Directions for keeping the ship's log & Sample log pages

If you are totally at sea about something you found in a log, this is the place ask about it!
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Randi
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Directions for keeping the ship's log & Sample log pages

Post by Randi »

US Navy

From the National Archives: A History of Naval Deck Logs

1855:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 67_002.jpg
https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 67_020.jpg

1882:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 94_002.jpg
https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 94_004.jpg
https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 94_005.jpg
https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 94_020.jpg

1908:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 5_0002.jpg
https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 5_0003.jpg
https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 5_0020.jpg

1943:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 9-0002.jpg
https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 9-0003.jpg
https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 9-0004.jpg
https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 9-0020.jpg

1947:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 3-0002.JPG
https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 3-0003.JPG
https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 3-0004.JPG
https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 3-0005.JPG
https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 3-0006.JPG
https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 3-0030.JPG

1950:
No instructions found.
https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 0-0021.jpg

1955 (second half):
No instructions found.
https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 7-0007.jpg



US Revenue Cutter Service and US Coast Guard

1913:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 08_003.jpg
https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 08_004.jpg
(refers to Illustrative Cloud Forms)
https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 08_020.jpg

1921:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 1-0003.JPG
https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 1-0004.JPG
https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 1-0020.JPG

1930:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 0_0003.JPG
https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 0_0004.JPG
https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 0_0020.JPG

1950:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 3_0003.JPG
https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 3_0004.JPG
https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 3_0020.JPG



US Coast and Geodetic Survey

1895:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 5_0005.JPG
https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 5_0006.JPG
https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 5_0020.JPG

1933:
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ow3/ ... 0249_1.jpg
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ow3/ ... 0250_0.jpg
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ow3/ ... 0260_0.jpg



Royal Navy

1906:
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM% ... -005_0.jpg

1914:
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM5 ... -005_0.jpg




The US Navy log pages in the above links usually include a Modes of Expression section including:
  • Weather-Atmosphere
  • Winds
  • State of the Sea
  • Motions of the Vessel
You may find this helpful when reading the Events/Remarks pages.
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Randi
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Re: Directions for keeping the ship's log & Sample log pages

Post by Randi »

How [Royal Navy] logs are kept
kin47 wrote: Hello

The log books were as a rule monthly records.

The log books landed as soon as possible once the month was completed. It was landed at a port of call or transferred to a collier. Then it was sent to the Admiralty. On Home Stations, the process was very speedy. On foreign stations, the logs would arrive as much as six to eight weeks after it was sent.

This process prevented the very thought of more than one log being lost with the ship, except in rare instances on some foreign stations. This might occur while the ship was at sea and lost at the beginning of a month, before the prior month's log was landed.

In addition to all the other hazards to which the log book was subjected to aboard the ship, there was always a possibility the ship (warship or transport) carrying the log book back to England could be lost or damaged and the log lost this way.

Finally, the logs safely secured in the Admiralty files, later the Public Record Office, were subject to some pilfering by collectors and enthusiasts.

I hope this offers a bit of insight to the subject.
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Re: Directions for keeping the ship's log & Sample log pages

Post by Randi »

Coast Guard

Commanding Officer's Monthly Report:






Code for classification of duty performed & Abstract of operations






Pay
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Re: Directions for keeping the ship's log & Sample log pages

Post by Randi »

Coast Guard

Quartermaster's Bridge Book, 1934:









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Re: Directions for keeping the ship's log & Sample log pages

Post by Randi »

The reality of log keeping....
Michael wrote: Thu Jul 28, 2022 5:56 pm Callao, Peru
26 March

Trouble in River City! I had noticed a number of what appeared to be corrections added after the fact. ;)

At 8 PM.
By order of Com'd'r W. K. Mayo, USN, Com'd'g USS Omaha, the Officer of the deck is to write the remarks and columns of the log during his watch, before being relieved, and the relieving officer is not to take the deck until he ascertains that the previous log has been written.
This order, dated the 27th, was inserted at the first continuation page for the 26th. The quote above was on the third continuation page.
Order. Hereafter before an officer signs remarks on this Record, he will compare the record with the Rough log which he has written whilst the Ships writer reads aloud to him the copy entered in this book, and the officer is enjoined to be faithful in the observance of this order. After the Signatures of the watch officers are appended, the log is to be scrutinized by the Navigator who will, under no circumstances, affix his signature until he is assured of the correctness of the entries.

(Signed) W. K. Mayo
Commander
Com'd'g

Callao
March 27th, 9 P.M.
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