Ship's log

Chief RA · Aug 22, 2014

I keep a "ships log" for my boats. I first started logging when I launched my 1974 26' Clipper Marine back in 1987. When I got my 1998 Catalina 250, (Compass Rose) last year I continued the same log book. Great reference and history. My grandson now 25 likes to read it as he has spent many hours on our boats as his grandparents raised him with many summers on the sea.
Good tradition! Chief

Stu Jackson · Aug 22, 2014

I keep a log, up to 7 books now since 1983. We jot down navigation issues, reminders for navigation from trips, and generally make note of the events of the day. Makes for great reading by the winter fireplace. Often we ask guests to add their observations.

I also keep a separate engine and maintenance log, and computerized (XLS) fuel log.

I also keep a separate inventory spreadsheet with parts #s and sources.

http://forums.catalina.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?p=982102&highlight=log

navigator97 · Aug 22, 2014

I too keep a Log Book on board and have for the last 16 seasons. I log in when we came aboard, when engine is started & stopped. Departure times and arrival times at whatever the destination is.The battery voltages when came aboard, which Batt. (1 or 2) used to start engine, Engine hour Meter reading at start of day and at time of "Engine Off". The amount of fuel and water on board at start of day and consumption estimate at end of day. Log amount of fuel taken on and engine hours at last fill & current fill. This allows calc of Gal. per Hour of consumption (GPH) then at at end of season. I log in NM traveled and Avg SOG. Also log in who is aboard that day. It has been a very useful record to refer to.

capta · Aug 22, 2014

A properly and faithfully kept "ship's log book" is an official document that carries more weight in a maritime inquiry than all the testimony of those involved.
It must be kept in a bound book, with no pages EVER removed. Errors can be crossed out and initialed by the person who did it, but everything written in the log must remain. If you wish to keep a journal or blog, you may do so on a computer or loose leaf binder, but it will have no value or legal standing.
I think it valuable to keep a legal record aboard, as well as any information to which one can refer at a later time should one be planning another voyage along the same track. We often refer to previous year's records to see how long it took to make a trip between islands and what conditions we encountered. We note the pertinent navigational information, of course, but also information about such things as wifi and shopping in each anchorage. Personal observations also are entered into the log (just because it's an official document doesn't mean it has to be all business), and even fish caught or lost. When I'm working professionally, I carry my own personal log, as well as the vessel's log and though the personal log may have different personal observations in it, both have exactly the same navigational information.
Sometimes it's a one line entry, others can take half a page, but if the vessel I'm on is underway, there is a record of the voyage, and anything else I might think pertinent at the time.

Ron20324 · Aug 22, 2014

I keep one "log book" of my daysail and longer cruises. Where to, who aboard, the name of the boat that clipped my dinghy, and the time we stopped to assist a couple of boats. That is the book I'd keep for life.

I have a different book to track part numbers, maintenance, when pumped out, topped off the fuel, and other such stuff. That is the book I'd pass on to a new owner.

Ward H · Aug 22, 2014

I use a note taking program on my iPad to record all of my day sails, including sailing data and track received from Navionics app.
I track times, speed, distance, total distance for the year, motor hours, fuel level, crew, conditions and general notes about that day's sail. I also track "Learnings" where I record new things I learned, tweaks that worked or didn't and performance of equipment.

Doc_holiday · Aug 22, 2014

I want to, I just don't have the discipline or organizational habits. Often times at the end of a day, I have clean up and putting stuff away to do which usually results in me rushing to get on the road back home. I guess I could come up with a million excuses, just none of them are good.

I guess if I ever want to get a captains license, I will regret not logging stuff. Won't be the first time I have regretted not taking notes. I know it would improve my professional life too.

Delezynski · Aug 22, 2014

On Guenevere, we keep 3 logs.

1. is what I call a "deck log". It's a simple 3 by 5 inch spiral bound pad that fits in my top shirt pocket. I am using waterproof ones just now as I got a batch of them on closeout for very little money. I check my watch and position to jot down times and notes along the way. Also any other items that come to mind, like anchor depth and rode put out, lat/lon and nautical miles run that day, or I hear over the radio that are of interest.

2. Later in the day, I transfer the info and any other items that we both think are of interest into our bound official boat log. I now have many logs sitting in our library sorted by date.

3. Is our maintenance log. We started this when we got the boat. It is broken down into areas of interest like, hull or deck or cabin. At the back of that log I added a section with nothing but measurements. I CAN NOT TELL YOU how often this has helped!!

Having had our boat for some time, I can tell you a computer log is only good if you plan to keep the boat for a year!!!! I have many computing platforms aboard and do NOT use them for a log!!!

The above logs are in addition to our "Going Foreign" book. This is a very valuable item if you leave your local area, or as the title says, go foreign!!

http://youtu.be/PB0M0G2Vurc?list=PLnA9GMvTHKtazKIsda-LRQD7kOmtasBEl

Greg

Allan12210 · Aug 22, 2014

We are up to 5 separate log books since we bought our boat in 1985 (we write smaller than Stu

). I typically enter the data while underway including course and time to the various intermediate points as well as observations. I always write corrected depth information for the various channels we transit. At the end of each leg of a day I record from the GPS trip length, average speed and time to transit. Its fun to compare times from previous trips and see if we have done better or worse. Really good for referring to again in the future, or to help provide navigation information when planning a Yacht Club cruise out. My wife handles the entries for maintenance, pump outs and fuel added. If anchored, we record bearings to objects on shore to make sure we aren't dragging. The next time we go, we already know where the good reference points are.

One time we were on a cruise out and we talking to another couple. We both thought each looked really familiar. Out came both logbooks and sure enough, 2 1/2 years earlier we were on a cruise out together!

I also have marked up my charts with course lines including distances and bearings. If we do a really long ocean trip I mark positions every hour (usually just taken from the GPS as I've gotten somewhat lazy with the hand bearing compass).

I have been using Garmin GPSes (what's the plural of GPS?) for years now. I always download my tracks and save them to the netbook so I can re-upload them via USB and have a breadcrumb trail if we return to the same place. If I miss an entry on my logbook I look at the GPS track on Mapsource and pull the time from that log to enter in the book.

We just recently scanned our logbooks and they are archived on Google Drive with local copies on my desktop at home and the netbook I use on the boat. That was part of a larger project where we either scanned or found the .pdf files for all the manuals (service and operation), data sheets and instructions for everything on the boat. Anything new that is added will automatically sync to the local copies on the two computers the next time they see the internet, so I don't necessarily have to be on the internet to look something up. I can get to Google Drive with my phone as well. Its nice to have access to that boat data now anywhere even if the paper copy is either at home or on the boat.

Its probably a bit OCD but I sure hate trying to remember something when I can just look it up. Besides, I think my buffer is starting to wrap and the earlier things I used to know are being overwritten with new stuff. I still have a megabyte memory and we're now at the terabyte level.

Stu Jackson · Aug 22, 2014

I thought I'd remembered posting this on this same subject:

http://forums.catalina.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?p=1053345&highlight=Coast Guard

Thanks to Phil for a great search engine on this website.

Allan's handwriting IS much much better than mine!

Charlie Jones s/v Tehani · Aug 22, 2014

Always- and fill it out with days run, miles, engine hours, etc as I'm waiting to be sure the anchor is set. Also lat long of the place I'm anchored ( or moored)

Updated during the day with important points, such as lock passages, etc.. Off shore, logged periodically wiith lat, long and time

I have logs from most of my past boats also, kept at home. And it's really nice to be able to refer back to see things like "when was I here before"

They are all bound books, for the reasons Capta mentioned

Jimm · Aug 23, 2014

LOGS and SPOT

PotomacDaysailer said:
Just curious, how many of you keep a log book? A couple of weeks after I bought my boat I started keeping a log on my PC at home, then decided it needed to be on board so I could jot down observations while still fresh in my mind, so I printed what I had, punched holes and stuck it in a notebook with lots of blank quadrille ruled filler. So far I've been reasonably diligent in keeping my log. If I keep it up over the years I'm thinking it might be a valuable reference. And it would be cool to be able to figure out how many trips and hours I've logged instead of guessing and wondering.

I keep a written log of relevant matters - weather, repairs/maintenance, particular events, encounters with other boats/people etc, BUT also, my SPOT tracker is on every time the boat is moving. Each week I download the data to an Excel file - lat/long, date & time every 10-20 mins. I can map the tracks, or tell you exactly where I was, at what time for any date. It also helps to be able to check time to destinations for subsequent trips. Because it is on whenever I'm moving, friends and family who have access to the link can follow my travels, and get a 'check in' email when I stop. Also accessible through my blog www.chesapeaketidings.com for those interested..... can also hide by leaving it off

rgranger · Aug 23, 2014

I keep trying to get in the habit. Most recently I started a log on my boat and jotted down all of the phone numbers and lat/long of useful marina's on my route. But I didn't jot down the sort of stuff you are supposed to jot down like departure times, headings etc. I do keep a diary of cruises I've taken but it is more like a journal than a log. That is on my computer.

Recently I started a log for my house. I've been able to keep up with that and I'm hoping the habit will rub off on my boat use as well.

Allan12210 · Aug 23, 2014

rgranger said:
I keep trying to get in the habit. Most recently I started a log on my boat and jotted down all of the phone numbers and lat/long of useful marina's on my route. But I didn't jot down the sort of stuff you are supposed to jot down like departure times, headings etc. I do keep a diary of cruises I've taken but it is more like a journal than a log. That is on my computer.

Recently I started a log for my house. I've been able to keep up with that and I'm hoping the habit will rub off on my boat use as well.

Just like those P-Chem lab notebooks....calculations on the left, data and results on the right.

Do they still do it that way?

rgranger · Aug 24, 2014

Allan12210 said:
Just like those P-Chem lab notebooks....calculations on the left, data and results on the right. Do they still do it that way?

Somethings never change. About 10 years ago, there was a big push to make electronic notebooks... but it never got traction.

WayneH · Aug 25, 2014

I started keeping a log with my second boat. It's a personal log so it traveled with me. I try to jot notes down during our trips like engine start and stop times and locations visited.

The engine start and stop times is entered into a spreadsheet which converts that to total engine hours, primary and secondary fuel filter times, oil filter time and gallons used. The last time I checked the fuel usage calculation was emptying the tank with a fuel polisher. The spreadsheet showed 8.5 gallons left in the tank and the polisher lost suction at 9 gallons.

Why do I do this? Because the hour meter is broke on my boat and was when I bought it. So I had to start somewhere with keeping records. I just hope I remember to pass along the spreadsheet when I get too busted up to sail anymore.

topcat0399 · Aug 25, 2014

We keep a log - but its a haphazard affair. Its more like a boat diary with me recording nautical and maintenance and mod type things and the Admiral recording more personal type stuff.

It takes discipline and dedication to keep a REAL log and as such can be viewed as a chore sometimes.

hewebb · Aug 26, 2014

The Admiral started a ships log when we got the Catalina. I keep records of maintenance, upgrades and occasionally I have guest sign it, if it is their first time on the boat and if I remember. That reminds me, I just finished a modification last week that is not in the book.

Doc_holiday · Aug 27, 2014

As topcat said it takes discipline. If I was captain and had a crew that would handle folding up the sails, securing the lines, covering the main, dragging out the hose and bucket to was her down while I sat up in a captains chair it would be a lot different. I say that, but I still probably wouldn't but only because I am not organized in this way. I envy those people who do it and realize it's just a matter of discipline and habit. I'd love to wash and blow dry my mower after every use but I usually just push it into the shed. I wish I could, I wish I would, I just don't have it. I say kudos to those who have formed the good habits