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oscar · Jun 11, 2021

There's a saying in aviation that checklists are written in blood. I have a checklist on the boat. It's flow is just like it was in the cockpit...... Before Start-After Start-Before Shutdown etc.... It contains items out of the Hatteras manual and my add ons. It is updated regularly. I print it, I laminate it and I use it. Every time.

$0.69 is what I paid for the part missing in the picture below.......

I don't know how long it's been like that. One of the challenges doing checklists in the cockpit was always to not just LOOK but to SEE. Devious simulator instructors would put something out of place and if you said "CHECK" he would stop the proceedings and say....."IS IT?" So I try to LOOK AND SEE, every time. So maybe it just happened, maybe I finally caught it. But the bottom line is that I caught it, and fixed it.

slowgoesit · Jun 11, 2021

For want of a nail the kingdom was lost! Or in this case, a circlip!

IRENE · Jun 11, 2021

This is a most useful thread. Thank you.

IRENE · Jun 11, 2021

Added “check main shift and throttle cables” and “check wing shift and throttle cables” to my engine room pre-departure checklist.

We had a main shift cable break about a year ago. Stepped down from the flybridge to the pilothouse and it worked fine. The one that broke was the slave cable between the two. I was glad I had the wing running and warmed up, and I was glad I was not going too fast in the fairway.

Another time, on a twin diesel Luhrs I was running as a student in a class, the cable came off the transmission on the port side. I didn’t know it at the time, I just knew there was no resistance on the shift lever. We were approaching an end-tie, and the trans was in forward. I was just going to secure that engine, but the instructor pushed me aside and took the helm.

Takeaways are…these things can and do happen.

Thank you for prompting me to think, oscar, and make it a formal checklist item.

oscar · Jun 11, 2021

IRENE said:
Added “check main shift and throttle cables” and “check wing shift and throttle cables” to my engine room pre-departure checklist.

Thank you for prompting me to think, oscar, and make it a formal checklist item.

You're welcome. This item was one of the ones that came from the Hatteras book.

rslifkin · Jun 12, 2021

I've never turned it into a formal checklist, but so many people I know think I'm crazy for crawling around the engine room before the first engine start of every day. Every fluid on the engines and generator gets checked, belt tension checked, look for any new leaks and a general once-over of hoses and anything else visible. Doesn't matter if I never actually started the engines that day, I'll do it again the next day if we're going somewhere, even if I'm down there at 4 AM before coffee.

oscar · Jun 12, 2021

rslifkin said:
I've never turned it into a formal checklist, but so many people I know think I'm crazy for crawling around the engine room before the first engine start of every day. Every fluid on the engines and generator gets checked, belt tension checked, look for any new leaks and a general once-over of hoses and anything else visible. Doesn't matter if I never actually started the engines that day, I'll do it again the next day if we're going somewhere, even if I'm down there at 4 AM before coffee.

Well, either we're both nuts or..... "They" are nuts for not checking stuff before going out there.

rslifkin · Jun 12, 2021

oscar said:
Well, either we're both nuts or..... "They" are nuts for not checking stuff before going out there.

I'm going with "they" are the crazy ones. Particularly all of the other gas boat owners that never seem to open the engine hatch, just hit the blowers, wait a couple minutes and go. For me, the pre-start check and an after-fueling check both get done before turning the blowers on so that any trace fumes can be smelled before they're sent overboard. Then after checking, turn on the fume detector (if it's not already on) and blowers and wait before starting. Fuel dock attendants all hate me, as it's usually close to 10 minutes from when we finish fueling and I hand them a card to the point where I've got engines running, confirmed stable idle and ready to move.

FF · Jun 14, 2021

Its usually hot down in the HELL Hole , but I prefer to do the inspection right after engine shutdown.

We mostly anchor out so must be ready to move with little notice , so little time for a Pre Start check list.

rslifkin · Jun 14, 2021

FF said:
Its usually hot down in the HELL Hole , but I prefer to do the inspection right after engine shutdown.

We mostly anchor out so must be ready to move with little notice , so little time for a Pre Start check list.

At anchor or otherwise away from shore power where I may want the generator at some point or may need to move, I just do my checks when I get up in the morning while my coffee is brewing even if I don't necessarily need the engines that day. My usual daily checks take 5 - 10 minutes, assuming I don't find anything that needs attention (and depending on how fast I'm crawling that day).

psneeld · Jun 14, 2021

I have seen people ruin engines becausecthe didnt check fluids, engine rooms...... and I have seen a few save their engines because they did.

If you wind up with water entering your oil.....checking it before running it allows fixing it. But running it hard the next time without checking usually results in ruining your engine.

Every engine room can benefit from different checks...but I never at least fail to look for water in oil as it is by far the most common destroyed of recreational engines in my experience with no external warning (like running aground and then overheating and continuing home).

Alaskaflyer · Jun 14, 2021

I wonder how many of these spectacular large ship collisions you see on Youtube etc. where there is either loss of propulsion or loss of control, are due to simple clips or other safeties missing, and then a cable or rod goes rogue.

jumpjet · Jun 21, 2021

Is this Oscar myers?? S/f

Kintala · Jun 21, 2021

My husband and I are both pilots as well (he's now an instructor at Flight Safety Int'l) and we also had a checklist on our sailboat. A whole lot of people thought we were nuts, but it saved us several times. We'll have a detailed one on our trawler when we finally find one. And you are so right that it's easy to just run the checklist without really seeing. Same as it's easy to miss something critical in a scan on a passage. Being situationally aware seems to be a lost art these days because of the constant distractions we're exposed to on a daily basis.

Arc · Jun 21, 2021

I had a similar experience. After a very carefully inspection of all systems, I found a missing set screw on my generator. It held the water pump cog belt pulley to the crankshaft. The pulley would have easily destroyed the shaft causing catastrophic failure. .25 screw/ 8,000.00 generator

tparrent · Jun 22, 2021

Good thread.

I am in the process of acquiring a 2009 Nordic Tug 37 which will be both the oldest and most complex boat that I have owned. How should I go about creating a comprehensive checklist? Not sure if the manuals are with the boat and I am sure there are items that should be on the list that aren't in the manuals anyway.

I am having both a whole boat and a diesel survey next week. I'll try and write down everything the surveyors talk about but I know I won't get it all because those guys are amazingly comprehensive.

I admit that in my sailboats (which were much newer), I went through a checklist in my head but didn't actually do all the checks (heck didn't do most of them) that I should have. I'm becoming both more cautious and more sensible now.

Thanks for any suggestions!

koliver · Jun 22, 2021

Exactly what happened here:

oscar · Jun 22, 2021

You can let go of that horn now......

FWIW here is my checklist.

BEFORE START

Engine heat
Blinds
Life Vests Out
Electric Fuel Shutoffs

GENERATOR/BATTERY ROOM

Generator coolant level
Generator oil level
Fuel filter check
Battery switch on
Bilge
Start Switch “Auto”

ENGINE ROOMS

Raw water inlets
Engine coolant levels
Engine oil levels
Emergency air shutdowns open
Throttle and gear cables secure
Fuel filters check
Steering system level and pressure
Battery disconnect
Fuel levels
Fuel manifold
Bilges

AFT STATEROOM

Rudder stuffing boxes
Steering linkage

LOWER HELM

Navigation
VHF
Lights
Rudder position indicator
Rudder check
Alarm system
32V Charger Off

SETUP FLYBRIDGE

AFTER START

Water discharge
Engine room visual
Engine heat off
Air building
Oil pressure alarm
AIS on

BEFORE SHUTDOWN

Gear oil level
AIS OFF

AFTER SHUTDOWN

Fans if needed
Rudder position indicator
Ignition Off
Engine rooms
32VDC Charger On
Stuffing boxes
Rudders

BEFORE LEAVING

Doors & Windows
Garbage
Fridge(s) Open If Off
Breakers: WH/WP/Black tank gauges
Lights/IT
Flags
Sound
Through Hulls
iPad

 

Todd727 · Jun 26, 2021

Since you are using aviation methodology, a "walk around" would be the first part, before you get to the checklists.

koliver · Jun 26, 2021

oscar said:
You can let go of that horn now......

FWIW here is my checklist.

BEFORE START

Engine heat
Blinds
Life Vests Out
Electric Fuel Shutoffs

GENERATOR/BATTERY ROOM

Generator coolant level
Generator oil level
Fuel filter check
Battery switch on
Bilge
Start Switch “Auto”

ENGINE ROOMS

Raw water inlets
Engine coolant levels
Engine oil levels
Emergency air shutdowns open
Throttle and gear cables secure
Fuel filters check
Steering system level and pressure
Battery disconnect
Fuel levels
Fuel manifold
Bilges

AFT STATEROOM

Rudder stuffing boxes
Steering linkage

LOWER HELM

Navigation
VHF
Lights
Rudder position indicator
Rudder check
Alarm system
32V Charger Off

SETUP FLYBRIDGE

AFTER START

Water discharge
Engine room visual
Engine heat off
Air building
Oil pressure alarm
AIS on

BEFORE SHUTDOWN

Gear oil level
AIS OFF

AFTER SHUTDOWN

Fans if needed
Rudder position indicator
Ignition Off
Engine rooms
32VDC Charger On
Stuffing boxes
Rudders

BEFORE LEAVING

Doors & Windows
Garbage
Fridge(s) Open If Off
Breakers: WH/WP/Black tank gauges
Lights/IT
Flags
Sound
Through Hulls
iPad

 

A friend has a copper cover on his Throttle/gear levers with the most important items permanently stamped into it. Ending with :
"Wife Aboard ?"

kthoennes · Jun 26, 2021

I have a checklist too, but boy, some of you get very specific (which is a good thing). I do find though that the longer we're on the boat and the longer we use it, the more detailed it gets. Started with three items for leaving the boat:

Shut down electrical panel switches.
Turn off and disconnect water.
Close and latch the aft deck gate so it doesn't bang.

Now it's about 20 items.

oscar · Jun 26, 2021

Todd727 said:
Since you are using aviation methodology, a "walk around" would be the first part, before you get to the checklists.

And it is. FYI the "walk around" or exterior inspection may be on a C-172 check list, it's not on an airliner checklist. There's a LOT of things not on the checklist that are done before the checklist is started.

I do have a "flow" of things....... And I follow that pretty closely too....

1 Deck Secure
2 Interior Secure
3 Single the lines
4 Checklist through "Engine Rooms".
4 Start Generator
5 Transfer Power, secure shore power cord.
6 Start Engines
7 After Start Checklist
8 Last Lines

BoatPoor · Jun 26, 2021

Glad you caught it. Wish I could find a manual for my boat but I bought the redheaded stepchild of the Mainship family that was only built for two years, so...

Ang · Jun 26, 2021

koliver said:
A friend has a copper cover on his Throttle/gear levers with the most important items permanently stamped into it. Ending with :
"Wife Aboard ?"

My wife added "Wife Aboard" to our list. There might have been an incident...

oscar · Jun 27, 2021

Ang said:
My wife added "Wife Aboard" to our list. There might have been an incident...

You ALMOST got away with it........

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