Logbook

A chronological record of a vessel’s operations, navigation and significant events.

Entries can include time, position, course, speed, weather, sea state, engine or sail changes, watch handovers, communications, drills, defects, incidents and persons aboard. The required content and retention depend on vessel type, flag, company and voyage; a private craft’s passage log may be less formal than a statutory ship’s log.

Records should be timely, legible, factual and attributable, with corrections made transparently rather than erased. Paper and approved electronic systems are both used, and the log can support navigation, maintenance, incident reconstruction and legal or regulatory evidence.