Identify the visit and its scope
The report should identify the boat, visit date and agreed purpose. Was this a routine inspection, a check after an issue or a visit to complete work? Keep those purposes explicit.
A checked box should have a defined meaning. Ask whether it means visually observed, operated or serviced. These are different levels of evidence. If an area was inaccessible or a system was intentionally not operated, that limitation belongs in the report.
Separate observations from recommendations
‘Water observed beneath the fitting’ is a finding. ‘Investigate the source’ is a next action. Combining them into an unsupported diagnosis can lead to the wrong work being authorised.
Useful photographs provide context as well as detail. A close-up should tell you where to look on the boat, and a sequence should be dated. The same viewpoint over several visits can be more informative than a large number of unrelated images.
Make decisions easy to find
Ask for a short action summary. Each item should state what needs deciding, who is responsible and whether a quotation or further assessment is required. Separate completed work from proposed work.
When reading the report, reply against the specific item. ‘Please proceed with item two under the agreed quotation’ is clearer than a general approval that could be interpreted too broadly. Keep that decision with the report so the record remains understandable later.
Read the report as part of a history
Compare repeated observations, rather than only reading the latest visit. An unresolved item should remain visible until it is closed with evidence or an agreed decision. A change from the previous visit deserves an explanation, even if the change is simply that access was unavailable.
Pronautic’s Yacht Guardian page includes an Aurora sample report. Use a sample to discuss the format and the level of information you want, while agreeing the actual scope for your boat. A routine care report is not a purchase survey or a certificate of seaworthiness.
A useful report leaves you knowing what was observed, what remains uncertain and what decision is yours.
MAKE IT PRACTICAL
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