Do You Sailors All Keep Logbooks ?

[SimonV]

Originally Posted by Albro359

A hand held GPS, and maybe a spare, and batteries, and a paper logbook, and extra pens and pencils, and paper charts, glue, and rulers, erasers, spare notepads, nuts and bolts, fuses, bits of wire, tape, sailcloth, hanks, shackles, blocks, rope.............. and KNOW WHERE THEY ALL ARE!

I always find everything......but not normaly the exact item I want at that point in time.

[Albro359]

And find things I'd forgotten I had, and things I wondered why I kept

[zeehag]

my ericson is 35 ft and has a nav station with lift top desk.
my formosa does not have this much neeeded item... when i had that i KNEW where alladat stuff was .... always.

now i just kinda generally know. not sure which shelf in which cabinet. i do miss my nav station.

[Capt. lulz]

what type of information should be in the log?
and is it uncommon for someone to log everything? (even personal events)

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Capt. lulz

what type of information should be in the log?
and is it uncommon for someone to log everything? (even personal events)

A Ship’s Log Book is a record of operational data relating to a ship, such as recording information concerning the vessels navigation (periodic Lat/Lon, course, speed, distance, arrival, etc),, weather conditions, times of routine events and significant incidents, crew complement, and service/maintenance of vessels equipment.

Personal events & observations should be noted in a journal (personal diary).

[S/V Antares]

We have been keeping a log on Antares for the last 5 years of cruising. We log in Fuel /eng hr while running or charging on the hook. We log in timing on passages with regard to the tide so we know when we can get into skinny harbors. Daily milage and stops on the ICW. We keep a separate boat card book with cards from other boats and marinas and businesses we used. This all take only a few minutes a day and is very helpful.

These little tidbits of info are very usefull as we repeat our route or plan a crossing. For instance I found that we use about 420 US Gal. of fuel to go to the Bahamas and back and charge our batteries all winter. The folks staying in our house used 832 US Gal of fuel to heat the house!

Now that is a documented reason to go south!

[57guy]

Originally Posted by Albro359

A hand held GPS, and maybe a spare, and batteries, and a paper logbook, and extra pens and pencils, and paper charts, glue, and rulers, erasers, spare notepads, nuts and bolts, fuses, bits of wire, tape, sailcloth, hanks, shackles, blocks, rope.............. and KNOW WHERE THEY ALL ARE!

Hopefully, I can always tell where I'm at. Besides my installed chart plotter, I have an iPad with INavx Marine app installed and a Macbook with Maine nav program installed.

I also have a waterproof "Ditch Bag" with handheld GPS, Spot GPS locator, water, batteries, candy bars, $200, copy of passports, etc, right by the door.

[Astrid]

Originally Posted by GordMay

A Ship’s Log Book is a record of operational data relating to a ship, such as recording information concerning the vessels navigation (periodic Lat/Lon, course, speed, distance, arrival, etc),, weather conditions, times of routine events and significant incidents, crew complement, and service/maintenance of vessels equipment.

Personal events & observations should be noted in a journal (personal diary).

Exactly right. And do keep the personal observations and events in a private journal. If ever called upon to produce your log books for legal reasons, you would not want people having to pour over your own personal thoughts and experiences, rants and raves. As Sgt Friday used to say on Dragnet, 'Give me the facts, just the facts.' (or something to that effect)

[barnakiel]

We do not keep one. But we do have a 'logbook' onboard - taking down miles, sailed, positions, weather details, etc.. I keep my sailing / general / maintenance notes in the same book.

b.

[robert_vie]

SailingLog is the App, we programmed for iPhone/iPad. This makes logging simple!

And for the techies, there are a couple of nice features coming with the next update

[SimonFirth]

I’m mostly a day sailor with occasional longer trips of up to two weeks. We do about 2,000 miles a year and about 80 days.
I keep a bound handwritten log for every outing. Right hand page for crew, date, time, where we went, weather, engine hours (my tachometer only tells me the running total sometimes and I have to be lucky enough to be looking at it when it does). If on passage, I document course, est speed, waypoints as well.
On the left hand side I keep a to do list together with completed tasks together with documentation of anything fitted (part and serial numbers, suppliers contact details etc). Oil changes, changes to electrical switching, routing, and fusing, sail,mreplacement and repair, equipment servicing etc. Also fuel and water status.
All incredibly useful to a 75 year old if I could just remember to look at it!

[LittleWing77]

Wow this is a really old necro-thread from 2011...!

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by SimonFirth

I’m mostly a day sailor with occasional longer trips of up to two weeks. We do about 2,000 miles a year and about 80 days.
I keep a bound handwritten log for every outing. Right hand page for crew, date, time, where we went, weather, engine hours (my tachometer only tells me the running total sometimes and I have to be lucky enough to be looking at it when it does). If on passage, I document course, est speed, waypoints as well.
On the left hand side I keep a to do list together with completed tasks together with documentation of anything fitted (part and serial numbers, suppliers contact details etc). Oil changes, changes to electrical switching, routing, and fusing, sail,mreplacement and repair, equipment servicing etc. Also fuel and water status.
All incredibly useful to a 75 year old if I could just remember to look at it!

Welcome aboard CF, Simon. Are you related to Jeremy of the same surname? He had been very kind to us when we first visited Hobart many years ago, now.

Ann

[shadow]

I do exactly the same thing as mentioned above.. I thought that was just part of maritime law when underway. I do it as a force of habit and to be organized.

[overboard]

We keep a detailed log. We are sailing the world, in other peoples countries and sometimes our logs have been called on to explain a circumstance. Details include anything and everything about each day during trips, including the usual boat details, weather, engine or any mechanical issues, rigging or sail issues, boats we talked to, sicknesses, injuries, or even whale sighting or fish catches. Twice we have been required to show the log and had we not recorded details, we may have been in serious trouble. With the pandemic, suspicions are high and so are our details.