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FREE TEMPLATE · CHARTER TURNAROUND CHECKLIST

Charter turnaround checklist between bookings: free Word download

UPDATED 11 NOVEMBER 2026 · 7 SECTIONS · WORD, NO SIGN-UP

A free Word checklist for turning a charter yacht or rental boat round between bookings: the returning guest's notes, the diver's report, cleaning, systems, fuel and water, safety gear, defects to fix before the next departure, and the sign-off.

Download the Word template.DOCX

A bareboat fleet turns a whole pontoon round in one night and a morning. Filovent describes the usual Mediterranean week: guests back by Friday 17:00, a diver on every hull, the crew off early Saturday, then all hands cleaning before the next boarding at 17:00. Crewed yachts take longer: Dockwalk quotes a captain saying a 24 hour turnaround isn't unusual now, but that maintenance decides whether it's possible.

The checklist starts from what the last crew reported and ends with a signature. For rental fleets, Reservety publishes an after-every-return list that's folded in here.

The checklist, section by section

CHECKLIST
Charter turnaround checklist
VESSEL
BASE
DATE
CHECKED BY
  1. 01From the returning charter
  2. 02Engine and running gear
  3. 03Systems
  4. 04Safety equipment
  5. 05Cleaning and inventory
  6. 06Defects before departure
  7. 07Sign-off
01

From the returning charter

Start with what the last crew told you and what the check-out found. Each item becomes a job before the next guests arrive.

  • Faults the skipper reported during the week
  • Remarks on the check-out sheet
  • Diver's report on the hull, keel, rudder and propeller
  • Missing or broken inventory
EXAMPLE WORDING

Skipper reports autopilot dropped out twice under motor. Check-out: one winch handle missing. Diver: rope round the propeller, removed, no damage.

02

Engine and running gear

Reservety's checklist for rental fleets checks the propeller and bilge after every return. Add the engine checks your maker's schedule calls for at these hours.

  • Engine oil and coolant levels
  • Raw water strainer clear
  • Belts and hoses, no cracks or leaks
  • Bilge dry, no oil or fuel
  • Propeller and shaft, from the diver's report
  • Engine hours against the next service due
03

Systems

Test what the next crew will use on day one.

  • Heads, pumping and holding tank emptied
  • Fresh water pump, tanks filled
  • Gas, cylinders full and a spare on board, cooker lit
  • Fridge cooling
  • Batteries charged, shore power connected
  • Navigation lights and horn, as Reservety's list adds
  • Electronics and autopilot switched on and tested
04

Safety equipment

Recount it after every charter: life jackets, flares and fire extinguishers are on Reservety's after-every-rental list.

  • Life jackets and harnesses counted
  • Flares, in date and all present
  • Fire extinguishers charged
  • First aid kit restocked
  • Life raft and EPIRB service dates still ahead of the next booking
05

Cleaning and inventory

Rinse the salt off, clean inside and out, and restore the inventory to the list.

  • Deck and cockpit rinsed with fresh water
  • Interior, galley and heads cleaned
  • Bedding and towels changed
  • Inventory counted against the base list, missing items replaced
  • Fuel tank full, outboard fuel full
06

Defects before departure

Anything that can't wait for the winter goes here, with who fixed it. Anything that can wait goes on the boat's defect list for the next lay day.

DEFECTFIX BEFORE NEXT DEPARTURE?DONE BYTIME
07

Sign-off

The boat is ready when someone signs to say so. That signature is what the next check-in starts from.

READY FOR BOOKINGSIGNEDDATE AND TIME

Keep the defect list

A fault fixed on Saturday morning and forgotten comes back. Note every defect against the boat, even the ones you fixed, and look at the list before the season ends: the same pump failing on three boats is a supplier problem, not bad luck.

Doing it by voice

The base team walks the boat with a phone and says what they find. With Axsail, each item lands on the boat's list with its photo, so the engineer sees "starboard heads pumping slowly" before they're on board.

Frequently asked

How long is a charter turnaround?

For a bareboat fleet in the Mediterranean, usually the night and morning between a Friday evening return and a Saturday afternoon boarding, as Filovent describes. For crewed yachts, Dockwalk quotes a captain saying a 24 hour turnaround isn't unusual, and crew who'd ideally like three days.

What should be checked after every rental?

Reservety's rental fleet checklist puts the hull, propeller, bilge, safety equipment, fuel, a fresh water rinse, the interior, and the navigation lights and horn on its after-every-return list.

Is the Word checklist free?

Yes. Download it, add your own boats' items to each section, and print it or fill it in on a tablet. No sign-up.

Your full survey report, minutes after the walk-round

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