Gracklepad organizes your project around two core ideas: Triage (what needs attention) and the Work Log (what's been done about it). Everything is organized by categories — which might be systems and sub-systems on a boat, rooms in a house, or whatever grouping makes sense for your project.
The examples below use a sailing vessel, but Gracklepad works for any project where you need to track issues and work.
Triage tracks issues that need work. Each triage entry has a headline and a severity.
Your headline should tell someone exactly what's wrong — in a single phrase — without needing a conversation. Someone arriving at the project with no prior context should read the headline and know what they're dealing with.
| Not helpful | Better | Why |
|---|---|---|
| AIS | AIS not transmitting position | Says what's broken and how it's broken — someone can start diagnosing without asking questions. |
| Leak | Freshwater leak under galley sink when pressurized | Tells you which system, where, and when it happens. |
| Engine overheating above 2200 RPM after 20 minutes of running, possibly related to raw water flow | Engine overheats at speed | The extra details belong in the Work Log as you investigate — the headline is the short version. |
These are our suggested definitions. What matters most is consistency within your project — pick a meaning for each level and stick with it. For example, you could use "Critical" to mean "critical for this specific system" or "critical for the whole project." Either works, as long as everyone on the project understands it the same way.
Critical Needs immediate attention.
Urgent Needs attention soon, but not a drop-everything emergency.
Routine Tracked and needs doing, but can wait for a convenient time.
As an example, on a sailing vessel you might use: Critical = fix before leaving the dock. Urgent = fix soon, but we can reposition to a better location first. Routine = everything else that still needs doing.
The Work Log records what's been done. Each entry has a headline describing one specific action, plus optional additional details for the deeper dive.
Keep each headline to one discrete action. If you did three things, make three entries — don't combine them into one long sentence. The headline is the "what" at a glance; additional details are the "how" and "why."
Use additional details for supporting facts, measurements, part numbers, or anything that adds context to the headline. Think of the headline as the subject line and the details as the body of an email. Here's how an entry with details looks:
Work Log entries can be linked to a triage entry, so all the work done to address an issue is visible in one place. When you view a triage entry, its linked Work Log entries appear in the timeline.
There are two ways to create a link:
*
after a triage marker to create a linked Work Log entry
(see the Quick Add section below).There are several ways to add entries, depending on how many you have and how fast you want to go.
The simplest way. Click + Assisted Single-Item Add on the Work Log or Triage page. You'll get a form with fields for the category, date, headline, and details. Fill them in and submit.
Click the + Add tab at the top of any project. This opens a freeform text area where you can type multiple entries in one go. Type a category name on its own line, then list entries below it. The format is:
Category Name
- Headline for first Work Log entry
-- Additional details for that entry
-- More details
- Headline for second Work Log entry
Another Category
- Work done in this category
Category Name
[R] Routine triage headline
* Work linked to the triage entry directly above
** Additional details for that linked work
- |
Work Log entry (the headline) |
-- |
Additional details for the preceding entry |
[C] |
Triage entry — Critical |
[U] |
Triage entry — Urgent |
[R] |
Triage entry — Routine |
* |
Work Log entry linked to the triage entry immediately above it |
** |
Additional details for the preceding linked entry |
@ 2026-04-19 |
Set the date for entries that follow (optional — defaults to the date on the form) |
Electrical
- Replaced alternator voltage regulator
-- Old regulator was outputting 11.8V under load
-- New unit: Balmar MC-614
- Verified 14.2V at battery bank under load
Plumbing
- Tightened hose clamp on galley sink drain
Navigation
[U] AIS not transmitting position
* Checked antenna connections, all tight
* Power-cycled unit, same behavior
** LED blinks but no transmission on AIS receiver
In this example, the two * entries are linked
to the "AIS not transmitting position" triage entry — they'll
appear in its timeline as work done toward resolving the issue.
After you submit, Gracklepad shows a review page where you can verify categories were matched correctly and make any corrections before saving.
When viewing a specific Work Log or triage entry, the + Add or + Update button opens a quick entry form already set to the right category. Use the same headline-and-details format — no category line needed.