A new and updated version of the Boat Log & Record is now available for amateur boaters to keep track of voyages and to maintain a permanent record of their vessel.
Author Marlin Bree says that the expanded Third Edition of his Boat Log & Record is "arguably the largest and most complete boat log and record for amateur boaters ever published."
The 176-page book with waterproof covers was developed by veteran solo cruiser Marlin Bree for the needs of recreational boaters who needed an all-in-one comprehensive record of their boat and its voyages, with suitable navigational information for short coastal, lake, or Great Lakes cruising. It is for the vast body of boaters who are non-ocean crossing voyagers.
Not a blank page book, but a structured organizer, the Boat Log & Record is for boaters on day sails, weekend jaunts, and recreational or short cruises. It is both for skippers of sail and powerboats, either operating on freshwater or saltwater, and for owner-skippered vessels from small to mid-size boats, with or without a voluneer crew.
With the Boat Log & Record, boaters can keep a record of vital information for up to 50 boating trips, including GPS waypoints, latitude, longitude, chart number, destination and date. In the record section, boaters can maintain a written record information ranging from insurance information, telephone numbers, important year-to-year maintenance and troubleshooting data, as well as a planning for trips.
The book is divided into 10 sections, with built-in tabs for easy reference:
1/ Boat Information, including registration, documentation as well as important cell phone telephone numbers, such as the boatyard, Coast Guard, or insurance agent.
2/ Boat Organizer, including easily forgotten, but important information and data, equipment and records, major suppliers for the boater, and a purchasing organizer and record for planning a season's boating. In this section is a Boating Inventory Record, where you can keep serial numbers for equipment for insurance reporting purposes, or replacing equipment. Includes names, addresses, and e-mail of Major Suppliers. A Workbook section allows you to develop some of the ideas you want for your boat.
3/ Cruise Organizer, including procedures for getting ready to shove off, crew chores organizer and information on what you need to remember or do before you set sail. This also has a Welcome Aboard page which you can machine copy and send to new onboard guests who have never been on a boat before to inform them of where to find your boat, what to look forward to, and some safety information as well as tips on what to wear.
4/ Boat Log & Record lets the skipper record a boat's daily voyage, including compass or GPS data, sea state, weather, time, course, speed, navigational notes, and skipper's commentary. Keeping a record can makg voyages more memorable as well as be an invaluable source of information and memories. This also serves as an important document to record onboard problems in the event of an emergency. Includes Future Cruises, where you can keep track of cruises you might want to take someday, as well as recommendations, such as how to enter a faoreign harbor, things to lookout for, or locations of good shoreside restaurants.
5/ GPS Waypoints to Save lets a skipper plan his or her voyage ahead of time and write down waypoints, latitude, longitude, chart numbers, destinations and date. This is a permament (non-electronic) record in one source, in case the GPS goes down. You can also record coordinates you want to keep such as underwater hazards, wrecks, diving locations or even favorite anchorages -- or the last legs of your return route to harbor.
6/ Getting Shipshape is a section of checklists and action schedules. Here you find Spring Commissioning Checklists, so that you can examine your vessel step-by-step before getting the boat into the water in the spring. There's the complimentary Fall Layup, including Inspection Steps to lay up the boat for winter. This section includes a Purchasing Organizer and Record, so an owner can jot down not only what needs to be done but what to buy.
7/ Emergency Section lets a skipper create step-by-step procedures on how to deal with onboard boating emergencies, from sending out a Mayday call to how to handle man overboard emergencies.
8/ Records and Supplies lets a boater keep control of various items and supplies onboard the boat, including Galley Basics (things you keep in the galley) to Boat Supplies (what you want to buy for your boat). Chart Locker keeps tracks of the charts you have onboard, and Fuel Log lets you record how much gas and oil you use each season and check your consumption as well as determine mileage for gallon or per hour. Here's a good place to make a note of how much gas your engine burns at various throttle settings and at various sea states with varying weather conditions. Expenditures is where you can record your expenditures each year, from insurance to cost of new equipment and slip fees. An Appointments and Schedules section lets you organize your dates and tiems such as appointments for your next haul out, or when your slip rental comes due, or even to set up dates when guests are due aboard. A Float Plan (included) is important for safety before any extended trip.
9/ Chartering Organizer and Checklist is for boaters who charter boats and is a handy way to get organized. This is especially useful for, say, a boater who goes to the Caribbean with several crew members and will be operating a different boat than the one he or she is accustomed to. Includes a Charter Checklist (what to take along) and a Charter Checklist, so that when you're onboard your chartered vessel you can take charge in a minimum of effort and familiarize yourself with its operation.
10/ Cruising Memories is the place where you can keep track of some of the friendly boaters you have met and want to keep in touch with. There's a handy Guest Register, for people coming aboard, and a Boating Memories section so you can keep a small scrapbook about your boat, its trips, and your fond remembrances you want to look back on.
All in all, your Boat Log & Record not only will give you the necessary "log" information your boating needs, but reward you with the boating information, help and inspiration that you want. Great for any skipper and a must for every boat lover.
ISBN 0-892147-06-8. Water resistant cover / size 8 1/2 x 11 inches/ 176 pages / white spiral bound (for lay flat operation) / 40 diagrams, illustrations and charts / Published by Marlor Press, Inc. / Price $17.95 in the U.S. and $26.95 in Canada.
This is a sample log entry page from the Boat Log & Record for a day's typical cruise. (Copyright 2004, Marlin Bree)Bree's Boat Log & Record is the biggest record keeper of its type at 176 pages.
