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- Jul 23, 2011
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You came here looking for boat manuals
there have been over 150,000 boat manufacturers in the past 120 years. of those boat manufactures, there are less than 1 dozen that have manuals.
Manuals for boats prior to 2000 should be considered nonexistent. for example, if you are looking for a manual for a 1971 project boat thinking there was a perfectly detailed parts list, dimensional drawing and schematic...... it never existed. Most boat manufacturers manually make a plug, pull a mold, pull a hull, then a group of riggers jump in and run systems. They are skilled tradesmen that grew up in the boating industry and died by the time they were 50 because they didnt wear PPE. there were never drawings, schematics, or even documented parts lists. wiring harnesses were made to a notebook sketch. Upholstery was usually made in-house.
traditionally the paperwork with a boat consists of the following:
However here are a few exceptions. this is the less than 1/10th of 1%
Boat companies with manuals:
Brunswick Brands https://www.brunswick.com/our-brands
SeaRay.... go here, https://www.searay.com/us/en/owners.html scroll down
Bayliner.... go here, https://www.bayliner.com/us/en/owners-corner.html, scroll
Boston Whaler.... go here, https://www.bostonwhaler.com/resources-and-maintenance.html, reach out and contact them.
Maxum..... well, its no longer a viable company, so reach out to the owners and see if someone managed to download a manual. https://www.maxumownersclub.com/forums/
Chap and Robalo (same company, same address, different buildings, same service department
www.chaparralboats.com
robalo.com
Four Winns. https://www.fourwinns.com/us/owners-manuals
Malibu https://www.malibuboats.com/owner-manuals
Mastercraft https://www.mastercraft.com/ownersresources
Yamaha https://www.yamahaboats.com/boating-resources/#manuals_guides
SeaDoo https://sea-doo.brp.com/us/en/owner-zone.html go to technical
Smoker Craft. https://smokercraft.com/owners-faqs
for all others, check your manufacturers web site. most likely they didnt have a manual, however they have a dealer search.
If your boat is older than the internet (that is 1992 for those that do not remember). you are looking for paper that may not exist.
Most importanly....
You do have your Service manuals for the engine and drive handy, don't you?
Factory Service manuals for many engines are located here in the following links:
Mercruiser and Mercury manuals: https://publications.brunswick.com/
Volvo Penta Manuals: https://www.volvopenta.com/en-us/your-engine/manuals-and-handbooks/
OMC, Johnson, Evinrude Manuals: https://outboardbooks.com/
Ilmor engine manuals. https://www.ilmor.com/resources/warranties-manuals
Indmar manuals. https://info.indmar.com.au/servicemanuals.php
PCM Manuals https://pcmengines.com/owners/
For everything else, look in the stickies of the appropriate forum.
#boat manual, #boatmanual, #manual, #schematic, #electrical schematic
there have been over 150,000 boat manufacturers in the past 120 years. of those boat manufactures, there are less than 1 dozen that have manuals.
Manuals for boats prior to 2000 should be considered nonexistent. for example, if you are looking for a manual for a 1971 project boat thinking there was a perfectly detailed parts list, dimensional drawing and schematic...... it never existed. Most boat manufacturers manually make a plug, pull a mold, pull a hull, then a group of riggers jump in and run systems. They are skilled tradesmen that grew up in the boating industry and died by the time they were 50 because they didnt wear PPE. there were never drawings, schematics, or even documented parts lists. wiring harnesses were made to a notebook sketch. Upholstery was usually made in-house.
traditionally the paperwork with a boat consists of the following:
- Mandatory safety brochure. this is a 4-page brochure with a picture of your boat, instructions to wear a PFD, an arrow pointing to the pointy end of the boat with a label "Bow" and the flat end with the propeller with a label "Stern" and a list of servicing dealers
- Engine operators manual. this is a 4-20 page document with starting instructions and a list of servicing dealers
- the trailer parts manual
- the radio instructions and pamphlet
- if you are lucky, the tag off your canvas from Great Lakes Boat top or DowCo with the part number and serial number of your canvas.
However here are a few exceptions. this is the less than 1/10th of 1%
Boat companies with manuals:
Brunswick Brands https://www.brunswick.com/our-brands
SeaRay.... go here, https://www.searay.com/us/en/owners.html scroll down
Bayliner.... go here, https://www.bayliner.com/us/en/owners-corner.html, scroll
Boston Whaler.... go here, https://www.bostonwhaler.com/resources-and-maintenance.html, reach out and contact them.
Maxum..... well, its no longer a viable company, so reach out to the owners and see if someone managed to download a manual. https://www.maxumownersclub.com/forums/
Chap and Robalo (same company, same address, different buildings, same service department
Chaparral Boats
Chaparral Boats is the leading manufacturer of quality fiberglass boats including SSi, SSX, OSX Outboards and SURF series models.
www.chaparralboats.com
Robalo || Owners Manuals
robalo.com
Four Winns. https://www.fourwinns.com/us/owners-manuals
Malibu https://www.malibuboats.com/owner-manuals
Mastercraft https://www.mastercraft.com/ownersresources
Yamaha https://www.yamahaboats.com/boating-resources/#manuals_guides
SeaDoo https://sea-doo.brp.com/us/en/owner-zone.html go to technical
Smoker Craft. https://smokercraft.com/owners-faqs
for all others, check your manufacturers web site. most likely they didnt have a manual, however they have a dealer search.
If your boat is older than the internet (that is 1992 for those that do not remember). you are looking for paper that may not exist.
Most importanly....
You do have your Service manuals for the engine and drive handy, don't you?
Factory Service manuals for many engines are located here in the following links:
Mercruiser and Mercury manuals: https://publications.brunswick.com/
Volvo Penta Manuals: https://www.volvopenta.com/en-us/your-engine/manuals-and-handbooks/
OMC, Johnson, Evinrude Manuals: https://outboardbooks.com/
Ilmor engine manuals. https://www.ilmor.com/resources/warranties-manuals
Indmar manuals. https://info.indmar.com.au/servicemanuals.php
PCM Manuals https://pcmengines.com/owners/
For everything else, look in the stickies of the appropriate forum.
#boat manual, #boatmanual, #manual, #schematic, #electrical schematic