Hour Meters, and Why Machines Are Serviced by Hours
Small engines, tractors, generators and boats are specified in running hours rather than dates. What an hour really measures, and how to track them without a meter.
Guide
Vehicles · VE-06
Boat Maintenance and Engine Hours Log
A free printable boat maintenance log — engine hours, oil, impeller, anodes and fuel filters, plus lay-up and launch checklists.
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2 pages. Choose your paper size — both versions are laid out identically, so neither one gets shrunk to fit.
Print it and write on it
Fill it in type and save
The fillable versions have real form fields — open them in any PDF reader, type into them and save. Printing help.
What this sheet is for
Service a marine engine by hours, and keep the impeller and anode record that matters more than almost anything else on a boat.
Who it is for
Owners of outboard, inboard and sterndrive boats, and anyone laying a boat up for winter.
How to use it
- Record part numbers for the impeller, filters and anodes once.
- Log engine hours at every service.
- Replace the impeller on schedule — it is cheap and its failure is not.
- Work through lay-up and launch lists at each end of the season.
What is on the sheet
2 pages, in this order:
Page 1
Printed under the title: Engine hours, servicing and seasonal work for a boat. Hours matter more than dates on a marine engine, and impellers matter more than almost anything.
Write-on lines: Vessel name · Make & model · Year · Hull ID / registration · Engine make & model
Specifications
Write-on lines: Engine oil & qty · Gearbox / leg oil · Oil filter · Impeller part no. · Fuel filter · Anodes · Plugs
Engine hours and service log
Table, 13 rows: Date · Hours · Engine oil · Gear oil · Impeller · Anodes · Fuel filter · Work / notes
Page 2
Lay-up and launch
- Engine winterised — antifreeze through raw water side
- Fuel treated and tanks left full to limit condensation
- Batteries removed or on a maintainer
- Seacocks closed, checked and greased
- Hull cleaned, antifouled; anodes replaced
- Bilge dry, bilge pump and float switch tested
- Safety gear in date — flares, extinguishers, lifejackets
Ruled lines: Notes and anything specific to yours
Questions
Why track hours rather than dates?
Marine engines are specified in running hours, and a boat used heavily for three months may need more servicing than one used lightly all year. Hours are the meaningful unit.
Read next
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Also in the resources library
The same subject, with a version you can fill in on screen.
Equipment Running Hours Log
Hours run between one entry and the next, from the readings themselves.
LR-166 Log PDF Excel Online
