Is there a digital service book for boats?
By Mark Bonnett, founder of Marine Match · Last updated
Yes. Cars have had service books and an online MOT history for years, but most boats still change hands with a folder of receipts and the seller's word. Boat Passport from Marine Match is a free digital service history for your boat: each job can be stamped by the Verified professional who did the work, and the record moves to the new owner when you sell.
What goes in a Boat Passport?
- The boat's details: builder, model, year, hull identification number and engines
- Engine hours over time
- Each service, repair and survey, with the date and what was done
- Batteries, with type, capacity and when they were replaced
- Documents and photos you choose to add
Entries are labelled so anyone reading can see where they came from:
- Stamped: a Verified professional confirms they carried out the work
- Checked: a Verified professional inspected work done by someone else
- Owner records: work you log yourself, with or without receipts
Is there an app to keep my boat's maintenance records?
Boat Passport works in your phone's browser, so there's nothing to download. Sign up, add your boat, and log jobs from the boat or the yard. Owners can add their own records at any time.
Can marine engineers log work on my boat?
Yes. When a Verified professional finishes a job booked through Marine Match, they stamp it straight onto your Boat Passport. Verified professionals can also stamp or check work on your boat when you give them access.
How do I transfer maintenance records to a new owner?
When you sell, you hand the Boat Passport over to the buyer. The service history goes with the boat, and your personal details and berth location are removed first. Until then, you choose who can see it, and you can share it with a buyer, surveyor or insurer with a link.
Does a service history help when selling a boat?
A documented history answers the questions buyers and surveyors ask first: what's been done, when, and by whom. Records stamped by the professional who did the work are harder to argue with than a pile of receipts.
See an example
Frequently asked questions
- Is there a digital service book for boats like there is for cars?
- Yes. Boat Passport from Marine Match is a free digital service history for your boat. Each job can be stamped by the Verified professional who did the work, and the record moves to the new owner when you sell.
- Is there an app to keep my boat's maintenance records?
- Boat Passport works in your phone's browser, so there's nothing to download. Sign up, add your boat, and log jobs from the boat or the yard.
- Can a marine engineer log work on my boat's records?
- Yes. When a Verified professional finishes a job booked through Marine Match, they stamp it straight onto your Boat Passport. Verified professionals can also stamp or check work on your boat when you give them access.
- How do I transfer my boat's maintenance records to a new owner?
- When you sell, you hand the Boat Passport over to the buyer. The service history goes with the boat, and your personal details and berth location are removed first.
- Is Boat Passport free?
- Yes, Boat Passport is free for boat owners. Marine professionals pay a commission only on jobs booked through Marine Match.