Preventive Boat Maintenance Course
This course shows you how to keep a boat available, reliable and safe by planning maintenance before faults appear. You will learn the RCM approach and criticality analysis, how to inspect the hull, deck and watertight fittings, which routines protect engines, fuel, lubrication, cooling and the shaft line, how to prevent electrical and electronic degradation, and how to build an annual maintenance program with checklists, KPIs and a realistic budget.
Prior knowledge check
These are the skills this program gives you. Tick the ones you already master and we will tell you which part of the syllabus is for you.
You are starting from scratch in this subject. The program is designed precisely for that.
What is the Preventive Boat Maintenance Course?
This short course prepares you to organize and carry out the preventive maintenance of recreational, fishing and small commercial craft. You will study the purpose and scope of preventive maintenance, reliability-centered maintenance and risk-based prioritization, the master maintenance plan, technical records and spares management, systematic hull and deck inspection, anti-corrosion protection and watertightness, routines for main and auxiliary engines, fuel, lubrication, cooling, exhaust and shaft line, and the care of batteries, charging systems, switchboards, marine wiring and navigation electronics.
What sets this course apart: a system-by-system view of the whole boat, from hull to electronics, organized around failure modes and their consequences; practical criteria for deciding when to intervene; attention to recurring problems such as fuel contamination, overheating, galvanic corrosion and battery sulphation; and an applied final project in which you build a complete annual maintenance program with checklists, indicators, costs and audit-ready documentation.
Program highlights
- RCM and criticality: prioritize maintenance by failure mode and risk.
- Hull, deck and watertightness: inspection criteria and anti-corrosion protection.
- Engines and mechanical systems: fuel, lubrication, cooling, exhaust and shaft line.
- Electrical systems: batteries, charging, switchboards, wiring and electronics.
- Planning and control: master plan, spares, technical log and traceability.
- Applied project: annual maintenance program with KPIs, budget and checklists.
Syllabus of the Preventive Boat Maintenance Course
5 modules. Select a module to see its content.
Fundamentals of naval preventive maintenance, RCM philosophy and organization of the onboard maintenance plan
- 1.1. Concept and scope of preventive maintenance: availability, reliability, safety and total life-cycle cost objectives
- 1.2. RCM approach and criticality: analysis of functions, failure modes, operational consequences and risk-based prioritization
- 1.3. Master maintenance plan: intervals, routines by hours or cycles, seasonality and coordination with the operation of the boat
- 1.4. Technical documentation and traceability: manuals, equipment records, history, technical log and version control
- 1.5. Spares and consumables management: minimum and maximum stock, obsolescence, compatibility, lubricants and supply logistics
Hull, deck and structure: systematic inspection, anti-corrosion protection and watertightness maintenance
- 2.1. Inspection of the hull below and above the waterline: cracks, impacts, osmosis, fouling and criteria for preventive intervention
- 2.2. Anti-corrosion systems and paints: surface preparation, primers, antifouling, film thickness and quality control
- 2.3. Watertightness and water ingress points: seals, through-hulls, valves, stern glands, bilges and functional tests
- 2.4. Deck and fittings: winches, windlasses, cleats, ropes, tensions and lubrication of critical components
- 2.5. Deck safety elements: guardrails, jackstays, hatches, portlights and checking of closures
Propulsion and mechanical systems: preventive routines, lubrication, cooling and control of recurring faults
- 3.1. Main and auxiliary engines: periodic inspections, filters, belts, leaks, torque checks and condition criteria
- 3.2. Fuel system: settling, filtration, bleeding, contamination, microbial growth and prevention of supply-related stoppages
- 3.3. Lubrication system: oil types, basic analysis, intervals, contamination and prevention of premature wear
- 3.4. Cooling and exhaust: pumps, heat exchangers, thermostats, internal corrosion, exhaust elbows and thermal control
- 3.5. Transmission and shaft line: alignment, couplings, stern tubes, mountings, vibration and propeller maintenance
Electrical and electronic systems: batteries, distribution, critical loads and prevention of degradation failures
- 4.1. Batteries and banks: types, real capacity, cycles, testing, equalization, ventilation and prevention of sulphation
- 4.2. Charging and generation: alternators, chargers, generators, regulation, protection and diagnosis of voltage drops
- 4.3. Switchboards and distribution: breakers, residual current devices, busbars, connections, hot spots and maintenance by inspection
- 4.4. Marine wiring and connectors: galvanic corrosion, IP sealing, inspection routines and preventive renewal
- 4.5. Navigation and communication electronics: functional checks, updates, backups, antennas and interference control
Integrated preventive program and final project: maintenance plan, KPIs, costs and continuous improvement
- 5.1. Building the annual plan: calendar by system, intervals, responsibilities, resources and operating windows
- 5.2. Operational templates and checklists: daily, weekly and monthly inspection, acceptance criteria and task close-out
- 5.3. Maintenance KPIs: availability, MTBF and MTTR, plan compliance, repeat faults and cost per operating hour
- 5.4. Budget and life-cycle cost: spares, consumables, labor, haul-outs and optimization of total cost of ownership
- 5.5. Document management and auditing: evidence, non-conformities, change control and traceability for inspections
Duration and format of the Preventive Boat Maintenance Course
It is 300 hours. Tell us how many you can study each week and we will tell you when you will really finish.
This is the pace at which most students finish. It fits well with the installment plan.
Academic leadership and faculty
The Navalis teaching team: working professionals who teach and supervise the programs.
Dr. Marina AlcoverAcademic Director and Head of Quality Assurance
Eng. Diego CifuentesSenior Lecturer in Naval Welding and Non-Destructive Testing; Head of QA/QC for Welded Joints
Capt. Javier Abaroa (MCA)Senior Lecturer in Ship Handling, Electronic Navigation (ECDIS/Radar/ARPA) and GMDSS; STCW Compliance and Bridge Resource Management Coordinator
Dr. Pau FerrerSenior Lecturer in Naval Architecture and Simulation; Director of the Hydrodynamics and CFD Laboratory
Dr. Nuria LlobregatSenior Lecturer in Marine Meteorology, SAR and Operational Safety; Navigation Risk Management Coordinator
Eng. Javier BañulsSenior Lecturer in Electrical Engineering, Automation and ETO Engineering; Electronic Integration and Engine Alarms Coordinator
Eng. Sofía MarquinaSenior Lecturer in Materials, Composites and Corrosion Protection; Coordinator of the Advanced Paints and Coatings Line
Eng. Tomás RieraSenior Lecturer in Propulsion, Alternative Energy and Hybrid Systems; Energy Performance and Vibration CoordinatorObjectives of the Preventive Boat Maintenance Course
Career opportunities after the Preventive Boat Maintenance Course
Questions about the Preventive Boat Maintenance Course
To avoid or reduce failures and breakdowns, extending the service life of the boat and keeping navigation safe and the boat available when it is needed.
Hull, deck and watertight fittings, main and auxiliary engines, fuel, lubrication, cooling and exhaust, transmission and shaft line, batteries and charging, switchboards and wiring, and navigation and communication electronics.
Reliability-centered maintenance analyses the functions of each system, how they can fail and what the consequences would be, so that maintenance effort goes where the risk is greatest instead of being spread evenly.
No. The content is designed for recreational, fishing and small commercial craft, and the methods scale to larger fleets.
You build a complete annual preventive maintenance program for a boat, with a calendar by system, checklists, KPIs, budget and document control.
Fully online, through a virtual campus available 24/7, with live sessions that are recorded and tutorials with the teaching staff.
The course comprises 300 hours of study across 5 modules of about 60 hours each and ends with an applied project. You can progress at your own pace within the schedule set when you enroll.
More programs in Machinery and electrics
Admission process
No waiting for a call back. If your documents are in order, you can enroll in the same session.
- Profile: aimed at owners of recreational and fishing boats, skippers and masters who want deeper technical knowledge of onboard systems, marine mechanics and nautical students who want to specialize in preventive maintenance, charter companies that need standardized procedures and marine insurers interested in reducing maintenance-related claims; vocational training in vehicle or boat maintenance or mechatronics, or proven experience in boat repair and maintenance, is recommended.
- Language: sufficient command of English to follow the classes and the technical documentation.
- Technical resources: a computer with a stable internet connection, an up-to-date browser and a spreadsheet application for building maintenance plans and checklists.
- Admission: online application, review of your profile and a short interview with the academic team.
- 01ApplicationYour details, background and documents.
- 02Instant reviewWe check that everything is complete and in order.
- 03EnrollmentChoose full payment or instalments and reserve your place.
Admission is provisional until the committee validates the documents provided. If you do not meet the requirements, the full amount is refunded.
Ask us before you enroll
Leave your details and admissions will write to you to answer any questions. If you are already sure, you can apply and pay in the same session.