Checklist Templates

The Basics

YACHTWAVE separates your checklists into two halves:

• Templates (this screen) — your master, editable lists. You build them once. Examples: Pre-Departure, Engine Start, Overnight Anchorage, Haul-Out Prep.
• Live Checklists — a fresh copy of a template that the crew is actively working through. You can’t edit the steps of a live checklist; you only check things off as you go.

This split is intentional. Once you’re in the middle of a Pre-Departure check at 5 AM with the diesel running, you don’t want anyone (including yourself) accidentally deleting “test bilge pump” from the list. Templates are where you change the rules; Live Checklists are where you follow them.

Two Checklist Styles

On boats with the Ultimate or Operations plan, you choose one of two styles when you create a template. Other boats use the Simple (Basic) style. You can’t change the style later, so think about how it’ll be used.

• Simple (Basic) — Three states per step: Complete, Not Complete, Excluded. Excluded means “considered, doesn’t apply right now” (e.g. skipping the heater pre-check in July). Best for fast, in-the-field use — swipe to complete each step. Simple steps have no notes.
• Advanced — Multi-state steps: OK, Monitor, Needs Attention, and other configurable states. Each step supports notes for crew observations. More deliberate to use — swipe a step, tap Edit, set the status, save. Better for inspections and condition reports where the state of a step matters as much as whether it was done.

Key Things on This Screen

• Template tile — One per template. Shows the name, Status: Draft or Published, and the length in steps. Tap it to open the template’s steps.
• Swipe a tile left — Edit (opens the steps) or Delete.
• + button (lower right) — Add a new template.
• Draft / Published switch (in the template details) — A template must be Published before it can be used to start a Live Checklist. Lets you draft a template without crew seeing half-finished work.
• Sample templates — When you add a template, the Template list offers ready-made samples of common boat checklists. Eligible plans get an expanded set of advanced samples.
• Global templates — templates shared by an organization (such as a management company or a manufacturer) with the boats it manages. They show with (Global) after the name when you start a Live Checklist.

How to Build a Template

1. Open the Templates tab and tap +.
2. Leave the switch on Draft while you build it.
3. If your boat offers a choice, pick the Status Type: Basic for fast field use, Advanced for multi-state inspections.
4. In Template, pick a sample or start your own. For your own, enter a Name (e.g. “Pre-Departure”) and any Details.
5. Tap ADD. If you picked a sample, accept the Terms of Use to continue.
6. Tap the new template in the list, then tap + to add each step with a short, action-oriented Name (e.g. “Check engine oil”). Add Details if the step needs instructions, and assign it to a User or a Role if you like. Press and drag steps to reorder them.
7. When the template is complete, tap the template’s name at the top, tap the pencil, switch to Published and save.

How to Use a Template to Start a Job

1. Open the Live tab and tap +.
2. Pick a published template from the list.
3. A fresh Live Checklist is created on the Live tab. See Live Checklists for the full flow.

Tips

• Build templates on the web version. Typing 30 checklist steps on a phone is brutal. The web has copy-paste from other docs, full keyboard, and a larger view.
• Start from a sample if there’s one close to what you need. Adding a sample and adjusting its steps is faster than starting from scratch.
• Keep step titles short and verb-first. “Check oil” is better than “Verify that the engine oil level is within the dipstick markings.” Use the longer step detail field for instructions.
• Use Simple for routine ops, Advanced for inspections. A pre-departure check works great as Simple. An annual hull inspection wants Advanced — you need to capture conditions, not just “done.”
• Draft, then publish. Build the template fully, then publish. Crew won’t see unpublished templates in the “start a checklist” picker.

Troubleshooting

• “My template doesn’t show up when I try to start a checklist.” — It probably isn’t Published. Open the template’s details and switch it to Published.
• “I want to change a step in a checklist I’m already working through.” — You can’t change the step — only the status (Complete/Excluded/etc.). The step’s text is locked when the Live Checklist was created. To change the rule, update the Template; new Live Checklists from that template will pick up the change.
• “I edited the template and my Live Checklist didn’t update.” — That’s by design. Live Checklists are snapshots of the template at the moment they were started. The next Live Checklist created from the updated template will include your changes.
• “How do I change Simple to Advanced (or vice versa)?” — The style is fixed when the template is created. To switch, create a new template with the other style and copy the steps over.
• “I don’t see a choice between Basic and Advanced.” — The Advanced style is part of the Ultimate and Operations plans. Other boats create Simple templates.

Frequently Asked

See Also

• Live Checklists — where you actually run through a checklist in the field.
• Tasks — link a checklist to a task to enforce step-by-step completion.