, Engines & Gen., etc. All expenses are totalled at the bottom of each page and automatically deducted from my budget on every sheet. That way, no matter what sheet you are on, you can always see how much money you have left in your budget.
By the end of the year, I should have most of the maintenance items addressed and only then will I know the actual cost of an older boat.

JD said:

..........Fuel Log, Expense Log, Maintenance Log, To do List and Shopping List. .................

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Since almost everything in the boat will be new or in excellent condition by the end of this year, I will make one of those next year prior to our trip to Ky. Lake. That will give a very accurate 'cost of trip' log.

The ideal application (not "app") would allow one to not only track maintenance as it is done, but suggest when it should be repeated. For example, an oil and filter change would be entered and a reminder would be issued in 100 hours or one year, whichever comes first (that would be changeble by the user).

This can't be easily done in a spreadsheet, but could be done in MS Access or a similar database program.

I've toyed around with it in Access but not seriously and haven't gotten far.

One would expect such applications would already be available or one designed for cars or trucks could be used.

Boat Manager

I have used a book “The International Marine Boat Manager: Your Vessel's Custom Handbook of Operating and Service Procedures by Bob Payne, Nick Ellison" \
Also I have used software packages that cover logs, maintenance, and storage (parts, stores, provisions)

rwidman said:

.........The ideal application would allow one to not only track maintenance as it is done, but suggest when it should be repeated. For example, an oil and filter change would be entered and a reminder would be issued in 100 hours or one year, whichever comes first.
......

Click to expand...

Actually, that is exactly what I did. I made 2 Excel books. One for tracking maintenance and improvement costs and the other for reminders.
I separated the 2 because the cost tracking had 8 tabs and the reminders had 7 tabs. I broke them up by areas such as V-Berth, Galley, Salon, etc.
I did that because this is a new to me boat and I expect to put a fairly large investment into this year and all the admiral has to do is name the item and plug in the cost. It's all individually totalled by page and also Grand totalled at the bottom of each page so that I know where my budget stands.

rwidman said:

The ideal application (not "app") would allow one to not only track maintenance as it is done, but suggest when it should be repeated. For example, an oil and filter change would be entered and a reminder would be issued in 100 hours or one year, whichever comes first (that would be changeble by the user).

This can't be easily done in a spreadsheet, but could be done in MS Access or a similar database program.

I've toyed around with it in Access but not seriously and haven't gotten far.

One would expect such applications would already be available or one designed for cars or trucks could be used.

Click to expand...

Ron,

Excel can be a great platform for this type of use. It just taked some creative use of formulae and conditional formatting to make it work well.

For the past 18-20 years I have created, modified and maintained an aircraft weight and balance program for the FAA in Excel that is used for all of the FAA's Beechcraft King Air, Learjet 60, and Challenger aircraft in the FAA fleet. What began as a simple spreadsheet used voluntarily by local pilots has evolved into an mandatory nationwide automated application using macros and complex formulae (all unseen by the user) to guide the pilot easily, quickly and accurately through proper payload distribution and fuel loading with a few clicks of the mouse. It also depicts the loads graphically and in weight and balance charts and envelopes.

If it can do all that, it can track boat maintenance completed and due.

I have looked at boaters suite, it looks pretty simple. But I'd really like it if it synced across my iPad and iPhone. Seems when they did an upgrade I lost a bunch of data. I'm waiting with baited breath for the "templates" Active Captain keeps dangling like a carrot to possibly go to spreadsheets.

I had all my maintenance, upgrades and fueling logs on Excel. Then I had a virus get into my computer and I lost the entire harddrive. Hence all the logs were lost. I will be trying to rebuild those logs from receipts and memory, but I will be doing so in a log book.
This way, down the road when I go to sell the boat, I will be able to offer the buyer a log book as validation of the care and that he can continue the process with.

I have used boaters suite on my iPad for several years now. I have an old iPad that is left on the boat all of the time. I also downloaded every manual I could get on pdf and it is also on that iPad. Unfortunately Cummins does not provide compatible manual. They provide the manual on a cd, but it is encrypted and can only be read on a computer running Windows XP.

We use Idea but it's very much overkill for most. Excel can work, especially if you have Marin's knowledge of it. A simple database system can as well. One moderately priced product that might be worthwhile and shortcut your effort is First Mate Yacht Management Software. It's only $74.95. They do have a free trial you can download. I have not tried it. Even if it's not for you, it might give you additional ideas.

First Mate Yacht Management Software

First Mate looks like it only runs in windows and only up to V7 to boot.
I'd prefer something that runs in iOS or android so I can keep it on a tablet and phone and have the ability to sync between them.
That said I like what FM offers just wish it was a different OS.

mbevins said:

First Mate looks like it only runs in windows and only up to V7 to boot.
I'd prefer something that runs in iOS or android so I can keep it on a tablet and phone and have the ability to sync between them.
That said I like what FM offers just wish it was a different OS.

Click to expand...

Good point....unless you get Surface...lol

That's one of the things the larger systems have been able to do is build interfaces so you can use Android....and that other thing....the Apple thing...

I agree not being able to use tablets is a big drawback. So much is taking place in the ER and why not be able to enter it right there.

BandB said:

...and that other thing....the Apple thing....

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C'mom tell us how you really feel! (Longtime Apple User here)

Something like Google docs addresses the synch issue as well as the archiving.

However, I personally found it a lot easier to enter everything with pen and hand into the maintenance log section of the log books we used, which were those put out by Evergreen Pacific. I then color coded via highlighter the various systems and those things on a regular PM schedule. Very easy and robust solution, daylight viewable.

Our Hatt is a complex boat with a slew of things to keep track of. I logged everything, and I mean everything, down to when I changed the pads under the engines, annotated. And all PM items also got a label attached to them as to when they were serviced last, date and if relevant engine hours. This all was extremely helpful to me, the techs I used when needed, and very impressive to buyers.

N4712 said:

C'mom tell us how you really feel! (Longtime Apple User here)

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I just feel an obligation to tease iApple users. Had I been a lifetime user I probably still would be.

BandB said:

I just feel an obligation to tease iApple users. Had I been a lifetime user I probably still would be.

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Me and windows had a come to Jesus meeting a few years back. Switched to IOS and never looked back. All I can say is, it works! ( Apple, thanks for setting up the Genius Bar, if only they served cocktails while waiting.)

I do as others: an Excel file, with 10-12 internal worksheets (so far) for major categories. Mains, genset, plumbing, electronics (usualluy about charts or software updates), electrics, dinghy (outboard), fuel, pump-outs, misc., etc.

One of those worksheets presents a schedule of regular periodic maintenance points. Another holds notes on specific projects (which tools, best method, etc.)

Available for review on several of our computers/tablets, and periodically backed up on a couple different hard drives.

I tend to not care about being able to make tablet entries while in the engine room, or in the middle of a project. I prefer to relax at the "desk" (dinette) with laptop (real keyboard) and beverage afterward, to create log entries while I ruminate on what I just did....

Our maintenance log is separate from our Evergreen (paper) operation log. That one lives on the bridge and is a pen-and-ink hardcopy, updated as events occur.

-Chris

Crusty Chief said:

Me and windows had a come to Jesus meeting a few years back. Switched to IOS and never looked back. All I can say is, it works! ( Apple, thanks for setting up the Genius Bar, if only they served cocktails while waiting.)

Click to expand...

If it works, why do you need the Genius Bar?

Here's the one I've used since I bought the boat in 2008:
The Evergreen Pacific Log Book

Gulf Comanche said:

Here's the one I've used since I bought the boat in 2008:
The Evergreen Pacific Log Book

Click to expand...

Note that same vendor has many log books and even log software such as the Ship's Log V4.

Ship's Log V4 Nautical Software Deluxe Ed.

It looks impressive except has the same limitation as the one I mentioned earlier in that it's Windows only.

caltexflanc said:

If it works, why do you need the Genius Bar?

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To convert all the windows crap to a stable platform, IOS. Even showed me a software program to use the office stuff.

I can see this could very easily turn into another Anchor type thread, so I'll stop the thread drift, my apologies to the OP.