HELP - Eager for your input on logbooks

[Two Fish]

Hello all, its Jason from Two Fish (s/v two fish)

The boat building progress of our Antares 44 is going well and the splash date is soon. I was going to go have a custom log book printed up at the copy center but want to hear from this experienced forum on the best data.

I have attached a PDF of my draft log book. For those in a rush here are the data I was planning on recording.

Helm Person
Date
Time (local)
Log (nm)
Lat
Lon
Wind speed True/App (knots)
Relative wind angle
True
wind direction
Course (true)
Heading (true)
Boat speed (vmg/ speed)
Barometer (mb)
Sail plan or Engine Rev
Sea state Sea temp (cels)
Weather alerts, currents, tanks, volts, fuel, upcoming dangers

Please give me some guidance.

Thanks, Jason
s/v two fish

[Paul Elliott]

Just to keep things convenient I would omit Heading and Log, since you're already recording lat/lon and COG. I figure that distance sailed can be retroactively figured from lat/lon, and unless you're trying to calibrate your leeway you don't really need Heading.

Some of the wind data could also be omitted, since this can also be calculated retroactively from either TWA/TWS, or from AWA/AWS, or even from TWD/TWS. I would log whichever gives you the most immediate benefit.

If you are monitoring battery charge/discharge amps and/or cumulative Ah, I would log those.

Make sure you leave space to record occasional events, such as water and fuel tank status, battery charging, debris and vessel sightings, radio contacts, crew changes, maintenance and repair, etc.

You need to decide if your log will be a legal minimum record (and "legal" is an iffy concept), or also a journal that you can later read with pleasure. Some people keep multiple logs, plus a journal. Make logging quick and easy, and give yourself enough room to write when you're bouncing around in the waves, holding a dull pencil.

[Two Fish]

Paul,

Thanks for the great comments. We plan on having two logs. The one I have attached in this post that will be "legal" log. It will be stored at the Nav station. We have also bought a bunch of open format square ruled moleskin note books. This will be our radio log, scrap paper for dec-reckoning, random thoughts for the next watch, doodles and such. We can store this at the helm. As for memories of the trips, we have our blog s/v two fish which will useful when we are 90 and want to look back.
Thanks much again. Big fan of this forum.

jason

[Hydra]

In my own custom log book, I have rows for position (lat/lon or ref point / bearing / dist), sails, compass heading, COG from GPS, log distance, STW from log, SOG from GPS, depth, true wind direction and force, sea state, visibility and baro pressure.

My purpose in writing down the compass heading and COG from GPS is to check for compass error: in my area, the magnetic deviation is small, so HDG should be close to COG, except when close hauled or in strong current.

Each day, I write down the names of people aboard (with a phone number to call in case of emergency), the weather forecast, the tides, the engine hours, the fuel consumption and the remaining fuel.

Alain

[Two Fish]

Alain,

Thanks for the input. Made many of your changes.

[Jim Cate]

G'Day Two Fish (and I wonder where that handle came from!)

Frankly, it seems to me that many of the items that you propose to log are so changeable during the course of even a short day sail that one would be hard pressed to keep up the log... things like apparent wind angle and speed, your course, engine revs and so on. You would need a full time secretary doing shorthand!!

Of course, just having the blanks on the page does not compel you to fill them out. Over the years of cruising our log has degenerated to a notebook with no blanks at all. I jot down what seems important at the time... or maybe I do the jotting later on at my leisure. I keep a separate engine/fuel log, though, for those important things like oil changes and fuel usage.

At any rate, it will be interesting to see your finished product, and then perhaps to have a report on how you actually use it.

Enjoy your new boat!

Cheers,

Jim

[goboatingnow]

Keep the log simple. Then you might have some chance in getting the crew to fill it put. 4-6 key items and a commentary. Yours will only be filled put by yourself

Dave

[44'cruisingcat]

We just use an over-the-counter available business diary. The only tricky bit is finding one with the same space for saturday and sunday as for the weekdays.

[Pelagic]

All good input so far….. especially to keep it simple/flexible and user friendly
Having designed a few custom logs for Super-yachts and my own StarGazer, I would consider these changes

To avoid redundancy, remove the Date Column.

On Header/ Simplify and keep a bit more flexible for legal reasons.
Date: Sailing From: ______ Towards:__________

I Format a wide hard cover 2 sided log book so Left Side is the 24 x hourly log data if underway and/also lined in 4 sections for Daily record if at anchor.

My personal column order is abbreviated from these running log items
Time/ Compass Course/ T Course /Set Hdg (pilot) /COG / SOG/LAT/LONG/RPM/ BAR/ Sea/ Wind/ WK (watch keeper initial)

I find that on today’s modern yacht with so much electronics near helm keeping a close awareness of the emergency steering compass (M) heading in concert with what you are getting from other electronic Heading sensors will help, if you ever have to DR on your emergency compass alone

Right Side is kept flexible and simple under the title REMARKS, where you can modify special or standing orders, make sailing note of events (sail plan) or of any repairs needed.

It becomes the most interesting side and are the working notes record of your voyaging….

First page, I would put all the legal /Com and builder Specs including air draft as a handy reminder
I leave a few numbered pages blank at back for detail notes
Have fun with your design

[conachair]

Originally Posted by Two Fish

Please give me some guidance.

I find GPS log miles and through the water miles useful to keep an eye on what the tide/current is doing. Also a column with a tick or cross for engine running with a running total of hours since last refuel.

[Jammer Six]

There are no requirements for a legal log. There are not standards for a log.

I take lat and long, COG and SOG off the GPS and write them next to the local time.

When the mood strikes me, I add a three point fix. That's all.

[monte]

That looks pretty good, I have a similar one page custom log. At the top of the page I also have a checklist for fuel, oil, water, exhaust, battery, bilge. Just to tick before getting underway. My columns below are Date, Time, Position, COG, Speed, Bar, Wind, sky, temp and helm and comments. I use the date row to tick off the checklist. This works well for me and we can fit several days to a page.

[conachair]

Originally Posted by Two Fish

As for memories of the trips, we have our blog s/v two fish which will useful when we are 90 and want to look back.
Thanks much again. Big fan of this forum.

jason

If you use a computer on passage then the Konni logbook plugin for opencpn is worth having a look at. Opencpn is also a handy way of getting tracks off the gps into a kml file which google earth or maps can read if you ever want to upload a passage track to a blog.

Have fun

[Hydra]

Originally Posted by Jammer Six

There are no requirements for a legal log. There are not standards for a log.

In your coutry, maybe. In other countries, the regulations are different. I am required to keep a log as soon as I am 6 NM from shelter.

Alain

[Tingum]

I always just use the bound lined journal available most everywhere. One as the ships log and one mechanical. That way you can simply write whatever you wish. I have another that I use for deliveries.