Why keep a ship's log

    Keeping a ship's logbook for recording distance and other nautical purposes has been in practice with mariners for hundreds of years and is considered good seamanship. In the early times its main purpose was to record nautical information such as wind, weather, speed, and celestial observations to help the mariner find their way home from their sea bound journey. Commercial vessels over 75 tons are still required to keep a logbook to document their activities, but today's recreational boater is not required to keep a logbook by the Coast Guard or anyone else but that doesn't mean that it is not a good idea.

    Logbooks can be anything from a simple notebook to write down notes and ideas to an customize nautical log that has all the important nautical fields included to a full fledge electronic logbook that will store everything from nautical logs to fishing logs in an organized efficient manner. With the internet becoming more and more important in everyones lives the convenience of an online electronic ship's log has many advantages. One of the advantages an online ship's log has over other types of logbooks is that the boat's log information is stored on a land-based server which is reassuring to a boater knowing that his vessels documentation is safe from water damages in case of an accident or disaster. Another advantage is the ability to access the ship' logs from any computer at any time. One of the most important advantages of an online electronic logbook is the ability to search previous logs and create reports from the recorded information in the logbook, for example finding the exact amount spent on a vessel for fuel during a given time period or when was the last oil change preformed. A well designed electronic logbook will allow the boat owner to assign crew members who are able to contribute to the vessel's logbook, this helps document the experiences and adventures your friends and family have had on your boat and creating those special memories.

    For today's recreation boater keeping a logbook is a good way to keep track of all the important events and items in a boats life. Keeping an active log helps a boater become a better mariner by recording the experiences they had long after event has occurred. Keeping an inventory log on a boat for example is a great way to record where all of the emergency items on a boat are located or by keeping nautical log will allow you to remember exactly where that hull damaging stump is located when traveling to that great little restaurant on the water. Fishing logs for a boat can improve your fishing skills as you can record those perfect conditions that landed that prize winning trophy fish. Maintenance logs are a valuable asset to the boat and can even increase the boats value as you are able to show potential buyers that the boat has been well maintained and cared for. Logbooks like MyShipLog actually lets you transfer the logs that have been created to a new owner of the boat once it is sold and allow the previous owner the ability to archive the logs for their own records and memories. Logbooks can also help in budgeting for a boat's future expenses as you have a documentation from year to year of all the expenses you have made to be able to deduce what it will cost you in the future. Logbooks have even been known to help in legal cases as a well maintained logbook is like an airplane's black box and in some cases has even helped boat owners prove legal cases in their favor.

    Your logs can be as detailed or simplistic as you deem necessary. To record what is important to you as a boat owner is the key to ensuring a well maintained logbook. Keeping a log is good seamanship practice and it is important to you and any other future owners of a boat, so whether it's entering data to a simple journal in a small notebook with pen and pencil or entering your data into an online electronic logbook from your phone or computer, you will be recording the experiences so that you and others can benefit and learn from.