Do You carry manuals on board

[CampCook]

I admit to being a bit anal about manuals. I carry hard copies of everything on board (i.e.: VHS, chart plotter, pilot, boat, motor, etc., etc.) Now, since I have everything in PDF form on my iPod, I am thinking about moving all the hard stuff to a file at home, relying instead on the iPad copies. What do you do? Is this a reasonable idea?
Dave of the Gypsea Dream 26M

[coolchange]

I used to care about this stuff but over the years have never referred to any of it while onboard...so my question is (drumroll and Clint Eastwood voice) do you feel lucky (deleted since I dont want to offend) Well do ya?

[Crikey]

Computer based pdf's are the best way to go. Nothing gets wet, torn or lost and it's a one stop shop for info.

[Jamie79]

Seems like a good idea to me, however I would like a hard copy if I wasn't very familiar with the equipment. If your on board equipment could stump you I would be worried about an iPad failure. Maybe keep the manuals stored in an out of the way space, maybe vacuum packaged just in case.

[Matt19020]

I carry all manuals onboard....I keep them in a dry bag...This way I know where to find it

[Bobby T.-26X #4767]

X 2
i also carry everything Mac related on-board. that way i know where it is and i can "over-ride" my senior moments.

Bob T.
"DāBob"
'02X w/ '04 90-TLDI (14" x 11 pitch)
Dinghy Motor: '06 2.5-Suzuki

[pokerrick1]

I just memorized every manual on earth

Rick

[Ixneigh]

I have an iPad and I like it. I surf this forum with it even. But I wouldn't rely on it for safety. A wet manual will still work.
...

I carry the literature of the items I have on the boat, and the boat herself even. Just incase I need to remind myself of adjustment procedures and things like that. Actually repairing of anything is unlikely. I do not have a shop manual for the motor. I don't carry more then basic tools and doudt my small engine experience will help me much with it. All the things that plagued small engines are gone off the exec (float valves, fuel jets, oil changes, recoil) if it bits the dust I will have to take it to a shop.
I keep all said papers in a fabric pocket that hangs on the daggerboard trunk.

As an aside, as long as the iPad WASN'T wet, and I had in issue, I would hit these forums first if I could get a service signal. The combined knowledge beats a manual anytime.

Ixneigh

[Catigale]

My mercury BF had it's first issue in 9 years of use this summer, I carried the manual for 8 of those years of course. It's a scientific fact that motors can smell manuals and smell the fear of their owners who don't have one.

I will back up the wiring diagrams and the like on my iPad. I don't think you can get the motor manuals electronically but that might change

[NiceAft]

Matt said:

I carry all manuals onboard....I keep them in a dry bag...This way I know where to find it

Me too.

Ray

[Catigale]

Why does Ray know where to find Matt's dry bag??

[dlandersson]

I keep my manuals on board too...not that I have ever been so desperate as to actually break down and read them.

I carry all manuals onboard....I keep them in a dry bag...This way I know where to find it

[NiceAft]

Why does Ray know where to find Matt's dry bag??

I WILL NEVER TELL

Ray

[mastreb]

I carry all the manuals onboard in a ziplock freezerback, but they're packed away under the head in otherwise useless space because I do the iPad/iPhone thing with PDFs (I've got them on both, in case one gets wet ). I'm not sure why I'd remove them from the boat just to get lost in a filing cabinet somewhere as they don't weigh much. Ditto being able to search this site is more important than being able to reference the manuals. Be nice to get a PDF of it.

[Divecoz]

Me Three and at least one copy of each at the house.....

Matt said:

I carry all manuals onboard....I keep them in a dry bag...This way I know where to find it

Me too.

Ray