Log Books

[BobE]

Just a sittin' lookin' at some old charts and especially the ones of my first Fastnet which were given to me after the event...Nice eh?
The nav obviously recorded every move and the charts have comments like
"The Hawk 1/2 ahead", "Tacked", "Tore genoa", even "Here we saw porpoises", and so on.
Seems to me that a proper log itemising every event can only be kept by a dedicated fulltime navigator who is woken up hourly or evn more often in a race.
That's what happenend in the 60s 'n 70's ..
What do you Butters do nowadays?
When solo I just mark me chart up about hourly...and get on with enjoying the sail
When crewed I do little more!!
Cheers Bob E...

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Shakey]

I always try to keep some sort of log, even if its nowt more than time of departure, forecast wind and barometric pressure. I have to make myself add all the extras such as dolphin sightings or rounding certain headlands but I find it more satistfying when you go back and read them six months hence.

At the other extreme, on the yachts the Armed Forces have for sail training and adventurous training the log is filled in on the hour every hour whilst at sea, just as it would be on ship.

Information recorded includes time, position, course, log reading, wind speed, wind direction, visibility, sea state, barometric pressure, engine hours, how many times the bilges were pumped ('wet' strokes plus a of minimum twenty 'dry' strokes), plus any other information.

I'm not sure if there's any legal requirement for pleasure craft to keep a log but it would probably look better on you if you ended up in a Board of Inquiry!

<hr width=100% size=1>It could have been worse - it could have been me.

 

[Evadne]

I always keep a log and try and make a comment (miles covered, speed, wind etc.) each hour, but Solent sailing is often "Cast off" followed by "tied up" with maybe the odd waypoint in between. Following the debate on passage planning I now write in the weather forecast (e.g. SW3 rain) next to the High Water times for the day. I do try and write a short narrative at the end of each day, though, and more informatively, keep a note of how much I paid for the the visitor's mooring.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[StugeronSteve]

"Skipper, would you care to explain to the Board exactly what you were doing at the time of the collision"

"Entering my dry to wet stroke ratio into the log, Sir"



<hr width=100% size=1>Think I'll draw some little rabbits on my head, from a distance they might be mistaken for hairs.

 

[boomerangben]

One day I will inherit 10 or so years worth of log book written by my great grandfather. It would be nice to have something I could hand to hand down.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[janie]

Just the same as you! Only exceptions have been:
qualification 150 + mile log for the two handed Triangle
sailing holiday in Sweden/Norway, which we never got around to writing up
this summer's family cruise to the Scillies, which have been written up for the Club magazine

Most of the outings are just races anyway, so the results sheet shows departure and arrival times!

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Plan_B]

Log book entry every hour even when 'poodling'. Most of the normal entry columns are completed but the extra bits are engine started/ stopped, unusual occurences/ malfunctions, sightings of other vessels (including aircraft, Concorde (RIP) DH vixens, Red Arrows etc). Additionally berthing details when visiting other ports, how they are numbered, cost per night, pontoon detail (low, wobbly, poor repair etc), facilities and local attractions.

This is all good stuff when planning holidays and trips + it helps recall the experience.

Dave D

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[snowleopard]

religiously fill in the log, where possible at regular intervals, hourly around the UK, at change of watch on passage. otherwise on change of course/when we remember.
prime objective is to be able to work up an EP if the magic boxes go on strike. it's nice to have a record when reminiscing but a bit of a drag to do it at the time so generally we have no more than a bare record of the positions.

day sails seldom rate more than date, who's on board and where we went.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Sailfree]

With the legal obligation of passage planning, irrespective of peoples opinion on officialdoms interference, I always put date, crew list, weather forcast , tide heights/times intention of trip, Engine hours at start/finish and log mls. For pottering around the solent I would just record cast off times and mooring times but if I am doing a trip I will the do a predictive passage plan estimating where I would be evey hour then if I end up somewhere else I like to know why eg crossing the channel just how much cross tide to expect. Sad case that I am I also list the relevant page numbers for alternative ports. Have I been brainwashed by officialdom or am I too casual. I never list number of strokes of the bilge pump but do record all maintenance work done and more important list the jobs to do.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Robin]

A proliferation of logs and a dearth of information maybe at least in the 'official' log.

Our 'Ship's Log' only comes out for passages, not daysails or short weekend coastals. On a cross channel passage or longer coastal one then it would be filled in on our berth with log reading, eng hours, destination (always 'towards') standard port tide times, crew on board, weather forecast etc. There will be a further entry on leaving the harbour (for us about 40 mins later). The next entry in all probability will be at our arrival waypoint, with another one once safely berthed, with total miles, eng hours logged and any odd comments added.

I should add that we DO have a passage plan for such passages since we need to do this to decide departure times, plan CTS etc, for X-channels we have a pre-printed (aren't computers wonderful) spreadsheet that can used to run up the CTS in about 5 minutes. We also have a simple (Neptune) passage planner prog on the laptop and will use this to check the manual one. There is NO written passage plan for short coastal passages or daysails other than a mental note of tide time and expected weatber and where we might end up.

In between leaving and arriving there is a black hole in the paper log (unless something of world shattering importance happened, or a Mayday received etc). Positions are recorded from time to time on the paper chart via a Yeoman plotter (actually it might be on the perspex overcover since our channel passage chart is permanently on the chart table). However we run 3 GPS sets and 2 C-Map plotters, both plotters record ground tracks (one on request, one by default) and both record time/position/CMG/DMG every 30 minutes should we need to revert to DR navigation.

The most interesting and most useful log however is the Ships 'Narrative' Log. This is more like a diary and pretty well every stay on board will be recorded with notes on when we arrived on board, where and when we went, trips ashore and so on. We will also record mooring fees charged, gas cylinders changed, diesel purchased/eng hours etc. If we eat out, the bill is stuck in this book with notes on if it was good bad or indifferent, a business card may join the others collected and stuck in the back pages as well. Pictures are very much a feature of this log, often postcards bought for the purpose. There is a wide margin on all pages for notes on diesel bought/eng hours/cost/gph achieved, or gas cylinder changed, mooring cost etc, these are recorded in red and easily found when looking back. We have collections of these narrative logs going back many years, very useful for future planning as well as nostalgic winter dreaming.

We once met a charming Belgian couple who were returning from the transatlantic circuit. They had a superb log, home made, with one page kept for the nav stuff (all astro then) and the opposite page for the narrative. All bird, whale, fish sightings etc were recorded in blue, whereas other daily or recorded events (baked bread, had sex etc) were recorded in black. There were beautiful hand sketches of all wildlife seen and places visited. Visitors were encouraged to add their own sketches to the log as well, some were even done as stick in collages.

Got to beat the back of an old envelope I suppose!



<hr width=100% size=1><font size=1>Sermons from my pulpit are with tongue firmly in cheek and come with no warranty!</font size=1>

 

[ChrisE]

The description of the Belgian log book sounds fab (they must have been young if there were many entries in 'had sex' column, though)

For out of sight of land we log GPS position, weather and pressure, every hour for the same reason as snowleopard, also note of engine hours (we don't have a fuel guage), electricity meter (to keep an eye on state of batteries) plus a narrative. I must say that in terms of reminiscing its the narrative that's the most fun. MrsE is particularly good at noting shooting stars, windlife, scary weather, etc.

For coastal passages, if we know the route it will usually just record start, stop and engine hours. If we don't know the route then might put in the odd pos but tend to mark the chart/keep electronic log for most of that.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Robin]

I started a separate narrative log because the Ship's Log (we use the Sowester one, bought several when they closed down too) didn't have much space for narrative and using it for such went through too many pricey books. Hence we now use a school hardback 'Lismore' excersize book that has one page lined and with a good margin and the facing page blank, bought a supply on sale in Dun Laoghaire for about £1 each a few years back. I watch the leccy meters but don't record them and like you use engine hours to work out fuel remaining as our guage doesn't work. Our GPS sets and plotters are on separate systems so we have some protection from a plotter wipeout and can pick up a DR start point easily enough.

The Belgian couple were lovely people, they spoke umpteen languages and would swat up before arriving at a new language destination by reading novels in that language on route. The only odd characteristic was that they chose a Catalac 9m for the trip..../forums/images/icons/smile.gif

<hr width=100% size=1><font size=1>Sermons from my pulpit are with tongue firmly in cheek and come with no warranty!</font size=1>

 

[ChrisE]

now why do I think that we are due a visit from Talbot?

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Robin]

Does he have a Catalac? Better not tell him the said couple were looking for a monohull then for their next trip..../forums/images/icons/blush.gif

<hr width=100% size=1><font size=1>Sermons from my pulpit are with tongue firmly in cheek and come with no warranty!</font size=1>

 

[scarlett]

Sowester Log Books

can still be bought from Force Four -- and I think they are just right. I record hourly position and a few other things, using the small right hand side space for narative about life. They will be wonderful when I get too old to sail and want to bore for Britain.
The only missing time is when it is too bad to do anything but hold on. I know I should do it then and more so but I am commited to holding on to life! I try to remember and write up what happend as soon as possible afterwards. Useful to remind one to be more careful in future.

<hr width=100% size=1>