trade
Show the boat owner the install without dragging them down to the marina
Marine electrical work happens in tight spaces, behind panels and under floors, on a boat whose owner is often somewhere else. Photos of a bilge or a switchboard rarely explain themselves. The owner sees a wall of wiring and has to take your word for the rest.
A walkthrough keeps your narration, the video and the snapshots on one link the owner can open from anywhere.
Where marine electrical updates go wrong
- Access. The part you need to show is behind a panel. A photo shows the panel, not what you found.
- Sequence. A refit touches batteries, charging, distribution and instruments. Owners lose track of which step they are looking at.
- Owners off site. Many are at work, interstate, or on another boat. They approve by text and remember it differently later.
- Findings mid-job. Corroded terminals, undersized cable or old repairs turn up once the boat is open. That is a variation, and the owner needs to see why.
What a marine walkthrough looks like
- Walk the boat the way you would for the owner: helm, saloon, engine bay, battery space.
- Say what you see and what you would change, out loud, as you go.
- Snapshot the board, battery bank, cable runs and anything that worries you.
- Share one link. The owner watches, reads the transcript and jumps to the snapshots.
Walkflow records the walkthrough and the documents you draft from it. It does not design the installation or certify it. Follow the standards that apply to your work, such as those published by Standards Australia, and check which edition is current.
Pre-quote inspection
Walk the boat before you price. Show the existing battery set-up, the main distribution and any access limits. Say what is in the job and what is not. Walkflow can draft a scope of work and quote items from that walk for you to edit.
Mid-job findings
When you open something up and find a problem, record it on the spot. Show the corroded terminal, say what it means, and say what you recommend. Then write it up with the variation record template so the owner decides before the extra work starts.
Handover
Finish with a walkthrough of what was installed: where the new isolators are, how the panel is labelled, what the owner should check. Snapshots make it easy to find again.
Example jobs
| Job | What to capture | Owner outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Battery bank upgrade | Existing bank, space, proposed location, cable runs | Approves the quote without a site visit |
| Shore power and charger install | Inlet position, run to the board, panel changes | Understands what is changing before work starts |
| Fault finding | Test points, failed parts, root cause | A clear record if the question comes back |
| Instrument refit | Helm layout, cable paths, panel cut-outs | Signs off on positions before anything is cut |
Common questions
Do boat owners need an account to watch?
No. You send a link and they open it. You can see when they have.
Does Walkflow replace my compliance paperwork?
No. It records the walk and drafts documents for you to edit. Certification and compliance documents stay your responsibility.
For the general workflow, see site walkthrough app for electricians and how to write a scope of work. If you work with the builder on a new build, see site walkthrough app for boat builders.