Be honest now! Do you really keep an hourly log of position etc.?

[cliveshelton]

I am sure this has been asked before but I am feeling guilty and deciding whether or not to change my ways.

On board I have;

Chartplotter with GPS,
iPad with GPS,
iPhone with GPS,
handheld VHF radio with DSC AND GPS.

I was taught to keep an hourly written log with all the usual details (position, course, weather, pressure etc.) in case I need to "run up a DR"

BUT I have never done that whilst coastal cruising or even the odd trip further abroad. What's the point?

Even with main batteries run down my backup devices would last a couple of days if carefully used.

I can see the point on ocean passages and would probably be more diligent but what do others do?

Interested to see what others do..............

 

[sailorman]

Yes, but not on local trips

I am sure this has been asked before but I am feeling guilty and deciding whether or not to change my ways.

On board I have;

Chartplotter with GPS,
iPad with GPS,
iPhone with GPS,
handheld VHF radio with DSC AND GPS.

I was taught to keep an hourly written log with all the usual details (position, course, weather, pressure etc.) in case I need to "run up an EP".

BUT I have never done that whilst coastal cruising or even the odd trip further abroad. What's the point?

Even with main batteries run down my backup devices would last a couple of days if carefully used.

I can see the point on ocean passages and would probably be more diligent but what do others do?

Interested to see what others do..............

 

[richardbayle]

Be honest now! Do you really keep an hourly log of position etc.?

No

 

[Topcat47]

Yes, but not on local trips

+1

 

[Rossynant]

When sober.

 

[stevebrassett]

Yes, but not on local trips

+1

 

[Grumpybear]

I am sure this has been asked before but I am feeling guilty and deciding whether or not to change my ways.

On board I have;

Chartplotter with GPS,
iPad with GPS,
iPhone with GPS,
handheld VHF radio with DSC AND GPS.

I was taught to keep an hourly written log with all the usual details (position, course, weather, pressure etc.) in case I need to "run up an EP".

BUT I have never done that whilst coastal cruising or even the odd trip further abroad. What's the point?

Even with main batteries run down my backup devices would last a couple of days if carefully used.

I can see the point on ocean passages and would probably be more diligent but what do others do?

Interested to see what others do..............

I do on passages longer than about 2 hours (I.e. anything more adventurous than Plymouth to the Yealm). I do trust my GPS and plotter despite the latter's age (Autohelm Navcenter 600) but I like to keep my hand in by fixing and comparing the result with the GPS position. I actually still have a Yeoman I bought for my last boat, but it is too big for the current boat's chart table or I would run a backup plot on that.

 

[prv]

Not when pottering around the Solent and its surroundings. That would be daft.

Out of sight of land, eg cross-Channel, I record enough to work out an EP. That means an hourly plot of position, time, and log reading. These are plotted on the chart, not in a separate log book. I have a Yeoman plotter so it's a three second job to mark the position, a few more to write in the time and distance next to it. I don't write down the course as we know what we're steering; on passage it doesn't change that often. In any case our track is abundantly clear from the series of plots on the chart.

If I were sailing along a featureless coast where you can't easily identify headlands etc to take bearings off, I would do the same as if out of sight of land.

It's no chore to do this; going below to do the plot each hour nicely marks out the passage of time, and it's pleasing to see the succession of dots marching across the chart. Even more so if they're following the expected track I sketched out before leaving

Pete

 

[johnalison]

My last plotter used to have the feature of recording the position every half-hour. This was very handy if wanting to keep a record at the exact time but not conscientious about remembering. My latest E7 no longer does this.

Every hour when offshore but not coasting. In forty odd years I have never yet had reason to make use of it though. Touch wood.

 

[prv]

In forty odd years I have never yet had reason to make use of it though. Touch wood.

?

Surely forty years ago there was no other way of knowing where you were?

Pete

 

[Grumpybear]

When sober.

Ah.

 

[Sybarite]

I do it in detail if I am on a long crossing. For execise, I do a DR position first and then check it with the GPS. I prepare Excel spread sheet templates to include weather forecasts, log readings, engine hours, sail combinations, barometer readings, tide force and direction, and coordinates.

The longest trip that I would do regularly would be the 5/6 hours Lorient - Glénan, or Lorient Belle Ile/Houat where I think the boat knows its own way by now. However, if there were the risk of poor visibility, then I would do an hourly position entry.

 

[wotayottie]

Yes I do keep a proper log and mark off my position on a paper chart every hour or so. I feel more comfortable doing that, and I can get a better idea of progress on the paper charts. I find the weather notes in the log quite usefujl along with all the other notes such as fuel fills, and the loags going back quite a few years are useful references when planning passages.

All that despite having a Raymarine plotter on board plus a lappy with CMap and a phone with navionics plus two old handheld GPS and spare batteries. But when my plotter did fail 2 years ago, I instantly went back to paper charts rather than anything else.

 

[Koeketiene]

When sober.

Ditto.
So, voted 'never'.

 

[Rossynant]

Then someone else does

 

[vyv_cox]

Absolutely always. Just a habit really, but nice to look back on in future years. Even in the Dutch and French canals we recorded log, position, etc. I transfer all the info to spreadsheets during the winter and it is surprising how often it proves useful.

 

[prv]

I find the weather notes in the log quite usefujl along with all the other notes such as fuel fills

We did keep an engine logbook on KS, and will no doubt do the same on Ariam. Especially with two of us looking after the engine, it's almost essential to write down what work got done when. Fuel also used to be necessary as there was no gauge; we still write it in out of habit and it gives us a good idea of consumption.

Pete

 

[Bav34]

Detailed log? No.

But offshore or in new waters I note our position from the GPS and transfer it to the chart hourly. Takes less than a minute. Provides a comfort factor that we are where the GPS says we are, gives a chance to 'overview' the chart and should the electrics go down DR would be far more accurate.

Then when we arrive I'll note total trip / miles motored and just a brief one-liner for info: ''Portsmouth-Cherbourg, great reach, warm''

Sorry, that last part was me dreaming

 

[duncan99210]

We keep a log when ever we're on the move. Its usually just position, course and distance covered since last entry and is done once every hour on short hops, once every 2 on longer ones. Very rarely plotted on a chart unless we're doing a 3 or 4 day passage; then we do it as a morale booster to prove to ourselves that we really are getting somewhere...... All done is a page to the day A4 diary which also acts as a journal for days whe we're not on the move.

 

[jwilson]

Yes - fairly religiously when out of sight of land or reliable visual fixes, or in poor visibility. Only write down nearest whole minutes though, not to 3 decimal places. Inshore in good visibility I do not. Whilst you've got a GPS position it is stupid not to record it just in case something goes wrong, and once an hour to the nearest mile gives you a good enough base to start DR from. Don't often mess up charts with pencil though if boat has a decent plotter.

And yes - I have had GPS die on me more than once. Several times have had all 3 GPSs on board stop working simultaneously. Strongly suspect non-UK naval stuff around. Other time though too much water sloshing around inside boat.