iLog Sailing Companion

Application: iPad 5.1 or greater
Function: Ship documentation, log and lists
Cost: $9.99
Rating: ****


Lists, lists, lists.  I think I am an organized person most of the time and I love to make lists.  Maybe it is the engineer in me that needs to keep things orderly. I started out using the sticky Post It notes and then I graduated to yellow legal pads to make my lists  These lists contain the many projects I had to complete on the boat. I have thought of making a database or some elaborate spreadsheet to keep track of everything.  There has to be a better way!

As many of you yacht owners know, there are many things to keep track of and document on your vessel.  While your out cruising you will want to keep a log of your travels not only for fun but also for insurance purposes.  There is a ton of regular maintenance that needs to be done on your yacht. How are you going to keep track of what needs to be done and when?  How do you keep track of all the spare parts and tools needed to maintain your yacht?  How do you keep track of all the specifications and equipment on your yacht?  How do plan and keep track of your yachts provisioning needs?

As you can see, there is alot to keep track of, and you thought this cruising life was going to be all beach bars, jump ups and island drinks.  Think again swab!

Luckily, the folks at EastCoast Marine have developed the iLog Sailing Companion app to handle all of these tasks and lists for you.

Features:

• Create, edit and save ships log entries
• Date, time, location, SOG, COG, engine hours, wind, weather, pressure, sails and maps
• Save Trips by date
• Schedule, track and save history of yacht maintenance
• Create user defined checklists and task
• Schedule task by time
• Record lists and location of spares, tools and equipment
• Provisioning planning
• Create Maintenance tasks
• Maintenance log
• Specifications including vessel, nav/comm, sails, rigging, engine, length, beam, make and model
• iCloud support
• Day and night mode

The main splash screen allows you to select the function that you want to perform. You can select from Log, Checklist & To Do Lists, Inventory, Tools & Spares, Specifications and Maintenance pages.

The Log section is nicely laid out and allows the recording of pertinent data you will need to document your trip.

Trip details and log entries include date, time, speed, GPS location, course, engine hours, wind, weather, pressure and sail details.

Buttons at the top of the app are very intuitive and allow for creation of new entries, editing the log, ending your trip or starting a new one. The Map button shows you a geographical view of all your trips.

Handy roller dials and drop down menus are used to easily select the desired data in each log entry.

A comments section would be nice here to write additional observations not covered in the other sections.

The perpetual log for all your individual trips is kept on the device and can be backed up.


The Checklist page allows the captain to create his own custom check lists.  List can include Engine start, Oil change, Diesel bleeding, Safety briefing and Winterizing to name a few.

Numerous checklists can be created with their own unique list of tasks.  The tasks can be used over and over again.  Check boxes allow you to mark off the items on the list as they are completed.

To Do Lists can be created to remind you of tasks that need to be completed on your boat. Throw away those sticky notes and record all these item in the To Do List section.

Inventory Tools and Spares allows you to create a list of the needed spare equipment that your have on the boat. This inventory list will help you manage what spares you have and where they are stored on your yacht.

A complete list of your yachts Specifications can be recorded in the app for reference. The extensive Vessel list includes builder, designer, model, LOA, beam, draft, displacement, etc.

The General section included fuel, water, solar, wind, fridge, hot water and bilge pump ratings, capacities and quantities.

A Nav/Comm sections covers, HF SSB, VHF, chartplotter, instruments, autopilot, radar and other navigation equipment.

The Rigging section lists the halyard lengths and types.

The last section is to help in performing Maintenance tasks.  This section allows the captain to set up, track and manage all the regular maintenance required for the yacht's engine and other systems. Tasks can be set up at defined or reoccurring intervals. The parts and tools for the job can also be listed for reference. A complete history of all your maintenance is saved for reference.

As you can see, keeping track of all this information, equipment, tasks and maintenance that needs to be performed on a yacht is a big job.  This app simplifies these tasks and keeps you organized at the same time. 

What are you using as a yacht management system? Do you use an app like this or have you developed your own spreadsheets?

~~~Sail On~~~ /)
Mark