Boat maintenance checklist

A boat maintenance checklist covers what to check before you leave the dock: the weather and your plan, fuel and engine, hull and bilge, safety equipment, navigation and who is aboard. Running it each time keeps small problems off the water.

This is a general pre-departure list based on a Transport Canada guide, not a legal one. Your boat's manual and the boating rules where you are say what you must carry and check. Change the list to fit your boat.

Download the printable PDF Download the spreadsheet

Weather and plan

Current conditions compared with the forecast, and the forecast looks right
Plan to arrive without bad-weather risk, or a plan to cut the risk if poor weather is expected
Trip plan and number of people aboard left with someone ashore
Route checked for local hazards and boating restrictions
Charts for the trip aboard

Fuel, engine and fluids

Enough fuel for the trip plus a reserve, with water drained from the tank
Oil, coolant, battery and other fluid levels
Hoses and belts: visual check
No oil or water leaks in the engine compartment or hold
Battery charge indicator reading normally

Hull and bilge

Bilge pumps working
Drain plugs securely in place

Safety equipment

Enough lifejackets of the right size for everyone aboard, including children and crew
Life rafts and their lashings inspected, if carried
Fire extinguishers and other firefighting gear in place
First aid kit, spare tools and spare parts

Navigation and communications

Compass and other navigation equipment working
Sound-signalling device to hand
Navigation lights switched on and checked
Radio switched on about 15 minutes before departure and a test call made

Crew and passengers

Passengers counted and enough crew for the trip
Safety briefing given

Keep the record with the boat

A paper tick-sheet gets lost. In Loggy you do the same check on your phone.

Open the boat and tap Inspect.
Pick a template, or tap Create your own and build the list above.
Mark each item P (pass), F (fail) or N (not applicable). Tap the clip to add a note and a photo.
Tap Review & Sign, draw your signature and submit.

If an item fails, tap to create a fault from it. The fault stays on the boat’s Active Faults list until someone fixes it. Inspections are free. Inspections help · Track faults

Service work is a separate list

This checklist is the quick check. Services, oil changes and repairs get logged on their own, with the reading, the workshop, the cost and the invoice. Your manual sets the intervals, and Loggy can remind you when the next one is due. Set a service reminder · Track a boat by engine hours

Questions

What should I check before leaving the dock?

Weather and route, fuel and engine, bilge pumps and drain plugs, lifejackets and other safety gear, navigation equipment, and who is aboard. The list above follows the Transport Canada pre-departure checks.

How much fuel should I carry?

Enough for the trip plus a reserve, says Transport Canada. The guide does not give a figure, so work it out from your engine and your route.

Is this the legal safety-equipment list for my boat?

No. Required equipment differs by country, boat type and size, and Loggy cannot tell you what yours needs. Check with your boating authority.

Can I log engine hours instead of miles?

Yes. Add the boat in Loggy with hours as its unit, then log each service with the hour reading.

Is it free?

The checklist is free to download. In Loggy, inspections and service logs are free too: the app has a generous free tier with unlimited vehicles and no ads. Premium adds sharing a vehicle with other people, folders and downloadable reports.

Run your first boat check on your phone. On iOS and Android, with a generous free tier and no ads.

Checks based on: Transport Canada, Pre-departure checks. Read 10 November 2026.