New-Build PMS Handover Checklist

A new-build PMS should not be treated as an admin file that appears near delivery. It is part of the technical handover of the yacht.

The vessel is being handed over as an asset. The planned maintenance system is one of the tools that protects that asset after delivery. If the PMS is incomplete, unverified, or disconnected from the build information, the crew starts ownership with uncertainty built into the maintenance plan.

This checklist gives owners, owner representatives, and new-build engineers a practical way to review PMS readiness before handover.

1. Confirm the hierarchy reflects the vessel

The PMS hierarchy should follow the actual yacht, not just the manual folder structure.

At minimum, check that:

• -Parent systems are clear and consistent
• -Sub-systems are separated where maintenance responsibility differs
• -Equipment appears in the right place once only
• -Locations are understandable to future crew
• -Critical equipment is not hidden inside broad generic groups

A good hierarchy lets an engineer find an item quickly. If the structure only makes sense to the person who built it, it is not ready for handover.

2. Confirm equipment records are specific

Every maintained item should have enough detail to identify it onboard and maintain it correctly.

Useful fields include:

• -Equipment name
• -Maker and model
• -Serial number where available
• -Location
• -Parent system and sub-system
• -Counter type where relevant
• -Criticality where scoped
• -Source document reference

The important test is simple: can a new engineer walk to the equipment and know they are looking at the correct item?

3. Confirm OEM tasks and counters are traceable

Maintenance tasks should come from an identifiable source. A task called "service pump annually" is weak if nobody can prove where that interval came from.

For each OEM task, check that the PMS can show:

• -What equipment the task belongs to
• -The task interval or counter
• -Whether the interval is calendar, running hours, starts, cycles, or condition-based
• -The source manual, section, or page where practical
• -Any special notes, consumables, or tools

This protects the crew, the owner, and the vessel. It also makes future audits and migrations far easier.

4. Confirm spares are linked properly

Spare parts are often delivered as lists, boxes, or vendor spreadsheets. That is not enough.

A useful PMS should connect spares to equipment and, where practical, to the tasks that use them. The handover review should check:

• -Spares linked to equipment
• -Service kits linked to tasks
• -Maker part numbers preserved
• -Alternative descriptions cleaned up
• -Box and location mapping included only where scoped
• -Photos included only where scoped

Do not assume every spare needs a photograph. For large vessels, that can become thousands of images and a major separate work package.

5. Confirm installation and commissioning tasks are captured

New-build PMS work is not only OEM manual extraction. The build creates additional maintenance signals.

Tier 3 new-build work should consider:

• -Installation checks
• -Commissioning requirements
• -Initial service intervals
• -Yard or OEM recommendations
• -P&ID tags where scoped
• -Class and flag maintenance mapping where scoped
• -Criticality assessment

This is where the PMS becomes vessel-specific rather than a generic manual dump.

6. Confirm gaps are visible

No new build has perfect documentation. The issue is not whether gaps exist. The issue is whether they are controlled.

The handover pack should make missing or uncertain items visible:

• -Missing manuals
• -Missing serial numbers
• -Unconfirmed locations
• -Unverified equipment
• -Unclear task intervals
• -Outstanding commissioning records
• -Items requiring crew or yard review

Hidden gaps become operational risk. Visible gaps become work that can be closed.

7. Confirm the PMS is vessel-owned

The vessel should not be left dependent on one person, one consultant, or one software vendor.

At handover, the yacht should receive:

• -PMS-ready workbook or master data file
• -Source register
• -QA and exception log
• -Naming conventions
• -Import notes
• -Handover notes for future crew

This makes the database auditable, maintainable, and easier to migrate later if the PMS platform changes.

Final handover test

Pick ten items across different systems. For each one, ask:

• -Can we find the equipment onboard?
• -Can we find it in the PMS?
• -Are the model, serial, and location correct?
• -Are the maintenance tasks traceable?
• -Are relevant spares linked?
• -Is any missing information recorded?

If that test fails repeatedly, the PMS is not ready. It may be installed in software, but it has not been properly handed over as a technical asset.