Yacht Log's

[Michael Heintz]

Last year after buying "Machts Nichts" I needed a log.I looked at a few and settled on the one from Mystic Seaport, It's a beautiful leather log, I figured I would treat myself. After my first season, I find myself not totaly happy with the layout. I really enjoy keeping a specific log and realize the benifits of doing so.

What do you all use for a log?

Michael Heintz
s/v Machts Nichts CD 30 MK II



mzenith@aol.com

[Michael]

I posed the same question a couple months ago...Looks like everyone uses homemade versions! I guess it is hard to come up with one log that everyone would like. My wife got me a nice spiral bound book with the boat name on the cover. It is just fine by me - plain, lined paper! I can write as much or as little as I feel.

Michael



mdelcharco@taylorengineering.com

[Bob Malinka]

15 years ago I came across a large leather bound book with plain line numbered paper inside. This has been Ranger's one and only Log book and it still has lots of open pages to go. I have found this to be the most useful because your not limited in space and can write all you want. Matter of fact my wife posts to the Log whenever we are at anchor to chrono our sail in addition to all the pertinent info I post regarding our course or whatever I deem worth while remembering. Over the years the Log holds lots of useful information which we can visit from time to time whenever planning the next cruise or entering a harbor we have not visited in a while. Use what you think you like and is practical.

Bob
Ranger#144

Last year after buying "Machts Nichts" I needed a log.I looked at a few and settled on the one from Mystic Seaport, It's a beautiful leather log, I figured I would treat myself. After my first season, I find myself not totaly happy with the layout. I really enjoy keeping a specific log and realize the benifits of doing so.

What do you all use for a log?

Michael Heintz
s/v Machts Nichts CD 30 MK II

Ranger1442@hotmail.com

[Neil Gordon]

I use a spiral engineering notebook as a rough log. It's used to record the weather broadcast, guests on board, time of departure or arrival, sails set, wind/sea conditions, etc. When I take a fix I note it in the rough log. Same for passing significant waypoints. Radio traffic of note will be recorded. I also like to note significant events, such as passing a tall ship or an aircraft carrier or when Princess Diana died or whatever.

At the end of the day, I usually transcribe the rough log into a permanent "Record" book. It's leather bound, quality lined paper and numbered pages. I leave nothing out from the rough log but I improve the form quite a bit, eliminating the cryptic notes and writing things out so that years later it makes sense when I read it back.

I have a complete record, starting with the closing and including every sail, every stop at the fuel dock or pumpout, a couple of uneventful groundings, four 4th of July celebrations where we watched Constitution turn around in Boston harbor, the tall ships, etc. I can tell you how long it took to sail from Boston to Provincetown three years ago and what the weather conditions were like. I can give you a fix on exactly where we sighted whales. It takes some discipline, but the record is worth having.

Warning!!! Do not use the log to record, and then count, the number of sailing days in a season. Most of all, do not divide the number of sailing days into the cost of keeping the boat!!!


Regards, Neil
s/v LIQUIDITY
Cape Dory 28 #167



neil@nrgordon.com

[Larry DeMers]

We've been sailing DLM for 11 summers now, so I look back to the beginning, and see that we started with a dime store spiral notebook, plainly marked DeLaMer, 1990. Inside we started with the delivery also, but a curious thing happens mid way through. The text becomes quite verbose (surprise?), and the descriptions are long and involved. It's more of a story about the weekend, than a log of the weekend.
Then the following years we migrated through perhaps 4 of the logs that "yachties " use (storebought). Finally, the last few years, I have used what I call the 'Green Log'. It's sold by West Marine, has a glossy green cover, and is intended for sailboats, not stinkpots (there are no entries for multiple engine readouts, fuel burn rates, etc). I have reassigned some of the less useful headings to ones we would rather have.
The nice thing is the paper is waterproof, and indelible after awhile. So this is an official book, and is treated that way (ie: it could appear in court as a witness if needed). I wish I could recall what West calls this log, but you will recognize it int he catalog..it's pine tree green.

Cheers!

Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer

Last year after buying "Machts Nichts" I needed a log.I looked at a few and settled on the one from Mystic Seaport, It's a beautiful leather log, I figured I would treat myself. After my first season, I find myself not totaly happy with the layout. I really enjoy keeping a specific log and realize the benifits of doing so.

What do you all use for a log?

Michael Heintz
s/v Machts Nichts CD 30 MK II

demers@sgi.com

[Richard Stephens]

Michael,

After a day's sail, I use my navigation software to import the track log from my GPS into a computer and print out a small chartlet, showing the track. I paste this into a leather-bound logbook with the usual write-up. I think it adds a lot of interest to the log: a picture says a thousand words!

Details of the software are on <a href=http://www.memory-map.com>www.memory-map.com</a>.

Richard
Typhoon "Blue Diamond"



richard@memory-map.com

[mike]

We also bought a lined bound book and then had a rubber stamp made which has specifics such as date,lat/long, etc.etc..
this method keeps the log looking professional but allows me a LOT of room to digress.
Richard Stephens idea of using memorymap is a good one and will be incorporated into my log keeping in the very near future.

mike
LaVida
CD33



mpr@seascan.com

[Robert D. Chamberland]

One of the other responses noted the "legal" aspects of his log. My question is, is a transcribed record such as you maintain a "legal" record or does your rough log satisfy that "requirement".
Bob Chamberland

At the end of the day, I usually transcribe the rough log into a permanent "Record" book. It's leather bound, quality lined paper and numbered pages. I leave nothing out from the rough log but I improve the form quite a bit, eliminating the cryptic notes and writing things out so that years later it makes sense when I read it back.
Regards, Neil
s/v LIQUIDITY
Cape Dory 28 #167

cha62759@traverse.com