Logbook Question

[vjmehra]

I'm fairly new still to the boating/sailing scene and for some reason it has only just occured to me that at some point, fairly soon I'm going to run out of space in the RYA course books to log hours/miles. This of course got me wondering how other people log their time?

I have some Sailing hours, some Powerboat hours and hope to soon have some Motor Cruising hours, do other people use a combined log book or use seperate ones?

Also, is there an 'official' format as such to use, or can I simply create a custom spreadsheet in Excel?

 

[Simes]

The records you keep in the RYA (I think it is G27) personal log book are for your records only.
Te is no official format. An Excel sheet works just fine. The only time you are likely to be asked for sight of this log book is if you are going for Yachtmaster. Even then offering a record of miles and days, types of vessel and weather conditions is very acceptable.

Simessail

 

[[70521]]

I use another book as my personal log book and write up the annual totals in the RYA; one only because I am going for their Offshore ticket.

 

[prv]

I don't bother. A quick summary of experience, ICC, and "I have my own boat" is enough for charter companies if necessary, I don't have any plans to ascend the upper heights of RYA qualification, and I don't have the kind of stamp-collector mindset (no offence to those that do ) that likes to keep such records as an end in itself.

Pete

 

[Zagato]

Always makes me wonder when insurance companies ask how many years experience you how, how can this be proved! Logbooks can be filled in retrospectively, nobody keeps insurance documents and for small dinghies you may not have insurance anyway...

My insurance is cheap because I have sailed for the last 35 years BUT I actually have very little experience as my hours are very low in that time and I am a novice sailer.

I am keeping a Log book for the first time because it's nice to look back through the gradual achievements e.g. anchoring for the first time and actually sailing past West Pole

 

[vjmehra]

Ah okay cool, I may build something in Excel then and customise it, maybe with pictures of each outing

 

[KellysEye]

We bought log books from various chandlers but, as said, an Excel sheet is fine except you have to keep a computer on or start and shut it down each time. Paper and pencil are easier.The things we logged every two hours were: The time, position, barometer reading, speed and heading, engine on/off times. On watch changes, every three, hours we would brief on how many fishing boats/ships etc we had seen and any weather changes. Everything else we needed to know was in the log.

 

[NOHOH]

I was under the impression.....

....and it may be erroneous...or partly so....that a ships log book is essentially a legal document which may/can be produced as evidence in the event of any kind of incident...and it is therefore prudent to keep a reasonably meticulous record of all the boats activities...from the reasonably trivial (like a record of engine hours or when a gas bottle was changed etc)......to a record of the boats position on any given date at a given time....with observations

I accept that there is sailing and`SAILING`and you would adjust the level of detail accordingly......

Maybe I`m just too pernickety about these things...?

 

[[70521]]

Ah okay cool, I may build something in Excel then and customise it, maybe with pictures of each outing

Have you considered Three Point Fix?

 

[l'escargot]

....and it may be erroneous...or partly so....that a ships log book is essentially a legal document which may/can be produced as evidence in the event of any kind of incident...and it is therefore prudent to keep a reasonably meticulous record of all the boats activities...from the reasonably trivial (like a record of engine hours or when a gas bottle was changed etc)......to a record of the boats position on any given date at a given time....with observations

I accept that there is sailing and`SAILING`and you would adjust the level of detail accordingly......

Maybe I`m just too pernickety about these things...?

If you don't keep one it can't be used in evidence and there is no legal requirement to keep one. I've never bothered.

 

[vjmehra]

Cool tks, will take a look at that website, looks interesting!

 

[VicMallows]

If you don't keep one it can't be used in evidence and there is no legal requirement to keep one. I've never bothered.

Wife bought 'the boat' a nice hardback logbook when we first launched in 1985. I found it in the chart table recently still in pristine condition ... ok the dust-jacket has faded a bit.

 

[laika]

I could be mistaken but I think some responders are talking about a boat's log book whereas the OP is asking about a personal log book (ie as used to record qualifying miles for YM etc.).

I suppose the issue with a spreadsheet for a (personal) log book is that a skipper can't sign it (well, ok, encrypting a hash of the relevant cells with their private key asside...). However, I suspect examiners care more about asking you about your experience and testing your sailing skills than signatures: Can any examiners on here comment?

 

[vjmehra]

Yes, I did mean a personal one, rather than a boat/ship's log and like you say, this is with a view to showing examiners/instructors in the future.

That said, would there be anything wrong with taking a printout of an Excel log and getting that signed?

 

[l'escargot]

Wife bought 'the boat' a nice hardback logbook when we first launched in 1985. I found it in the chart table recently still in pristine condition ... ok the dust-jacket has faded a bit.

We've got one of them too, it is on it's 3rd boat

 

[Conachair]

....and it may be erroneous...or partly so....that a ships log book is essentially a legal document which may/can be produced as evidence in the event of any kind of incident...and it is therefore prudent to keep a reasonably meticulous record of all the boats activities...from the reasonably trivial (like a record of engine hours or when a gas bottle was changed etc)......to a record of the boats position on any given date at a given time....with observations

I accept that there is sailing and`SAILING`and you would adjust the level of detail accordingly......

Maybe I`m just too pernickety about these things...?

I got pulled coming up the Thames a few days ago, customs & border control very interested in comparing passport stamps with log entries, couldn't find an exit stamp from Antigua which interested them muchly. Not the tidiest of logs, and very occasion short passage missing, log book is a ring bound blank school book bought in Brazil. Had a full boat search as I couldn't provide any marina reciepts for past couple of years, so much is done online now. Will know better next time and have a printout of invoices. And keep a tidier log I think.

 

[oldharry]

An interesting point this - most of my sailing nowadays is day tripping, or short coastal hops (weather, onset of old age etc), I just don't bother to keep any sort of record other than maybe the photos in my camera.

IF UKBA step up their operations, well I have no way of evidencing to them where I have been.

But then whats to stop me doing a Donald Crowhurst and inventing a magnificent record breaking voyage for them....? Pretty meaningless really.

A longer offshore run, is a different kettle of fish, and a record of progress and positions is a fundamental aspect of safe navigation particularly in this electronic age.

 

[laika]

That said, would there be anything wrong with taking a printout of an Excel log and getting that signed?

Fine if all the skippers you sail with are people you stay in touch with and you can get them to sign retrospectively when you've filled up a whole page, not so fine if some of your sailing is opportunistic or where you might not see the skipper again (e.g. you sign up to crew on a delivery). In those cases people keeping a personal log usually get the skipper to sign before they step off the boat.

I stress that I don't know how important the signatures are to examiners. Missing some (because you forgot to bring your log book on a long trip and never saw the skipper again) is not a problem. Not having any might be seen as unusual but is probably just be dealt with with more questioning.

In any case, an exercise book (or something with waterproof paper) with columns drawn on it is easier to carry in your kit bag than a printer and easier to manage in the long term than a pile of A4 printouts.

 

[nigelmercier]

I use a Word document with a macro that inserts a table. Happy to share ...

 

[l'escargot]

Fine if all the skippers you sail with are people you stay in touch with and you can get them to sign retrospectively when you've filled up a whole page, not so fine if some of your sailing is opportunistic or where you might not see the skipper again (e.g. you sign up to crew on a delivery). In those cases people keeping a personal log usually get the skipper to sign before they step off the boat.

I stress that I don't know how important the signatures are to examiners. Missing some (because you forgot to bring your log book on a long trip and never saw the skipper again) is not a problem. Not having any might be seen as unusual but is probably just be dealt with with more questioning.

In any case, an exercise book (or something with waterproof paper) with columns drawn on it is easier to carry in your kit bag than a printer and easier to manage in the long term than a pile of A4 printouts.

I would thing any record is pretty much meaningless - signatures can't be verified and what if you sail your own boat and are the skipper, who do you get to sign it then?