4 Benefits of Keeping a Sailing Log

For centuries, keeping an accurate log of a ship’s travels has been an important job of any sailing captain. Traditionally, a crew would record their position and conditions at regular intervals. A ship’s log book was the authoritative record of where the ship had been and what had happened on board. Navigators relied on the log of positions to plot their course and estimate how log a sail would take.

For most recreational sailors today, a log book isn’t the legal & logistical requirement that it is for commercial ships. It is still a great idea to keep a log book though! An accurate sailing log is your source of information about past journeys, a memory of old adventures, and a requirement for many certifications and licenses.

1 - Your Sailing Resume

Your personal sailing log is the basis of your resume in the sailing world. Whenever you charter a boat or enter an offshore race, you’ll be required to submit a list of your experience & qualifications. Most charter companies will tell you that a resume of solid sailing experience is far more valuable than a certification. While you aren’t likely to submit your entire log book when renting a boat, the log book gives you a place to total up how many miles/hours/days/nights/etc that you’ve sailed.

2 - Certifications & Licenses

Almost all nautical certifications require evidence of time spent on the water. These requirements can also include specific conditions, such as night sailing, tidal or offshore waters, or sails over a certain distance. For example - the RYA Coastal Skipper certificate requires 15 days, 2 days as skipper, 300 miles, and 8 night hours of experience. If you are ever interested in sailing as a job, even something as small as taking customers out for sunset sails on your own boat, you’ll definitely need a commercial certification. In the US, the entry level license is an OUPV (National Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessel), often referred to as a 6-pack - which requires 360 days of on the water experience, with at least 90 in the past 3 years. The "Near Coastal" variant of the license requires 90 days of ocean or near coastal experience.

3 - Taking Notes

Keeping a record of weather conditions, your sail/gear/crew choices, and the results allows you to grow as a sailor and make better and better decisions. While your memory of what sail plan you used in that 25kt beat is crystal clear when you’re sitting at the bar a few hours later, it may be hard to recall if the 1st or 2nd reef worked better when you see the same forecast come up the following season. Having a record of your sails will give you a source to reference your past experience and learnings.

4 - For the Memories

A log can act a bit like a photo album - giving you a place to remember previous adventures. Opening my old log book to a random page never fails to put a smile on my face, whether it’s an entry of running aground again or seeing an amazing sea turtle. By keeping a sailing log you are creating a story that you can always look back on to remember your adventures.

If starting a sailing log is something that you’re considering for the first time, I hope this post has helped highlight some of the many benefits it brings! Keeping a log on Sailjourn is designed to be as easy as possible, and you’ll get an accurate, shareable record of all of your sails.

Part 2 coming soon: Benefits of an Electronic Sailing Log