The owner’s manual is designed to offer a clear explanation as to the safe and proper use of the yacht. This information can help prevent failures brought about by incorrect use and reduce miscommunications and disputes between the boat builder and owner during the warranty period.

The specially-developed Owner’s Manual ISO 10240 Standard provides instructions on writing an owner’s manual. It details the information that must to appear in the document, including safety information and warnings relating to the safe and proper use of the yacht.

Writing an owner’s manual for a yacht starts with a clear overview of the contents. Once a structure has been created, we can begin to fill in the chapters with applicable information.

When writing the manual, we need to thoroughly consider the needs of the boat user and include all information that is important for the proper operation of the boat. We also need to include warnings about incorrect usage and how this can result in dangerous situations.

While the dos and don’ts of yacht usage may seem obvious to the boat builder, where there is the potential for dangerous situations to occur we strongly recommend detailing this in the manual, for example, the correct handling of shore power cables in order to avoid the risk of electrocution.

In the following pages we provide further tips and recommendations for completing an owner’s manual. To help save time, we have created an Owner’s Manual template, which aims to speed up the process of compiling the correct information.