Our virtual sailboat, Suhaili, almost hit a sailboat in the harbour when she left Camaret because her engine stalled. Three days later in the open sea, when the crew needed it, it didn't start. Why did her skipper overlook the symptom of not starting?
Probably, in the heat of the action, and the joy of departure, she omitted to note it in the checklist on the logbook.
What's a logbook for?
Since 2008, we no longer have any specific obligations from the authorities regarding the content of the logbook. According to Division 240, we must keep " a logbook containing the elements relevant to the monitoring of the navigation and safety of the vessel" .
Let's ask ourselves the question of the objectives to be followed, what is the purpose of the logbook?
Before the democratization of GPS, the logbook was primarily a navigational tool. It included: course, speed, number of miles travelled by the boat. From these elements, we maintained our estimate, we calculated our position by plotting it on the map. We also recorded all the elements of observation of the marine environment and the boat on the map.
Perhaps the massive arrival of electronics has altered our sense of the sea. Today it is not uncommon not to write anything down in this log, during day trips or weekends, simply because we can follow our movements in real time on our screens.
An official page
In addition to its illegal nature, this exposes us to potential sea fortunes by lack of anticipation.
Also to help us think about it, I think we should never forget that the logbook may ask:
- during a customs or maritime affairs control
- during an expertise mandated by an insurer following a sea fortune.
Your thoroughness will reassure them and allow them to verify that you knew where you were, where you were going, how you prepared your navigation and how you ensured it afterwards. If something goes wrong, it could cause you administrative problems.
If you don't fill it out carefully, your safety could suffer.
This does not prevent you from including your watercolours, jokes and lyrical flights of fancy in addition to the technical data. Rigour should not prevent pleasure!
Find how to fill in a logbook accurately and the interest of the newspaper on board a pleasure boat .
