Log Book

[grouchyturtle]

Up until this point, it's pretty much just been chicken scratch on a piece of paper, or a few rough notes in Outlook. Now that I'm about to start, though, I really need suggestions for a good "real" logbook for a UPV, preferably with a passenger manifest integrated.

I was actually throwing around the idea of using Wordpress. That way it's integrated with my site, I'm not using paper, and it's stored off the boat, with tape backups. If I went that route, I could even post photos of the signed waivers right in the log, and just give the original to the customer, and save even more storage space aboard. I'm a live aboard. Speaking of which...how long do you generally keep the copies of your signer passenger waivers?

I could really use a good template to start with, whether it's a source where I can buy one, software, online based, or even just a Word, Excel template.

 

[Diveboatmaster]

We have ship logs on our vessel that we purchase at West Marine. I keep my own Dive Boat Log at home. Used Microsoft Works and made own form with help from a captain friend. I could send it to you if you send me your e-mail in private message. I don't know how long the shop keeps waivers. A long time I think.

 

[grouchyturtle]

Thanks for the offer. I actually found a decent program I've been using. I hear from someone that there's really no need to keep the waiver after the trip, if there were no incidents.

 

[Capt Scotty]

Grouchy Turtle, I would rethink not needing the waivers after s trip. More than once I have seen people have to pull paper work from a trip as far as two year back. Not two long ago I was called by a law firm to verify a log book entry on a dive boat that I was running almost three years ago. Another boat had a incadent and they where verifying conditions for the day.

 

[grouchyturtle]

Yes, but all of that info is in the log, not on the waiver. It's the log that will help you in court, if someone decides to sue you, when nothing really happened, not the waiver. This is the answer I got from the guys who actually teach the class. There may be other scenarios where you'd want to keep it, that don't effect me, though. I'm not doing dive trips.

 

[oldsalt]

I keep a paper log for my own purposes. I have had to produce it several times for US Customs/Immigration and the RCMP. In each instance they were concerned about illegal border crossings. I have been boarded by the USCG and various police and have never had them ask to see my log.

 

[gnominic]

You aren't required to keep one unless your boat is inspected. If you are required to keep it you jsut need a lined paper book. There are some required entries, predeparture checks, radio test, etc. (I have a self-inking stamp for these checks.) You may also be required to log your life-saving equipment maintenance. We just buy ledger books with number pages for log books at work, and they pass just fine. Check the regs or call the inspectors; they should be happy to point you in the right direction. Overall, I think the inspections and the inspectors are pretty easy on the small boats, so you'll probly never have any issue at all.

Good luck,
-dennis