Log keeping

[Mike OReilly]

My log keeping practice is looser than my sailing partner, so you can usually tell who’s on duty and who’s not .

When we’re coastal hopping we usually start the day log, noting when we departed, when the engine got turned on, or whether we sailed off. Lat/Long, perhaps basic weather note and any other special data.

Underway, when things are going easy, I hardly log at all. Might make an entry when passing by the chart table, but not consistent. However, when things get hairier (fog, stormy, etc.) I start to log more constantly. I do rely on electronics for navigation, but I want a good log so I can easily shift to DR if need be.

While on watch, particularly doing overnight runs, I tend to log more often, but it depends on conditions.