Your first 30 days as an owner

Week 1: papers and access

• Insurance policy in your name, with the right cruising area. See Marine insurance: cruising limits, agreed value, winter storage.
• Registration in progress or complete. Keep copies on board. See How to register a yacht in Spain: Lista 6 vs Lista 7 (commercial vs private).
• Berth contract, key cards for the pontoon, the marina's rules and emergency contacts.
• Beacon, MMSI and radio licence updated to your name.
• Two sets of keys, and one set stored at home.

Weeks 2 and 3: safety and a baseline

1. Inventory. Photograph every locker. Write down what is aboard and what is missing.
2. Safety gear. Check lifejackets, flares and their dates, the fire extinguishers, the life raft service date, the first aid kit. See Essential safety equipment by flag and category.
3. Service baseline. Change the engine oil and filters, and the fuel filters, even if the invoices say it was done. Change the impeller. Check belts, hoses and clamps. Starting from your own date makes the record reliable. See The annual maintenance schedule and antifouling.
4. Electrics. Test the batteries, the bilge pumps, the navigation lights and the horn.
5. Fix the survey list. Order the repairs in order of safety. See How to read a survey report and cost the findings.
6. Clean and label. Mark each seacock open and closed, and note the fuse panel layout.

Week 4: learn the boat

Take the boat out with an experienced skipper, and practise the actions that matter: docking in a crosswind, anchoring, a man-overboard drill, reefing or engine-room checks. Two or three days of training pay back at the first stiff wind. See Hiring a skipper for training and The art of Med mooring.

Set your budget in practice

Track every expense for the first three months. Compare the total with your plan. See The true cost of ownership in Spain and the Med.

Plan the year

Book the haul-out and antifouling slot, the winter plan, and the next service. See The off-season (invernaje): in the water or on the hard.

Related guides

• The annual maintenance schedule and antifouling
• Hiring a skipper for training
• The true cost of ownership in Spain and the Med