Welcome to the Fishing Vessel Maintenance section, here you will find information on the maintenance programme, the membership process, and how to access the maintenance database.
Fishing is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. The worldwide most common cause of accidents on fishing vessels derives from machinery breakdowns resulting from poor maintenance. Our Maintenance Programme enhances safety and efficiency while promoting long term economic benefits.
The Maintenance Programme
It is a globally accessible Maintenance Programme designed to suit the individual needs of owners, skippers, and those responsible for the maintenance and operation of their vessels.
The maintenance programme covers the mechanical, electrical, domestic, deck machinery, fire and safety systems on your vessel, and automatically resets the programme after maintenance.
Maintenance Plans
Primary Plan covers all the mechanics of a boat from the fuel tank to the propeller and takes priority over all other plans. The Primary Drive Plan is the drive system for your vessel – both these plans include the critical spare parts list. The Secondary Plan covers the auxiliary and domestic systems.
Maintenance Tasks
The tasks are adapted to a vessel’s needs and can be either carried out by the local boatyard or the maintenance crew aboard the vessel. Either way, an owner/skipper is encouraged through our programmes to manage a variety of maintenance tasks, thus understanding better the systems on their boat.
Maintenance Schedules
Maintenance Scheduling is a way to help the planning of maintenance. Yearly monthly, weekly, daily, and even hourly checks form part of the maintenance schedule. We have designed into the programme flexible scheduling which can be readily adapted to a vessel’s working programme, and periods alongside.
Fire & Safety Equipment Maintenance
Basic fire and safety maintenance practices are essential for the well-being and safety of your boat and crew.
In many countries the authorities are now looking for paperwork showing test certificates and expiry dates for fire and safety equipment, VHF and AIS certification, plus LPG testing. These are systems covered by imardex-marine’s Maintenance Programme.
Fishing Vessel Maintenance
Deck Equipment
Maintenance Programmes and inspection procedures designed by imardex-marine include deck machinery. Lines and warps, gantries, and lifting blocks (emptying bags and cod ends), fish cutting equipment and conveyors, derricks, cranes, wire and box clips for offloading crates to the dockside. Towing points, winches and capstans, rollers, reels, power blocks and hydraulic systems to power these important items of equipment.
Pre-Sea Inspections
Freeing ports and scuppers form part of the pre-sea deck inspection. Engine room and galley inspections are included with a full list of items to check, during these essential pre-sea inspection requirements.
Watertight Doors & Hatches
Watertight doors, hatches and compartments have their own maintenance requirements, including procedures when entering unventilated spaces.
Refrigeration Hydraulics & Auxiliary Engines
Refrigeration, hydraulics, and auxiliary engines are important machinery items on the Maintenance Plan.
Emergency Drills & Stops
Emergency Drills include fire practice, man overboard, helicopter rescue and abandoning ship. Practising emergency stops are essential in preventing accidents and loss of nets.
The Membership Package
Please click through to ‘Membership Desk’ to check whether your vessel, engine and drive system are included
Membership is required to access imardex-marine’s maintenance database. To become a member simply click ‘Membership Desk’ and select to pay monthly or annually where you will benefit from a discounted fee.
Benefits of Membership
At imardex-marine we expect that the membership and the use of its maintenance programmes will bring the following benefits:
- A safer boating experience for crew and passengers
- Increased operational efficiency and fewer breakdowns when underway
- Reduction in the general running costs
- Longer life expectancy of machinery
- Greater understanding and knowledge of the systems on your boat
Marine Insurance
Marine underwriters require that your insured boat be well maintained and seaworthy. We provide knowledge and understanding of how to manage your maintenance in such a way that it demonstrates that you have taken maintenance seriously.
Services included in the Membership Package
Pre-Departure Checks - A special checklist identifies the necessary safeguards to be undertaken prior to departure. It is supplemented by a list of checks and helpful hints to be followed when underway.
Winterising (If applicable) - A guide and checklist available for winterising your Main Propulsion, Auxiliary and Domestic Systems.
Boatyard Work Guide and Check List - A comprehensive useful guide and checklist, prior to a boat yard starting work on your boat.This information has been put together with the help of the imardex-marine team and members who have many years of experience in dealing with boatyards and marine workshops.
Action after Grounding - A check list to assist the boater through a grounding scenario, and what to look for when inspecting keels, rudders and hull section, after such an event.
Back up and support from the imardex team
The imardex team is available to answer any queries or problems you may have, please send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with your telephone number, and a brief description of your query.
Miscellaneous Information
New Developments
Training Modules – Autumn 2022
A range of on-line training modules designed by imardex-marine for people who are new to boating, or for the more experienced boater that needs to enhance the knowledge of the systems of their boat.
Electric & Hybrid Marine Propulsion Systems – Summer 2023
Imardex-Marine is introducing this important sector of the boating world with a comprehensive maintenance programme and guidelines for this new form of boating.
Emission Control & Waste Management Guidelines – Spring 2023
This new section deals with 21st Century environmental issues.
The Modern Diesel Engine its Fuel and the Environment
Modern Diesel Engines
To reduce the increasing threat to the environment and global warming, the harmful emissions of diesel engines have to be reduced. The search for cleaner emissions has resulted in engine manufacturers redesigning fuel delivery systems to the cylinder. Common rail diesel delivery being one system. Injector pressures in the 70’s was around 300 bar (4,351 psi), today pressures are in excess of 2,500 bar (29,000 psi), this higher injection pressure is a key factor in reducing an engine’s untreated emissions. It also improves atomisation by having a better fuel air mixture ratio, meaning that optimum combustion is achieved giving enhanced power output and efficiency.
Diesel Fuel & Additives
To reduce harmful emissions from diesel engines, the sulphur content of diesel fuel over the last few years has been reduced from 500 parts per million to 15 ppm. This fuel is now known as ULSD (ultra-low sulphur diesel). This dramatic reduction has resulted in problems for manufactures and operators of diesel engines and diesel fuel distributors. There is a full programme of maintenance and preventative measures to combat diesel bug outlined in the members section, entry by subscription. Engine and Generator Lubricating Oils can be sent for testing, we can advise you on this.
Engine Maintenance
We have designed a comprehensive maintenance programme to be followed by owners of marine diesel engines. Requiring only basic skills, this maintenance programme covers all the mechanical work to keep the engine in a seaworthy condition. It does not include tasks where rebuilding is required.
Modern Engines & Drive Systems
Modern engines have a higher power to weight ratio and are usually more reliable and cleaner than older engines. Many now have electronic controls to optimize fuel consumption and efficiency. Our maintenance plans reflect this increase in power, by the addition of rescheduled maintenance tasks.
The imardex-marine team
