How many motorboat owners keep a log of each trip?

Frontier

Frontier

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Being new to boat owning I was wondering how many motor boat owners really bother to keep a log of each outing.

I can understand doing it for a long trip, which planned in advance, could be entered in the log. But compared to the rag and stick boys, is there time when you are out for a bit of a plane across the Solent.

Everything must happen so fast how can you take account of tide and wind on short hops?

D
 
depends on what you mean by a log - a search on the subject here will show up some excellent recent threads on the subject.
my log shows date, forecast, who on board, fuel at start / finish, engine hours at start finish and where we were intending to go plus a column for 'incidents'.
Simple.
 
I keep an excel spreadsheet of all activity; that way calculating fuel consumption etc. is quite easy. Just jot down readings etc. whilst on boat and key in at home. Weather conditions etc. I record in the cell notes facility. I also generally record each trip using oziexplorer and save the track so I have a detailed account of the voyage.
 
Hmm. We have various books where things have been logged, Then again we have had umpteen bits of paper. Other times no paper at all. Across the Solent. I would not bother at all at all at all.!! Just point and go!! I only bother navigating if going far off land, CI's ferinstance. Then maybe make a note or two. Brittainy there would be a few more notes. But say Plymouth to Solent, I would just turn left with maybe a way point some where near P Bill to keep the auto pilot happy.
 
Thanks for the tips, I was thinking similar, I would obviously plan a long trip and therefore have something to enter to start with, But I guess there will probably be nice days where you just decide to pop out for spin, not really having much of an idea of where you might go until you get there (just a few miles I mean)

I have not had the chance to get much experience as the new boat broke down on arrival, so my longest voyage has been about 8 miles in the Solent struggling on one engine and a trip from pontoon E to C in the marina, not much to put in the log about that one /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Boat wont be fixed for a few more weeks yet, so missed the best of the weather. We go and sleep on it for the novelty, but we might as well have bought a caravan (only joking)

D
 
I normaly have a rough notepad a pencil to note down some key points during the trip - eg passing the important bouys down the bristol channel, time on locking out, locking in, and to write down anything important I hear over the radio.

Once nicely tied up I write the "proper log" into the log book containing hours, fuel, weather etc - and yes I agree - part of this is for the historic value!!

Cheers
Jools
 
Thanks all, I am getting a good picture of what is important and useful to note.

We did cover this subject on the Day Skipper course, but I did that about 10 years ago, and it was heavily biased toward sail. Without practical experience you wonder how much of the teachings are really followed, bit like driving. Non of us drive like we did for the driving instructor.



D
 
I understand what hlb is saying, but there is a but!

I am based at Chatham on the lower reaches of the Medway which I know like the back of my hand! but there are still many dangers if for instance I was around the estuary and a fog/mist moved in and visibility was bad. Therefore I would alway have to hand the means to be able to know exactly where I was, namely GPS, I think that even popping across the solent can also be just like this and you do really need a back up plan if things go pear shape quickly!

Barry
 
Since I got a plotter I can see the advantage of keeping a basic log.

One incident decided it. I had some friends up in September for their second trip on the boat and I decided to take them somewhere special. When we got there, it was a very picturesque cove, they all looked at me blankly. As it was exactly the same 'special' place I took them in May.

Spoke to one of my business partners the other day, planning a trip out with his wife and kids in November - she brings the best ever picnic - kept having to ask him where I took him last time.

So, I will keep a computer log in future.
 
Dont forget I can always go down stairs and look at the chart plotter/ radar. It's always switched on. Just might not be looking at it. But if I' m in solent, I'm off the end of chart anyway, so have to do lat and long, well no I dont really. Less in deap [--word removed--]!!
 
I keep a log absolutely identical in format to Duncan's for every trip. I therefore have a record of every little trip and of the people who have been on board.

On longer trips, say 100 or 200 miles, I have a passage plan written up on the left hand page with a lot more info including details of bolt holes etc.
 
I do think its a good practise to keep a log on maintainance/ parts & service records unless you have total memory. I can never remember which engine overheated when I picked up a bag or which impellor I changed and when. Unless of course you have the luxury of your service dealer doing it all for you. Dave.
 
spooky!

interestingly I think this is where the key differences between daybo/mobo/cruiser come in as my navigation/passage planning etc is totaly seperate - some like hlb and some where I have a folder of bits plus an almanac all marked up!
 
It's worth bearing in mind the SOLAS V rules that now apply to motorboat and us 'stick and rag' types equally. Essentially you have to show that you've passage planned properly, looked at the weather etc. etc. or you could find yourself in the hot and sticky with the law if it all goes wrong (see RYA SOLAS V Page).

One of our local coastguards reckons it would be difficult to demonstrate you'd done all this without some kind of written log entry. FWIW I tend to log even the day trips 'cause I need the hours for YM.

Andy.
 
Sorry but...

[ QUOTE ]
Remember that the nanny (or should I say Police) state now make it a legal requirement for all vessels to have a log for all trips.

[/ QUOTE ]

.........that is a load of boswallox.

Robin
 
I think this is a myth, like the need for a passage plan.

Are you saying that if I take boat out, but then return after five minutes that I have to keep a log of that trip or face some sort of fine/prosecution.

If not, what defines a trip that would require a log to be kept?

Two miles, ten miles, thirty miles, just overnight trips or are we getting to the stage where we have to notify authorities if we step on board?
 
A log of what? If you have sat nav in the car, do you still work out directions from a road atlas and write them down? I rely on the chart plotter and set the route as I go. If the chart plotter fails I have a backup GPS and I know how to navigate using paper charts, compass, radar, depth sounder etc if the need occurs. I'll check the weather and tides through any races before I go, but don't then record what they were. I would only use a log for remembering where I visited, calculating fuel usage etc, though to be honest I don't do that either.
 
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