Cruising Log Book

[Denis R]

Anybody know where I can get a decent cruising log? All I've seen are crappy plastic ones with inserts that look like something the kids knocked up on a wet Sunday afternoon. I'd like to be able to record the boat's life a bit 'Tom Rolt' style - locks, engine hours, miles, etc in something that looks like it's got a degree of provenence about it....

Any ideas? I did a search of the forum but didn't turn up anything meaningful.

[Paula]

Do what I did ......make your own. I designed a basic sheet with locks, hours, miles and a space for a daily comment. I fill it in everyday with wildlife sightings, funny things that have happened, good pubs. I just use an A4 file and add sheets when needed. The best thing is sitting inside the boat listening to the rain and reading the log and reliving memories.

 

Paula XXX

 

Hey...maybe I should publish it!!!!.......maybe not!

[Janet S]

We bought a good one for our cruise last year. I'll have a look when I get home and see if I can find out who produces them.

 

Janet

[Alan]

Try

HERE (and customise your own)

or

HERE

or

HERE

 

[Denis R]

Good one Alan! Thanks for that. I like the idea of customising my own - might just get a quote and see what the dmage is....

[Alan]

I'll expect to see your escapades ' Available in all good book stores ' soon.

[Denis R]

Well, last week's maiden cruise did have a fair degree of entertainment, ranging from being pushed into a gorse bush by a wayward hire boat - lovely new paintwork is no longer new, 'sniff', to me falling in "you tried to get onboard a ghost boat, daddy", interspersed with the throttle cable detaching from the injection pump just as I was entering a lock, oh and a complete white-out blizzard at Claydon Top Lock as we were mooring up. Apart from that it was a great break and the kids loved it. I've kept my notes so could write it up in Cruise Diaries.... Trouble is, it would probably sound made up!

[Bullfrog]

We use something called "Collins Ideal Double Cash Book ref 6424". This is roughly A4, has columns ruled in it for recording date, time, miles, hours, locks etc with obvious foot of column totals, and still leaves lots of room for text entries, drawings etc. Seem to remember it was well under £10.

 

Definitely worth keeping the log, apart from the obvious use like how many hours since last diesel top up, last oil filter change etc, it gives much satisfaction just re-reading the old entries.

 

The running total expenditure does become a bit of a worry though!

 

Regards

 

David B

[DHutch]

We just use a normal A4, hardback, lined book.

 

Double spread for every day.

- Log entrys on the RHS, with time in 24h, and lock/miles summerised at the bottom of each day.

- Then on the left, details of crew on board, and other note-worthy items, such as what gas cylinder we're on, or a note of slight engine leak, for refrence.

 

Then at the end of ever year we tot-up the miles/locks/etc on a summery page at the end.

 

 

Daniel

[anhar]

If you have a computer on board it wouldn't be difficult to create your own logbook in Word using a layout that you could design to suit your own needs. Then you can write it up each day straight on to the machine and print it out later on to A4 sheets which you could store in a binder. This approach would enable you to add photos if you have a digital camera.

 

regards

Steve

[Denis R]

Thanks for the ideas everyone. I quite like the idea of using an analysis book, so I'll have a wander round Office World and see what they've got(the 6424's now obsolete). I thought about using the laptop to generate something, but on balance I'm more attracted to an 'old fashioned' book with 'proper' binding - I have a habit of 'roughing up' or losing ring bound sheets, despite the use of hole protectors and so on.