Log Book

[alwilson]

Morning Guys,

This question is more out of interest than anything else.

When and Why would a boat keep a log book? Is it for your own records/knowledge? Or something more important than that?

I understand plotting your route in advance and and making notes about that route. But I don't understand why you'd log your course/heading AFTER the event?

I could just be ignorant

Cheers!
Alex

[Erin]

Strangely, I was having this conversation over a pint the other night with some fellow ribnetters. I keep a record of my trips mainly for personal interest, but I also maintain a record of anything that's failed or gone wrong or needs sorting as a bit of a maintenance log. I also feel it might be helpful to a have a contemporaneous record of my passages and mileage in case I ever need it for a future qualification.

I always fill mine out after the event though and don't record bearings or pilotage matters. It also acts as a good record of fuel usage so you can work out where all your hard earnt lucre has gone.

[two stroke mick]

I keep a note of most of my trips. Espically if I have had guests on board. It may be useful to prevent insurance claims in the future

[martini]

Also can be used as evidence of experience if you end up doing the advanced powerboat exam.

[m chappelow]

Gives you a good idea how many engine hours that your doing ,
i used to keep a very detailed log when i had the fishing boat but now thats gone i just keep brief notes ,though still log times of any of my radio converartions that i may have or anything that may be of intrest or sightings near accidents that you may witness ,

[alwilson]

I never realized the log book would count towards the Advanced PB Qualification. Which I do intend to do at some point. As per my other thread yesterday.

Cheers guys!

[9D280]

I think on larger ships it also helps when watch is changed - there is a history of what has happened over the last watch so the active crew know what happened.

I keep a summarry of distance / fuel kind of thing, and dump the track from my Garmin to the PC as well, saving it with the date as the name, so if I really need gory details they are avaialble.

[martini]

Originally Posted by alwilson

I never realized the log book would count towards the Advanced PB Qualification. Which I do intend to do at some point. As per my other thread yesterday.

Cheers guys!

It doesn't necessarily. The examiner needs to satisfy himself that you've got the experience. A tatty old log book with plenty of details that's clearly been filled in over a period of time is going to be a big help in doing that though.

[Polwart]

Alex,

On an open fast boat keeping a "ships log" as you go along is not always practical, but as you've heard above a lot of people are keeping some sort of log for their own / evidential purposes that they complete after the event.

Traditionally a ships log has been a useful tool on vessels undertaking reasonably long passages to help with tracking where you are - heading, speed and time, allow you to "dead reckon" a position based on a known starting point. To some extent the modern world of GPS navigation may have reduced the need for this but electronics are not infallible, particularly on a bouncy open boat.

A log which records fuel usage is also helpful in both determining fuel consumption and, as you go along, in estimating the endurance you have left. On a short trip you might get away with these things in your head, but over 5 or 6 hours you can start to forget details, and especially gradual changes.

[alwilson]

Cheers Polwart. Makes perfect sense.

It's peculiar in that its not a hard concept, but just doesn't occur to you (or me, in this case).