Choosing a planned maintenance system for a yacht

A planned maintenance system (PMS) is the engine room’s memory. Done well, it tells the Chief Engineer what is due, what has been deferred, what failed last time and which spares are on board. Done badly, it becomes a list of overdue tasks nobody trusts. The software matters less than the way the system is built and used, but the choice of platform still deserves care.

Start with the regulation

For yachts within the ISM Code, section 10 requires the Company to establish procedures to make sure the ship is maintained in conformity with the rules and regulations, with regular inspections, reporting of non-conformities, corrective action and records. It also requires the Company to identify equipment and technical systems whose sudden failure could cause hazardous situations, and to put specific measures in place to make them reliable [1]. A PMS is the practical way to meet these requirements, so it should make critical equipment and its maintenance unmistakable.

Eight questions to ask

1. How good is the equipment register?

Everything else depends on it. Look for a clear hierarchy (system, sub-system, component), maker and model data, serial numbers and links to manuals. A platform that makes the register hard to build or edit will never be accurate.

2. Does it handle running hours and condition-based tasks?

Generators, main engines and pumps are maintained on running hours, not calendar dates. Check how counters are updated (manually, or from the monitoring system) and whether condition-based tasks, such as oil analysis results, can trigger work.

3. Does it work offline?

Connectivity at sea is better than it was, but still not guaranteed. The crew must be able to record work without a connection, with reliable synchronisation afterwards.

4. Is it linked to spares and inventory?

A task that needs a part that is not on board is a task that will be deferred. Linking tasks to spares, with minimum stock levels for critical items, is one of the most valuable features a PMS can have.

5. Will class accept it?

If the yacht uses, or might use, a continuous machinery survey or an approved planned maintenance scheme, check early what the classification society requires of the system and its records.

6. Will the crew actually use it?

Ask an engineer to log a job on a tablet or phone in the engine room. If it takes more than a minute, history will be poor. Good reporting for the Chief Engineer and the shore team matters too, but usability on board comes first.

7. Who owns the data, and can you get it out?

The owner should own the maintenance history. Before signing, confirm that the full history, equipment register and attachments can be exported in a usable, documented format. This protects the yacht if you change platform or manager.

8. What does it really cost?

Licences are usually per vessel per month, sometimes with set-up and onboarding fees. Ask for the total cost over three years, including data migration, training and support in your time zones.

Platform-neutral advice

We do not take referral fees from software vendors, so we can recommend whichever platform suits the yacht — often the one it already has, rebuilt properly. Our technical management tiers include regular planned maintenance checks by a Chief Engineer (Unlimited).