Captains Care Yacht Management

Captains Care can set up weekly, monthly, bi-monthly, or annual systems checks for your vessel. We custom match our programs with our owners needs and desires. While we always encourage owner participation and knowledge, we know that your time is valuable and its nice to have someone who cares as much as you do. The more you know, the more you will enjoy owning and using your vessel. Confidence in your vessel lets you enjoy the day. Let us come on board and review your systems and design a plan for you today.

Or, if you are a real hands on mariner, feel free to use the info below to enhance your knowledge and enjoyment!

Here are some other checklists that are available online. Just click on the one that interests you:

1. ELECTRICAL

2. Small Boat Safety Checklist - NOAA

3. Boat Towing Checklist

4. Boat Davit Checklist

5. Discover Boating Checklist

6. Sailboat Survey Checklist

7. Boaters Safety Responsibilities Checklist

1. Rules of the Road

2. Float Plan

3. Man Overboard Procedures

4. Anchoring Safety

5. Test Your Knowledge-AB, Captains, Deck General, USCG Tests

6. Common Survey Issues and Solutions

List of "must have" safety gear to keep on the boat at all times:

Life jacket (PFD) for every person on the boat

Chemical light and whistle for each PFD

Flares, smoke, and dye

Air powered horn

Fire extinguisher

First aid kit with manual (preferably waterproof)

Anchor and line

Dock lines

Drinking water

List of safety items you should carry in a "boat bag":

Flashlight

Area charts

Hand held VHF radio (check the battery regularly)

Binoculars (recommend 7x50)

Sun screen

Knife

Bonding and Electrolysis

There are two schools of thought about electrical bonding: one says that all underwater fittings should be bonded, and the other says that none should be (i.e., they should all be electrically isolated).The aim of bonding, where underwater fittings and hardware are concerned, is to even out differing electrical potentials that could cause stray currents and electrolytic corrosion, but it is a subject complicated by many factors, including the variety of electrical equipment you have on board. Therefore, the only safe way to establish what’s best for your boat is to consult a marine electronics expert.A good bonding system consists of a heavy copper bus bar running the length of the boat (but not in the bilgewater), from which heavy stranded copper wires (at least #8 AWG) branch out to the various exposed, metallic, non-current-carrying components that are to be protected. The bus bar is connected to the boat’s common ground point, which is in turn connected through underwater hardware to Earth’s ground. Any stray AC or DC currents leaking from faulty electrical equipment or connections will thus be conducted overboard without attacking the boat’s metallic components.But it’s not quite that simple. Although protecting the boat from electrolytic corrosion due to stray currents originating within the boat, a bonding system might have the opposite effect in the presence of an electrical field in the surrounding water—as when a nearby boat in a crowded marina has malfunctioning AC equipment. In this case, the bonding circuit could conduct a current aboard, corroding a prop or through-hull. Furthermore, by electrically connecting dissimilar metals (e.g., a cast-iron engine block, stainless steel propeller shaft, and bronze prop and through-hulls) that sit in a common electrolyte—seawater—we’ve created all the right conditions for galvanic corrosion to occur. The effects of galvanic corrosion are not as rapid and immediately destructive as electrolytic corrosion, but over the course of a season or two, it can waste away a through-hull and sink a boat.To prevent these occurrences, the bonding system must be connected to one or more sacrificial zinc anodes, which—being less noble than any associated metal—are “eaten up” in preference to the fittings and gear you want to protect. Zincs must be checked periodically and replaced in timely fashion.

• bonding prevents high voltages in exposed metal cases and electrical equipment that develop a fault

• bonding provides a low-resistance path to ground for lightning strikes

• bonding may also reduce interference with radio signals, depending on your setup

 "What do I need to check on a regular basis?"

 Use the following list as a guide to ensure the safety and soundness of your vessel. All mariners have an inherent responsibility to know their vessel.

ENGINE

 Oil Leaks

 Oil Pressure

 Belts

 Hoses

 Transmission

 Fresh Water System

 Salt Water System

 Head Bolts

 Hose Clamps

 Bolts "Tighten"

 Anodes

 Fuel Filter

 Fuel Tank

 Instruments

 Gear Shift

 Throttle

 Air Cleaner

 Exhaust System

PLUMBING

 Fresh Water System

 Salt Water System

 Head

 Sink

 Galley sink

  Bilge Pump

 Float Switch

 Hoses

 Hose Clamps

 Shower

 Filters

 Fresh Water Tank

 Waste Holding Tank

ELECTRICAL

 12 Volt Supply

 Shore Supply

 Battery

 Generator

 Running Lights

 Cabin Lights

 Head Lights

 Alternators

 Breakers

 ON BOARD SYSTEM

 Air Con

 Water Maker

 Refrigeration

 Stove

 Washing Machine

 Solar Power

 Wing Generator

 Propane Tank

 TOP SIDE/DECK

 Hatches

 Windlass

 Stanchions

 Chain Plate

 Winch

 Steering

 Mast

 Rigging

 Cleats

 Sail Furlers

 Sails

 Tracking

 Cockpit Drain

 Anchor

ELECTRONICS

 VHF Radio

 G.P.S.

 SSB Radio

 Depth Sounder

 Radar

 Speedometer

 Radio Antenna

 Compass

 All Connections

 Fuses

  Auto Pilot

 SAFETY

 Life Jackets

 Life Raft

 Life Ring

 Flares

 First Aid Kit

 Fire Extinguisher

 Fume Detector

 HULL

 Prop

 Prop shaft

 Shaft Packing

 Rudder

 Anodes

 Through Hull Fittings

 Keel

 Osmosis

 Anti Fouling

 Port Holes

 Paint

 Gel Coat