Proper Nautical Ship's Log Keeping

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TimfromMersea

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Proper Nautical Ship\'s Log Keeping

For my 'big' birthday I was given by some good sailing friends a magnificent bound Ship's Log, with the boat's name on it and everything. So whenever we do a 'voyage' rather than a simple afternoon flip round the bouys, I complete time of departure and arrival, sail configuration, times marks passed etc.

As I was inserting a new infill into the cover, it occurred to me that maybe there was an 'official' way of keeping the log? Can anyone advise - all the Googling I've done seems to produce advice that's only to be appropriate for log books with lots of headings etc already in, whereas the ones that fit the cover I have come with just a few columns and simple lined pages.

Over to you, Forumites! Advice would be welcome.
 
Re: Proper Nautical Ship\'s Log Keeping

On passage we record:
Time (hourly)
Log
Distance travelled
Compass Course
True Course
Lat
Long
Wind strength and direction
Barometer
Engine on or off
Engine hours
The a wider column for other comments/observations
 
Re: Proper Nautical Ship\'s Log Keeping

Being of the generation that were bought up on chartplotters and radar I try to keep it simple.

At top date and intention eg Aim for cherbourg but if wind SSE go to Aldernay.
Next weather. Log & Engine hrs
Then columns ,time, position lat long from GPS, SOG , COG, Wind direction & Ave Sp.
I make an entry every hr with extra ones if engine on or hoist sails.
I also keep a paper plot.

At end journey hrs, log, Engine hrs. I keep a summary of journey times so that I can passage plan better on historical data.

I do not write any descriptive narratives but have enjoyed reading others!
 
Re: Proper Nautical Ship\'s Log Keeping

What is the benchmark for filling in a log entry? Is a weekend sail enough, or should it be more. Or should every trip out be recorded?

John
 
Re: Proper Nautical Ship\'s Log Keeping

Uh Hum .... "inserting a new infill" ..................

This is a non-official deck record and actually mis-named a Logbook. OK - a log of events can be on anything from scraps of paper / exercise book to full blown ships jobbie.

A Log-book is generally regarded as being bound and page numbered to prevent alterations other than a single line crossing through error. If you were to go onto the bridge of a ship and see the Deck Log and Masters Official Logbook - you would see this is true.
There were other various conventions kept to as well .... no pencil text, only use black biro - this way photo-copies on older machines could be made for reporting / records etc.

Sorry to be a bubble burster !!

Me ? I use a page-a-day diary. Self date'ing and adequate for text based entries. Columns are great for Blue-water stuff .. but straight text suits me better for my style of solent hopping etc.
 
Re: Proper Nautical Ship\'s Log Keeping

We keep a proper log for passages/cruises that are actually going somewhere that requires a log to be kept!

For weekend stuff, and sails in an area 4 hrs from base, we do not bother, but I still record total miles and engine hours at the end of a weekend (ususally on one line under the last full log entry.

No idea if this is right or wrong, but would be interesting to her what others do!
 
Re: Proper Nautical Ship\'s Log Keeping

We keep a log for every trip, although sometimes it's a simple as a line for departure time and another for arrival. But it means that every trip has a header with high and low water, crew list, expected destination and engine hours.

for bigger trips, I have a 'passage plan' notebook too, which gets a larger set of info including full forecast, expected tide direction and speed for each hour of the passage and expected distance travelled. that gets modified after 6 or 12 hours so that I can see the assumptions I based the passage on and update them en route.

I also keep an engine log into which I transfer, for each trip, the hours run, dipstick % at start, any oil added and any fuel bought. Also narrative on any problems experienced. I total the columns each month to give a guide for servicing, fuel and oil consumption etc.

We have a laptop chart plotting package that auto-records track etc but still plot onto paper regularly, and read off new course at each change of waypoint etc. to double check for entry errors.

All seems like overkill sometimes and then I make some error that would have been serious if I hadn't double checked stuff and realise that it's worth keeping up good habits.

Nick
 
Re: Proper Nautical Ship\'s Log Keeping

Good point about no pencil text. I can remember a post that said the French customs were very upset about pencil entries.

If you are going for Coastal skipper/Yachtmaster a comprehensive log is handy to add up the mls (need 1250 or 2500 from memory) and record night sail hours but remember I think its for periods greater than 2 days on board.
 
Re: Proper Ship\'s Log Keeping - get real!!

Just look at the cv's of these contributors - the greater the LOA the more detail in the log! Having someone else on board helps too . .

My Deck Log (I'll write it up later, yeah, yeah) records for every trip no matter how short what I consider to be the minimum info in the event of an insurance claim or an emergency, starting with TIME of course - but not just hourly (that's for longer passages) but when something happens or a mark is rounded; POSITION rel to a charted feature, say "Gilkicker 1 ca stbd - rarely Lat/Long, that's displayed on chartplotter and radio should I need it; COURSE by compass - virtually no deviation; ENGINE hours; LOG - less important than engine hours, this is a motorboat remember, so Wind dir/str, VIS and BAR appear sometimes in the last, and biggest column: COMMENTS. These include anything from 'sun shining' to 'tide turning' to 'mouldy sarnies' to 'spoke X on VHF/mobile' to salient depth readings on tide gauges or sounder that will be useful in retrospect. And under my nose is a paper chart.

At the head of each page are basics for that day: HW/LW at places that effect departure and arrival, tidal streams on the way, critical gates at headlands.

Organised? You must be joking!!
 
Re: Proper Ship\'s Log Keeping - get real!!

I keep a log with entries for every trip, including position (either lat and long or 'abeam Spit Buoy' type entry), course steered, speed, log reading, engine hours, wind speed and direction and baro and any comments. Also tide and crew details.

I make entries whenever something happens, such as engine on or off or course change, and at the top of every hour on passage.

That's the theory. I sail by myself so I don't get much time in crowded waters.

I made up the form on my word processor, based on the best I'd seen on other people's boats. I print it off and bind twenty or thirty sheets together to make one blank 'logbook' which I fill out in biro.

Very happy to send anyone a copy of the blank form if it's any use. Plese PM me with your eamil address or email me at jbw@computercounsel.co.uk

Julian
 
\"Other countries..... ships\"

Oh Really ....

I spent 17 yrs at sea ... 10 of which was on Flag of Convenience. The 7 yrs on Brit Ships - I can honestly say was on average the worse condition ships I had ... and sailed with some absolute pr**s on them .... Prima Donna's who regarded everything except Brit flag as sh**e etc.

I left Brit ships in disgust and joined the exodus to FOC ... doubled salary, promoted, respected by employers etc. Only 1 company did I find they didn't care and left ships to "fend themselves" ... they didn't last long ....

If you think Brit Ships are so good - then you never went on a **** P Boat !!
 
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