Do You Operate a PMS?
20 December 2015 | Simons Town, South Africa
Steve
With as many systems as modern yachts have today the only way to stay on top of the maintenance and keep your boat afloat is to maintain a Planned Maintenance System. I don't come from a world that says 'Fix it when it breaks' as that's as good as watching your home disintegrate under your eyes - or worse - loss at sea. And I'll admit that a PMS doesn't capture all the repairs but I'm confident that it gets 95% of them. Some call it a Preventive Maintenance System - perhaps this is more appropriate.
In a former life I was tasked with the design, preparation and instruction of a computerized PMS for an offshore construction contractor for our ROV's and diving systems. This was eventually approved by a class society (DnV). It was a significant task but once we agreed the foundations, it was just a matter of inputting the maintenance tasks and schedules. And that's essentially it ... tasks and schedules. But don't forget the discipline to follow up on the jobs.
I use an MS Excel spreadsheet to maintain the PMS - easy. A database software can also be used. Each bit of equipment on our boat, and them some, comes with an owners manual that includes a maintenance section, task description and schedule; with varying degrees of complexity. All the tasks/descriptions/inspections are listed in the rows and the schedule intervals (when its suppose to happen) are in the columns. When a task is completed, it's documented with date and any other pertinent data i.e. description, hours, quantities, etc. Also whether I need to replenish the spares kitty. And then I shade the box to let me know at a glance its been completed. The discipline comes in opening up my PMS, reviewing what tasks are needed to be done at a particular time and then preparing my Job List. I don't have a problem disciplining myself though some tasks will wait for a convenient time i.e. port or anchorage, sometimes done earlier. I also find it best to update the PMS immediately when the task is completed. I don't like to rely on my memory here!
I also document ALL tasks, minor and major, that I consider as maintenance. For example, oiling the mast cars, replacement of parts, adjusting shrouds, etc. Just about everything. And that of any 3rd party contractors. A complete history of tasks. It can be a bit onerous at times but I come from marine engineering and vessel management background and understood then the importance of these things. Not to be a completely pedantic ... I do stop at routine checks such as WOBBLES (regular checks of water level, oil, bilge, belts, leaks, exhaust and sound)!
So if you're reading this and haven't a PMS, spend some time and prepare one. It may save your life.