Log book / maintenance book

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BoatCrazy

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I am in the process of ordering a new power head for my outboard. Comes with a two year warranty. I am looking for a log book to keep detailed records, of hours run, fuel put on board, maintenance records, etc..

What do you guys use? Not looking for something on the computer. I rather be able to carry it with me to and from the boat.

Thanks in advance!
 
Imake my own forms in MS Excel, print the forms, and fill them out in pen or pencil on the boat.
 
I use this softcover log. Bought it a few years ago at WM.
ShipsLog.jpg
 
I have used all different types of books, most of the time they are just blank pages that I keep information on.

This year, I'm using the one arks posted, not sure I like it so much yet.
 
I have a pretty extensive spread sheet that I use. It has pages for Maintainence, trip log, fuel usage, spare parts, and a couple of others. I print it out in sections, and keep the printed copies on the boat. At the end of the year, I bring the book home and update the spread sheet. Send me an email address and i will email it to you
 
I have the same one arks posted. I don't know anything else so this one works good for me. I have also experimented with a couple of electronic logs or apps but have not found anything I like yet.
 
Ive been to WM and seen their stuff, and wasnt so thrilled with their selection.

I have also done the app versions and they are ok, but sometimes very slow, and when you need to find something quickly, its not so good.

I think us boaters here should get together, make one, sell it, and let the profits go to BE. Just a thought. Seems we all have unique things we are looking for. Why not have a boating log made for boaters, by boaters!
 
I use Boating Suite, which is an in-expensive IOS app created by a boater. It includes maintenance, fuel, trip, and expense logs, plus "to-do" and shopping lists. It's iCloud enabled, so data you enter on your iPhone is automatically pushed to your iPad and vice-versa.
 
I'm not all that disciplined but at the helm I just keep a flip padnotebook and I scribble down hour meter reading, start and end, trip odometer start and end, destination to and from and water conditions. I normally fuel up so I record that by portstarboard tanks and cost.

After the season I rewrite all that info into a proper hard back log book and do a season summary.

Niles
 
I just use lined financial journal books that fit in a gallon ziploc , and daily record all maintenance, trips,, hours, fuel-used levels or filled each tank, catch, part #'s , wiring diagrams made before disassembly of connections, things to do or keep on eye on, etc.,etc. . It's surprising how handy much of this info can be later on. Memory is not as reliable as we often expect it to be.
 
I don't want to know how much I spend each year, I enjoy it much more not knowing.

Or to paraphrase Winston Churchill

"never before has anyone spent so much for so little"
 
Me either. I make good use of the trip and maintenance logs, and even the fuel log, but a complete tally could be nothing but bad.
 
I also use boating suite and really like it. I haven't tried the iCloud capabilities yet but look forward to that. I always have my iPhone and input from that. I know you were looking for non-electronic systems but the interface on the iPhone is really easy so you don't need a computer with you.
 
We always have guests write something in our log about the day. The log makes for great reading over the winter.
 
I bought my boat back in 1994 and used a spreadsheet from day 1 to track maintenance and repairs. Just about every turn of a screw or bolt is logged. Problem is Lotus 123 was king back then and that's what I used and I still use. I've got to bite the bullet and convert to MS Excel.
Surveyors love the section that has the listing of equipment with all the model numbers and serial numbers.
 
I use a Microsoft Office .xls I customized for my boating upgrades and service. I have numerous PPTs documenting installations of various upgrades where I imported pictures.
I also keep a document library of PDF's for everything on the boat in addition to the hard books that came with every device.
Bill
 
Just enabled the iCloud on Boating Suite. Wow, this is great, same info on all my devices!
 
SPJ- Scott, could you shoot me a copy of that log spreadsheet you use? Thanks, Mark

markrb2@gr5tfireescapecharters.com
 
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