WHAT DO YOU WRITE IN A CAPTAIN’S LOG?
Keeping a captain’s log is an important habit to develop for boaters, especially those navigating open waters. It helps you monitor your position and progress and can provide essential information in case of an emergency.
In some countries, such as the UK, you need to maintain a ship’s log by law. Commercial and navy ship’s logs get checked by their supervisors, while pleasure boats’ logs can be looked at by the local coastguard upon request.
WHAT IS A CAPTAIN’S LOG?
The captain’s log, also called a ship’s log, is a record-keeping booklet, which contains essential information about the vessel’s journeys. Captains of ships and boats have been using it since ancient history. It’s a great tool to monitor progress and weather.
A traditional captain’s log is a bound book, notebook, or binder, which is sold in chandleries all over the world. However, today many pleasure boat owners keep a digital logbook.
PAPER VS DIGITAL CAPTAIN’S LOG
Paper ship’s logs are robust notebooks. They can also be bought in waterproof format, so they can resist water damage. The best thing about a traditional ship’s log is that it is reliable - you can’t break it. Simply store it in your nav station at all times and you will never lose it.
A digital captain’s log can be written on a local file or on an online document on a laptop, smartphone, or tablet. If you store it online, you will never lose it and your family and friends can access it remotely. This can be a huge advantage in case of emergency. However, you’ll have to find a way to write in the ship’s log while you’re offline, offshore. Not everyone has access to satellite communication yet.
Plus, if the electronic device you use to fill in your captain’s log runs out of battery and you don’t have the power to charge it back up, you won’t have access to the previous entries.
WHY KEEP A CAPTAIN’S LOG?
There are a number of reasons why keeping a ship’s log is a good idea.
Here are the main ones:
to keep track of your progress and make an estimate your ETA range
in case your GPS devices break down and you need to find your position
to keep track of maintenance issues, so you won’t forget to fix them
so you can record useful information, such as the coordinates of an underwater obstacle
to be able to substantiate an insurance claim.
It’s easy to think you don’t need to keep a captain’s log these days, as you do all your navigation on a chart plotter, smartphone, or tablet. However, being able to quickly estimate your position in case your GPS devices fail (for example, in case of a lightning strike), is invaluable.
If you write down your position hourly, you can easily work out where you are based on your course and speed. In case of emergency, you can relay accurate information to the rescue services.
WHAT DO YOU WRITE IN A CAPTAIN’S LOG?
On a boat trip, you’ll want to record:
origin and intended destination
stopping points
time of departure
expected arrival time
position, speed, course, and conditions once every hour
any breakages
on a long voyage, keep track of your food and water stocks.
You can also add any useful information you think may turn out to be useful in the future, such as marina berth prices or the address of a chandlery.
On a long journey, it’s great practice to mark your position every hour or so on a paper chart every time you fill in the log. This way, if anything happens, you can easily see where you are within an hour.
TIPS FOR KEEPING A CAPTAIN’S LOG
The captain’s log should provide navigational information at a glance, so you can make good decisions. It only fulfills its purpose if you keep it well-organised.
Decide on a format when you start using it and keep it consistent. For example, write down the same information every hour in the same order. This will allow you to quickly scan your notes when you need to.
Sit and lean on a hard surface when you fill the log in, so you can write clearly. Every word and number needs to be readable.
While a captain’s log sounds like an outdated book, used in ancient times, it’s still a fundamental piece of kit to keep onboard your vessel. If you plan to go on longer boat trips, especially in open bodies of water, you’ll want to keep a detailed ship’s log.
Make it a habit - set an hourly alarm or reminder. While you may never use the information you record for an emergency, you will probably need to access it to plan your next trip.
*Make sure to check if keeping a logbook updated onboard your boat is a legal requirement in your country or the area you’re travelling to.