Printable log book for the boat

[Nostrodamus]

Just found this, a printable log book which includes most things. It may be useful to a few people.

https://www.oceancruisingclub.org/images/stories/Flying_Fish/Flying_Fish2006_2/digitallogbook.pdf

 

[prv]

Some serious bureaucracy fetishism there

Obviously it's very important that "occasions of slight intensity are distinguished by adding a small suffix 'o'", so that you can tell the difference between your "oid_o (overcast with intermittent slight drizzle)" and your "cqprh (cloudy with squalls and showers of moderate rain and hail)". Does this guy transmit his weather observations from deck to chart table by morse?

In all seriousness, I know some people do enjoy sailing a well-organised office, and who am I to say they shouldn't? Some people would consider me anal for keeping my charts up to date.

Pete

 

[Sandy]

A reasonable starting point, but needs a lot of work done to make it practicable.

 

[Skylark]

I really enjoy reading your contributions to these fora, Mark, but I'm afraid I'm rating this thread as zero out of ten. (Lighthearted I should add in case of unintended offence).

I have a loathing of the addiction by many in our society to things fuelled by electrickery.

For me, being at sea is a means to escape such a blight. I quite enjoy writing a log, especially a narrative reflecting the mood of the moment. Typing such words into a device just wouldn't work for me, thanks.

 

[prv]

I'm afraid I'm rating this thread as zero out of ten.
[...]
I quite enjoy writing a log

I was rather puzzled by this juxtaposition, since the pages linked in the OP are perfect for people who enjoy doing lots of writing as part of their sailing.

Then I realised you've either misunderstood, or not looked at them.

It's not intended for filling in electronically. It's a load of blank pages designed to be printed out and either kept in a folder or bound into a book, and then filled in by hand.

Pete

 

[Nostrodamus]

I was rather puzzled by this juxtaposition, since the pages linked in the OP are perfect for people who enjoy doing lots of writing as part of their sailing.

Then I realised you've either misunderstood, or not looked at them.

It's not intended for filling in electronically. It's a load of blank pages designed to be printed out and either kept in a folder or bound into a book, and then filled in by hand.

Pete

Agreed Pete. It is a case of you print out what pages you would like and fill them in by hand. Bit of an old concept I know which is why you may of been confused Dave.
I thought I would add it for those who wanted to save a penny or two.

 

[Nostrodamus]

If you want one for the I phone or I pad that you don't have to write then there is always this one.

https://logbook-app.com/logbook-app-iphone-us.html

 

[GHA]

If you want one for the I phone or I pad that you don't have to write then there is always this one.

https://logbook-app.com/logbook-app-iphone-us.html

Or if using opencpn the konni logbook plugin is very good. Must admit, other than well offshore or maybe dodgy viz the paper log entries are limited these days, so much easier to click or automate entries.
Routes, tracks, log etc all get backed up to the web every week or so.

https://opencpn.org/wiki/dokuwiki/d...ar_buttons:plugins:log_data_translate:logbook


So cue the paper/electronics fight

 

[prv]

Must admit, other than well offshore or maybe dodgy viz the paper log entries are limited these days, so much easier to click or automate entries.

So go on then, what are those entries actually for?

Pete

 

[GHA]

So go on then, what are those entries actually for?

Pete

Might be useful some day , might even get looked at What are your log entries for?

The useful bits would more likely be lat/long of anchorages (boat is normally anchored), diesel bought, water filled up, what broke, any official dealings like getting moved on by a pilot boat couple days ago etc etc.

Day to day on a liveaboard boat on the move it's just far easier to have it electronic with a very spartan update in the paper log of where/when the boat was & any relevant receipts stapled in.

One day I'll have a go at writing a web page to make it easier to search through at happy hour in the bar to swap favourite anchorages.

 

[Skylark]

Agreed Pete. It is a case of you print out what pages you would like and fill them in by hand. Bit of an old concept I know which is why you may of been confused Dave.
I thought I would add it for those who wanted to save a penny or two.

Guilty as charged. Doesn't take much to get me confused these days.

 

[prv]

Might be useful some day , might even get looked at What are your log entries for?

As a general rule I don't make any. Same as I don't log how I drive my car or when I turn my cooker at home on or off.

There are a few exceptions, all with specific purposes:

1) We do keep an engine maintenance log, to ensure that everything gets done on time (since we're in commission year-round these days, there is no big winterisation/de-winterisation service) and not done twice. Oil and fuel top-ups also go in this log, to monitor the oil leakage rate (we have a known small leak from a bearing seal that will be pain to change, so for now we're just monitoring it) and, when we first got the boat, to work out actual fuel consumption. At the back is a page with stock levels of fuel filters, oil filters, oil, belts, and impeller kits, so that I don't have to keep digging through the spares locker counting boxes.

2) On a passage of any significance, I plot hourly positions on the chart with headings and log readings next to them. This would let me work out a rough DR position in the unlikely event that the GPS and GLONASS signals all went away simultaneously. I rub these out along with the predicted tracks etc on arrival, before putting the charts away.

For cruising in the English Channel, I don't see any specific need for any more. Of course some people enjoy logging everything like a merchant marine deck officer, and others like a nice diary to look back on, and in both cases that's their prerogative. But they're not activities that I have any interest in.

Pete

 

[Poignard]

Makes me rather ashamed of my yacht's rather rudimentary paperwork.

 

[GHA]

There are a few exceptions, all with specific purposes:

We're pretty similar then, log for practical purposes mainly.

Being of no fixed address having a record to hand of where the boat was when could be handy for any inquisitive authorities to peruse, that's why receipts go in the paper log now - I've had UK customs go through the boat locker by locker a while ago having nothing to hand to prove I'd been in the UK for a couple of years like the log said.

Anyone using OpenCPN, the logbook plugin is also handy for keeping all the boat details, serial numbers of lx kit, crew list etc and easy to print out/laminate for checking in to countries.

Possibly a bit more than is required to pop over to cowes for a spot of lunch

 

[prv]

that's why receipts go in the paper log now

Since you mention it, we do have a pocket in the Ship's Papers folder where a selection of fuel and berthing receipts go, to prove the boat's presence in the UK, France, or CIs at whatever date, and the source of red diesel in the tank.

Pete

 

[GHA]

Since you mention it, we do have a pocket in the Ship's Papers folder where a selection of fuel and berthing receipts go, to prove the boat's presence in the UK, France, or CIs at whatever date, and the source of red diesel in the tank.

Pete

And as we're talking logs, when I was getting grilled by customs & UK border whatever they're called they didn't bat an eyelid that the logbook is actually a fat ring bound blank Brazilian schoolbook, not a posh as nostro's link but dead cheap and should last for a decade yet

 

[LadyInBed]

And I thought I was being a bit anal keeping a spreadsheet of each passage I've made over the years! But as a pick and mix logbook it's a start if you have no idea what you want to record.

 

[harry potter]

Just found this, a printable log book which includes most things. It may be useful to a few people.

https://www.oceancruisingclub.org/images/stories/Flying_Fish/Flying_Fish2006_2/digitallogbook.pdf

We use 2B pencil and a spiral bound shorthand pad (£1 from the co-op) with a plastic cover ( to balance the wine glass on and not mark the CHART). Worked fine for past umpteen years, see no reason to upgrade.
And looking above - keep all receipts.

 

[colind3782]

I do log passages, miles etc. but I also use the logbook as a maintenance log, entering details of oil changes, refuels, impeller changes etc., so I don't have to try and remember when I last did something. Toying with the idea of going to an electronic log using excel as that will be backed up regularly.

 

[tudorsailor]

I never found a pre-printed daily log book that worked for me. In the Med so not worried about tides.

I do keep an hourly written log so that when the electrics go down I know where I was an hour a go and where I was heading. It is a good way to keep guests interested in the course etc if you teach them to record the log and plot on the chart

Here's the top page that is completed at the start of the sail with lots of room to make weather notes



And here's the lower page for hourly record



TudorSailor