Do You Sailors All Keep Logbooks ?

[capn_billl]

I would recommend it as described above. Keeping a log shows professionism, and that is as good of a defence to poor judgment as any. A well kept log can be a life saver if it is recovered and you aren't. It can be a valuable and legal reference to follow events leading up to a accident, (unless the accident is really your fault, that can only help). I have always kept a log, it is a tradition for a lot of good reasons.

[osirissail]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

Positive.
I was thinking more along the lines of having some paper print-out (without having to make one myself), just in case the electronics packs up.
b.

In the prehistoric early days of personal computers it would have been a very easy task to write a few lines of Basic to access a navigation programs ascii data log file and send it to a printer every so many minutes. But in today's more complex computer world and operating systems that would be a task best done by a student of computer science/programing or something. And you might have a problem extracting the information from commercial navigation programs due to copyrights. But maybe using something like OpenCPN might allow you to accomplish your objective easier.

- - Almost 10 years in the Caribbean and I have never been even close to having a lightning strike or a close enough strike to affect my electronics. My boat is as "shielded/prepared" to take one as is humanly possible to prepare - but it is more a case of simply not being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Two boats were hit last week just across the bay and had some fried electronics so it can happen. IMHO, it is just such a statistically small probability that I don't put too much emphasis on the problem. But keep spare electronics stored away in static proof packaging just in case.

[Astrid]

Yes always a good idea to have spares, back ups, or whatever. On the other hand, Murphy's law, title 2 subsection 6 states, "Breakdown will always occur in the critical component for which you do not have a spare."

[barnakiel]

Oh do not even talk Murphy's laws. I have seen them exemplified in the most horrendous way.

b.

[redmirage]

I always keep a log it can be a legal document. I log where we left from who is onboard, sail, power, anchor, lights, and weather. I have read about some sailors in Florida and North Carolina being assesed taxes because they had been in the states to long but there logs showed they had not, or they had sailed outside of state waters during the stay thus starting the time line again. The tax issuse was droped because of thier logs.

[Pelagic]

I like CaptnForce’s separate Engineering Log… very simple and practical check list of maintaining boat systems with details of repairs on the left side and I imagine reminder notes for what hours to do the next oil changes etc….

For the DECK log, while I appreciate Orissails sensible forethought in battery back up nav systems.

The most important LOG factor for me is to always have a standard magnetic compass reference in case all electronic navigation is destroyed by fire or the effects of putting out a serious fire. (This has actually happened to me halfway between Japan and Seattle in the height of a Gale, where it took 2 days to jury rig safe wiring and repairs so as to get back bridge steering and back up systems on line.)

Dead Reckoning (DR) is the sailor’s basic survival navigational tool and the irony of today’s bridge full of electronics is that the standard magnetic compass, tends to suck hind tit when it comes to installation and reliable calibration with all the power lines running beside it (variable off and on?)

So you have to make the most of it.

That is why my Deck log always shows underway these hourly Heading Notations. (plus SOG/COG from the GPS)

True Course:….. to next waypoint (WP is always written in the Log)
Compass Course:….. what the flux/gyro or whatever electronic compass is reading
Set Course:……. What the autopilot is set at to keep us on track for those logged conditions. (often the autopilot will have it’s own electronic compass)
***Mag Compass:… I log what my DR magnetic compass is reading for those electronic field conditions, which gives me that emergency backup and a much better awareness of whether this compass is affected by Radar/Stereo…etc.

My point being, when you have a major emergency and systems all crash, navigational security will be more dependant on the quality of your hourly record keeping and awareness, rather than bits of possibly compromised (redundant) hardware.

This way you can focus on dealing with the emergency repairs rather than guessing where you are because of poor record keeping.

[svrodeorm]

Originally Posted by osirissail

But keep spare electronics stored away in static proof packaging just in case.

That seems like an idea well worth trying. What do they looklike and where can I obtain them?


sorry for the thread drift here.

[Astrid]

Anti Static Bags : BoxesAndBagsUnlimited.com

[svrodeorm]

Originally Posted by Astrid

Anti Static Bags : BoxesAndBagsUnlimited.com

Thanks, will look into it.

[barnakiel]

Antistatic bags do not protect in case of a lightning bolt hitting nearby. I do not have the link anymore but read on this on the net the other day. That link said put your stuff into the oven that will act as a Faraday's cage.

Probably a subject for a separate thread unless there has been one already.

b.

[Astrid]

Antistatic bags do not protect in case of a lightning bolt hitting nearby. I do not have the link anymore but read on this on the net the other day. That link said put your stuff into the oven that will act as a Faraday's cage.

I have heard that. Just let the cook know they are there.

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

Antistatic bags do not protect in case of a lightning bolt hitting nearby. I do not have the link anymore but read on this on the net the other day. That link said put your stuff into the oven that will act as a Faraday's cage.

Probably a subject for a separate thread unless there has been one already.

b.

Several


http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ics-36806.html

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ney-45161.html

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ning-6012.html

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...n-17390-4.html


http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...kes-41097.html

[Hud3]

Keeping a proper log book helped save me a bunch of money.

When we lived in Virginia, the county assessed property taxes on boats kept in the county for more than 1/2 of the year. The tax amounted to about $2,800 per year for my boat. For two of the years that we were there, I was able to prove to them that my boat had been outside the county for more than six months by submitting documentation, included copies of several pages from my ship's log. The county treasurer accepted it with no question. My tax bill was zero.

[Roaring Girl]

Solas does not require smaller vessels to keep a log. Here's a ref. (If over 12m you do need a passage plan, but that's another thread.)

For a deck log, we just have a bound book and record hourly our lat&long (GPS), plus anything memorable. Our raymarine chartplotter also has a 24 hour log within it.

We have never been asked to show a log book, but we know people who have, and, as someone said above, have been criticised for using a ring binder, or even a bound book without pre-printed page numbers! It is about proving where you've been and what you were doing. Sadly this is now as much or more of a reason than the need to calculate position by DR from the latest fix which is of course the primary reason.

[osirissail]

"iPads", "iPhones", and other computer based log systems are fine but what are you going to do next year when the expected solar CME events wipe out or disable your phones, pads and other high tech whizbang stuff?