Deck Log Book Entries

We are posting a small collection of recommendations on filling out a ship's

logbook. It may be useful for young navigators. The collection is based on
the requirements of conventions and OCIMF .

ALL ENTRIES HAVE TO BE MADE IN CLEAR CAPITAL LETTERS IN BLUE INK.

CORRECTION FLUID SHOULD NEVER BE USED, CORRECTIONS CAN BE DONE
BY ACCURATELY CROSSING WRONG ENTRY.

Every Watch Deck Log Book Entries

 Bridge watch level (I, II or III) with names of helmsman and lookout as
applicable.

Time and position of Bridge watch level change.

 Ch. List Nav Change of nav. watch completed

 Position fixes with interval in accordance with passage plan (Visual and
radar position fixing and monitoring techniques should be used
whenever possible.)
  Courses steered and time of alterations in course.

 Movements of the vessel in the sea, rolling, pitching, etc.

 Weather observations and significant changes in the weather.

 Details of abnormal events or conditions.

 Manual Steering should be tested at least once a watch when

automatic pilot is in use

 E/R attended / unattended (+ UMS Log Book).

 Safety/Security Rounds were done by previous watch.

 Nav Bridge Equipment Ch. List completed (once per day)

Arrival/Pilotage/Departure

Arrival

 Engine Room attended, ME tested and set to manoeuvring mode. (at

least 1 hour before arrival)

 Pre-arrival Ch. Lists Nav completed. All equipment found in good

working condition.

 Ch. List Navigation in Coastal Waters completed.

 Master in conn, change of Bridge Watch level to No. II, name of lookout
Mr. Trainee.

 BNWAS de-activated.

 End of Sea Passage

 Manual steering engaged

 Pilot ladder rigged and visually inspected, Pilot boarding arrangements

checked –all ok.

 Pilot on board, name of pilot Mr. Pilot.

 Change of Bridge Watch level to No. III.

  Master-Pilot information exchange carried out, Ch. Lists Nav completed.

 Passed breakwater (if applicable)

 Pre-mooring operations meeting with mooring personnel carried out.

 Mooring stations manned, mooring equipment tested and found in

good working condition.

 Bow Thruster tested – ok

 Tug(s) made fast, stating location and tug(s) name.

 First line ashore.

 Tug(s) away

 All fast, finish with engine and bow thruster.

 Arrival condition: Drafts fwd/aft, bunker IFO/MGO, FW and

displacement.

 Accommodation ladder visually inspected – ok;

 Gangway down, pilot disembarked.

GMDSS Log Book – when closing the radio station/watch – same shall be
recorded as per STCW Code Part 4-3 (19,20)

Departure

 Steering Gear Tested (within 12 hrs before departure)

 All crew members on board (1 hr before departure)

 Stowaway search carried out, no stowaways and/or suspicious objects

found.

 Departure condition: Cargo loaded, Drafts fwd/aft, bunker IFO/MGO, FW

and displacement.
  Pre-departure Ch. List Nav completed. All equipment found in good
working condition.

 Ch. List Navigation in Coastal Waters completed.

 ME tested ahead/astern, Bow Thruster tested – ok.

 Pre-mooring operations meeting with mooring personnel carried out.

 Mooring stations manned, mooring equipment tested and found in

good working condition.

 Master in conn, Bridge Watch level No. III, name of lookout Mr. XXXXXX

 Pilot on board, name of pilot Mr. Pilot.

 Master-Pilot information exchange carried out, Ch. Lists Nav completed.

 Tug(s) made fast, stating location and tug(s) name.

 Last line on board, departed berth

 Tug(s) away

 Pilot ladder rigged and visually inspected, Pilot boarding arrangements

checked –all ok.

 Passed breakwater (if applicable)

 The pilot was disembarked.

 Change of Bridge Watch level to No. II

 Start of Sea Passage

 Auto steering engaged

 Change of Bridge Watch level to No. I, OOW in command

 BNWAS activated, alarm time setting – min

GMDSS Log Book – All pre departure tests as per STCW Code Part 4-3 (14)
completed. All distress and safety radio equipment (EPIRB, SART, VHF) and
the reserve source of energy are in efficient working condition

On sailing while the station opened all records as per STCW Code Part 4-3
(15,16)

requirements
Deck Log Book Entries

Anchorage

 Time when anchor is dropped (Nav. Lights changes, AIS status

updated)

 Port/Stbd anchor is use, quantity of shackles in the water.

 Actual depth from the navigational chart, corrected for relevant tide
and actual depth as per echo sounder to be recorded once anchored.

 Nature of bottom to be recorded.

 Reference control bearings to be taken from the fixed objects.

 Bridge watch level I

 Security watch fwd/aft and hourly security rounds (if applicable)

 Before departure from anchorage all tests and check as per Departure
section of this document.

 Time commenced heaving up anchor

 Anchor aweigh, anchor clear

Weekly Deck Log Book Entries

Deck Log Book Entries

 All LSA and FFE weekly/monthly checks carried out as per SOLAS
regulations.

 All SCBA checked for leakage

 All Fireman's outfits are on proper place in good order;

 L/B and rescue boat Engines were tested run ahead/astern for a period
3 min. OK;

 Weekly test of Fire Alarm system was done;

 Test of Emergency Diesel Generator was done;

 Drills as per QDMS schedule;

 Weekly Inspection of Accommodation, Galley and Provision Space;

Additional information

In addition to national requirements, it is recommended that the following

events and items, as appropriate, be among those recorded:

Before commencing the voyage

Details of all data relating to the general condition of the ship should be
acknowledged and recorded, such as manning and provisioning, cargo
aboard, draft, result of stability/stress checks when conducted, inspections of
controls, the steering gear and navigational and radio communication
equipment, stowaway and contraband search.

Information related to navigation

Details related to the voyage should be recorded, such as courses steered

and distances sailed, position fixings, weather and sea conditions, changes
to the voyage plan, details of pilots' embarkation/disembarkation, and entry
into areas covered by, and compliance with, ship routing or reporting
systems.

A permanent record shall be kept containing all sight reduction computations

used to fix the vessel's position, as well as all azimuthal computations used
to determine compass error.

On special events

Details on special events should be recorded, such as death and injuries

among passengers and crew, malfunctions of shipboard equipment and aids
to navigation, potentially hazardous situations, emergencies and distress
messages received.
Deck Log Book Entries

When the ship is at anchor or in a port

Details on operational or administrative matters and details related to the

safety and security of the ship should be recorded.

Method of recording

SOLAS regulation V/28 requires that, if the records of navigational activities

are not maintained in the ship's log-book, they shall be maintained in
another approved form. Methods of recording should be permanent and may
be handwritten, electronic or mechanical.

Non-duplication

In general, information on the events and items specified before, which are
adequately recorded in a special-purpose log, need not be duplicated in the
ship's log-book.

Preservation of Records

In order to be able to restore a complete record of the voyage, records

should be maintained as follows:

 each page of the ship's log-book should have a page number printed
on it, and handwritten records which need correction should not be
erased or removed but should be rewritten after crossing out the
incorrect version;

 the times used in automatic and permanent recording facilities should

be synchronized by using a common clock;

 electronically or mechanically input records should be protected by

means to prevent them from being deleted, destroyed or overwritten;
and

 irrespective of the method of recording ships, should keep records for

as long as the Administration concerned requires, provided the fixed
period is not less than five year.
Logbooks

A number of different types of logbooks will be kept on board every vessel.

These will include the official log, the deck or mate's log, the engine room
log, rough logs, as well as the radio log, and sick bay log.

Judges and arbitrators place great evidential value on these logs as a

contemporaneous record of the vessel. Therefore, it is of paramount
importance that all log books are maintained in an orderly manner and fully
and accurately record all relevant factual information. Movement books, bell
books, or any other type of rough logs are also important items of evidence
and should be maintained in a neat and orderly manner.

The Master should ensure that the officers and crew are aware of the
importance of a logbook, and take care in making entries. Entries in the
logbooks should always be written neatly in ink. If a mistake is made, a
single line should be drawn through the relevant passage. Words should
never be erased, either by rubbing out or by painting with erasing fluid.
Erasures appear suspicious when logbooks are examined by the opposing
party to a dispute, and, in any event, techniques are available whereby
words which have been erased can be read. Furthermore, a judge or
arbitrator examining a logbook which has many erasures and is untidy may
draw adverse inferences about the way a vessel is generally maintained.

Deck Log Book Entries

Just as in the case of the Master's Report, entries in log books should be
concise, factual and objective: no entry of an important nature should be
made without due consideration and an account of an incident should never
be exaggerated. Where rough or scrap logs are kept, it is these which will
come under the closest scrutiny by the Court as they should have been
written-up as the events were occurring or immediately after the events
occurred.

Deck Log Book Entries

Engine room logs similarly need to be kept with the same thoroughness.

Logbook Entries
A proper record of the movements and activities of the ship shall be
maintained at all times.

The recording of the movements and activities of the ship is of prime

importance in that it can demonstrate that the ship is at all times being
navigated in a safe and proper manner.

Deck Log Book Entries

From the entries in the Deck Log Book, Bridge Bell Book or any other record
book, it must be possible to establish the position of the ship at all times, and
the actions taken on the bridge concerning the navigation of the ship and
any factors which may have influenced these actions.

The instructions for the completion of the Deck Log Book, Bridge Bell Book
and any other navigation record book are to be strictly observed. Erasures
must never be made in the Deck Log Book, Bridge Bell Book or any other
navigation record book.

If an error is made, a thin line must be drawn through the error such that the
entry still remains legible. The correct entry should then be written beside
the error and the change initiated by the officer making the change.

While under way, deck log book entries should include (but are not
limited to):

 Movements of the vessel in the sea, rolling, pitching, etc.

 Weather observations and significant changes in the weather.

 Details of abnormal events or conditions.

 Time navigation marks passed abeam and distance off.

 Courses steered and time of alterations in course.

 Details of any accidents in navigation such as stranding.

 Details of any physical contact with other floating objects or vessels.

 Details of any salvage rendered, offered, or received.

  Deviations from the voyage plan and reasons therefore.

 Distress messages or signals received, assistance given, or reasons

why assistance was not given.

 Any other event which may result in an investigation by authorities.

 Times of arrivals, departures, anchoring, mooring, or berthing.

 Record of fire watch checks and inspections made.

 Sighting of passing aircraft, with their characteristics and approximate

courses.

Deck Log Book Entries

Entries referring to something unusual or if any doubts, before writing it is

convenient to discuss with the Master.