Aboard
Keep the boat running, far from home.
Everything aboard in one place: equipment, manuals, warranties and service schedules. When something breaks, the right part meets you at your next port.
Breakdowns happen. Lost weeks don't have to.
A cruising boat carries dozens of systems, and something always needs attention. Most failures are wear you could have scheduled. The rest happen far from the chandlery that has your part.
Then the hunt begins: which part fits, who has it, how to get it to a boat that keeps moving, and what customs will make of it. A missing impeller can cost a weather window, or a week in a port you never meant to see.
boats in the 2016 transatlantic ARC rallies broke something on the way across.
boats in the 2022–23 ARC rallies reported autopilot problems: 75 of 230.
of on-water assistance calls in the US are for mechanical breakdowns: 111,928 requests in a year.
One new boat. One season. Every morning, logged.
For 90 days in 2026 we checked our test catamaran's engines, batteries, bilges, fuel, oil, coolant, gearboxes and water every morning, and wrote down every service, top-up and fuel stop. That logbook is where Aboard began.
of morning checks on both hulls: battery, engine hours, bilges, fuel, oil, coolant, gearboxes and water.
on each engine by the end of the season, from about nine hours when she left La Rochelle.
on both engines: the 50-hour oil change in Santander, then a full service at 275 hours.
of diesel across six fuel stops, with each engine's consumption worked out by hand.
What the log kept track of
Keeping a boat in good shape is a daily habit and a long list. That's the work Aboard takes on.
| Engines | The running-in routine for two new engines, daily oil, coolant and gearbox checks, the 50-hour oil and filter service, a full service at 275 hours |
|---|---|
| Fuel | Six fuel stops from Laredo to Port Leucate, with litres per tank and each engine's burn worked out at every fill |
| Water and power | Watermaker runs and output, tank levels, and the battery and charging checked every morning |
| Safety | Radar reflector fitted under way; emergency beacons tested |
| Season's end | Back to the builder: hauled out at Port Leucate with Catana's after-sales team, the natural place for a new Bali's first big service. Engines serviced, watermaker preserved, boat winterised |
From "it's broken" to "it's fixed".
Your whole boat, in one place.
Equipment, serial numbers, manuals and warranties, set up in an evening. Service reminders by engine hours and by calendar, so nothing slips between ports.
The right part, first time.
Tell Aboard what's wrong and get the part that fits your boat, with genuine and equivalent options side by side and what each means for your warranty.
The part meets you at your next port.
Delivered where you'll be: a parcel locker, marina office or agent at a port ahead. Paperwork for parts crossing borders is handled, and you can follow it all the way.
Stuck is the expensive part.
We studied some eighty first-hand stories of breakdowns, slow dealers and lost records, from Galicia to the Algarve. Three lessons shaped Aboard.
When, not just how much
A part that's cheap but two weeks away costs more than it saves. Aboard shows when each option can be in your hands, right next to the price, including suppliers in other countries.
What's aboard, and where
Spares, consumables and the exact part numbers for your equipment, with where each one is stowed. No more buying a second impeller because the first one hid under a bunk.
Your records stay yours
Sailors have lost years of logs to apps that changed their terms or disappeared. Your boat's record works offline and exports in full, in plain formats, whenever you like.
Every system, every service, every spare.
| Keeps track of | Equipment, serial numbers, manuals, warranties and the full service history |
|---|---|
| Reminders | By engine hours and by calendar, plus warranty deadlines you'd otherwise miss |
| When it breaks | The right part, sourcing options side by side, delivery to a port ahead, paperwork across borders |
| Before a passage | A spares list for the trip ahead, so you leave with what you're most likely to need |
| Spares | What's aboard, the exact part numbers, and where each spare is stowed |
| Service history | A complete record, ready when you sell or insure the boat, and yours to export at any time |
| Where | Mainland Spain and Portugal for the 2027 pilot season; islands and beyond to follow |
Nothing is bought without your OK.
Aboard lays out the options, the costs and what each means for your warranty. The skipper decides. It never orders a part, books a service or changes your plans on its own.
How we think about safetyFrom logbook to parts rescue.
Design
90 days logging a new boat's every system: some 270 engine hours, two services and a full season's record.
Pilot season
Parts rescue for founding crews on the Atlantic coast of Spain and Portugal.
Launch
More coasts, the islands, and partners in every port.
Fleet edition
For charter companies and yacht managers.
Good questions, straight answers.
What is Sailwatch Aboard?
How long does setup take?
Where can you deliver parts?
Do you sell the parts?
What about my warranty?
Can I get my records out?
What will it cost?
Be one of the first boats to sail with Sailwatch.
We're inviting a small number of cruising boats to sail with our apps in summer 2027 and shape what we build.
Apply for early access