Dave Hammond may be young, but he’s quick.

Just 25 years old, the yacht engineer has published an engine room logbook designed specifically for yachts. 

“The majority of yacht engineers are using commercial books specific to shipping,” said Hammond, who is from New Zealand. “They really don’t work for superyachts. We’re always crossing things out and adding our own columns.”

After five years in shipyards as an apprentice in marine systems integration on new builds and five years at sea on private yachts, Hammond created the book to simply be more efficient in his own job.

“There are two options out there, but both weren’t very good,” he said of other logbooks sold to yacht engineers. “That’s the reason I did it, mostly for myself.”

Hammond is now second engineer on the 230-foot M/Y Utopia.

The hard-cover book, which simply says “Engine Room Log” on the cover, eliminates irrelevant categories and includes yacht-specific ones to help engineers keep track of maintenance, operations and parts. It incorporates a daily record and operational log in a combined format, and includes pages for a 183-day record.

It is written for fulfill the requirements of any modern superyacht, either commercial or private, up to 3000 gross tons. It includes instructions in the front on how to use the book, and at the back are pages where engineers can keep track of specific pieces of machinery, their maintenance, and spare parts.

“That’s where engineers can jot down every maintenance that was done to have a full running list,” he said. “That way, you can see a better picture to see what’s happening with each particular piece of machinery.

“But it’s also generic so it’ll work with a Dutch-built boat as well as an American-built boat,” he said. 

Though many yachts use computerized systems to track parts, record operations and plan for preventive maintenance, Hammond said most engineers keep a hard copy of those records.

“What I do, we have fully computerized preventive maintenance system, running log, inventory lists,” he said. “You type out your daily log on the computer. But you also have a hard copy log, otherwise if the computer crashers, you’ve lost everything.”

Some engineers print out the computer documents and Excel spreadsheets, “but it’s not very professional,” he said. 

As with the vessel log book, if there’s ever an accident where the crew has to abandon the vessel, Hammond would grab the engine room log book to have a record of what transpired. 

“Every engineer I’ve talked to keeps a daily log,” he said.

Hammond admits that the content in the book isn’t unique. Plenty of engineers have likely had the same idea and perhaps even created their own. The difference, he said, is that he went through the process of having it published.

He created a business called Morgan Marine to do it, and hopes to follow it with a preventive maintenance system book.

For now, though, he’s happy to be “slowly making my way to the top,” he said.

“I love my job,” he said. “Doing this log book, it’s something I need and something other people do, too.”

The book is available for $99.99 at Bluewater Books and Charts in Ft. Lauderdale and through marine suppliers National Marine Suppliers and Yacht Chandlers.

About the Author

Lucy Chabot Reed

Editor

Lucy Chabot Reed is editor of The Triton.