Five Reasons to go Digital with Your Next Yacht Logbook

With the wonderful but ever-hectic show season just around the corner, now is the perfect time to think about how to streamline the day-to-day operations on board your yacht.

The often-quoted expression: ‘happy crew, happy owner’ seems especially relevant during these busy periods on board, with any product which reduces the stress and workload of crew especially welcome.

Step in the digital logbook! Recently launched by the innovative yachting logbook company, L. J. Commercial Services – based in the North East of England – the digital logbook has been causing a quiet storm in the industry thanks to its time and labour-saving traits, having already made an appearance on board numerous superyachts around the world.

Here, we explore the top five reasons to go digital with your next yachting logbook with help from Liz Jackson, company founder and owner at L. J. Commercial Services.

1. To save yourself time 

When you’re working aboard a yacht, time is everything, and there is no denying the time-saving benefits associated with paperless digital logbooks.

Not only does using a digital logbook significantly reduce recording time for crew in comparison with using traditional paper logbooks, but the process of actually getting the product on board your yacht is also much faster.

Brexit, the lasting complications of Covid-19 and ongoing issues with global supply chains mean that shipping a product such as a paper logbook can be a hugely time-consuming and lengthy process, taking several days, or even longer. Compare this to Liz and her team being able to set up clients digitally with exactly the same logbook within a matter of hours and it’s a complete no-brainer.

Plus, as it is a cloud-based solution, users are able to instantly access all of their data remotely. The digital logbook has the functionality to work both online and offline, depending on connectivity, meaning that users will never find themselves logged out, wherever they may be in the world.

 
2. To streamline your experience

Rather than having numerous paper logbooks which need to be filled in and kept track of separately, the digital logbook holds all the data for multiple logbooks in one highly secure location, with all subscriptions able to be managed from a single platform, and accessed via the touch of a button.

Over 16 different titles are on offer within the eLogbook platform, including Bridge, Engine Room, GMDSS (Global Maritime Distress and Safety System), Garbage, Oil Record Book and many more, offering historic record checking and a full flag-state audit trail and historical record checking across all areas.

Henry Murray-Cox, Chief Officer on board the 62 metre motor yacht Lemon Tree (ex: Cloud 9) puts it best: “We decided to make the switch to digital logbooks to save time. This means that we no longer have a number of different logbooks stacked up in the bridge and ECR. We now have just one iPad which we can use for all of our logbooks.”

As an added bonus, custom logbooks can also be added to suit the needs of each vessel, with a customised report suite created for each boat. Liz explains more: “Our log books are completely personalisable. We know from our own experiences on board as crew that engine rooms can be really diverse in their configurations, so will have different needs as a result.”

She continues: “Even though bridge logs tend to log similar information, the users of these are likely to have slightly varying requirements in how they want this information recorded – and this is no problem at all for us to accommodate. Every yacht is unique, so every logbook we produce is also different.

3. To tick all the boxes

Although it may not be the ‘sexiest’ of topics, it is vital to note that paperless digital logbooks also offer a flag state-compliant solution, thanks to months of painstaking work from the L. J. Commercial Services team to ensure that all of the relevant ‘i’s were dotted and ‘t’s’ crossed.

In other words, the digital logbook offers a full flag state audit trail, with historical record checking, including withdrawn entries.

As Liz explains: “Our logbooks are designed with the yacht, crew and governance bodies at their core. They are IMO, MARPOL and SOLAS compliant, designed to MEPC.312(74) standard, and provide crew, auditors, and flag states access to all data in real-time.”

She continues, “We are also really proud to be the official logbook for the Cayman Islands, as well as being both a Lloyds Register certified and Marshall Islands flag state-approved electronic logbook provider.”

4. To boost your security

With cyber security rightly on the top of everyone’s agenda in 2022, the digital logbook offers a highly secure alternative to recording and storing your data in paper form.

Complying with the IMO January 2021 Cyber Security Protocol, the digital logbook includes full end-to-end encryption, two-factor authentication, and the highest possible level of data security in place.

With the digital logbook, entries are digitally signed and auto-saved every thirty seconds to ensure no data is lost, with independent cloud backup via AWS used to ensure that no data outage occurs. The digital logbook also ensures Master Verification which replicates the process undertaken in hard copy log books.

In addition, whether it is for security concerns or other queries relating to logbooks, the team at L. J. Commercial Services are available 24/7, offering support and live chat to customers all around the world.

5. To save the planet!

Finally, alongside the convenience, user-friendliness and time-saving qualities outlined above, the digital logbook also represents a greener alternative to the use of traditional paper records. Less paper and less shipping means a smaller carbon footprint for your vessel – a quality bound to appeal to those with a sustainable mindset in 2022 and beyond.

To discover more about the broad range of logbooks offered by L.J. Commercial Services, including the eLogbook, visit the company’s website, where you can also book your own 30-minute personalised demo.