What is this? Your boat’s general logbook — a freeform record of everything that doesn’t fit somewhere more specific. Mooring inspections, weather observations, conversations with a yard, dock chatter that turned out to matter. The captain’s notebook, digitized.
The Basics
If Cruise Log is for trips and Maintenance Logs are for service history, Official Log is for everything else. Use it for:
- Daily observations — fuel prices, dock fees, fellow-boater advice.
- Inspections and surveys — annual safety inspection, insurance survey notes.
- Conversations worth remembering — the marine mechanic’s diagnosis, what the surveyor flagged, the price the new owner mentioned at the dock.
- Anything you’ll want to look up later but doesn’t fit in Tasks, Maintenance Logs, Notes, or Cruise Log.
Each Official Log entry is a type and the entry text, stamped with the date and time it was created, who made it, and where the boat was (your phone’s location). Quick to add, easy to scan back through.
Official Log entries can’t be deleted. You can edit an entry, and every change is kept in its Audit Log tab, so the log stays a complete record.
Key Things on This Screen
- Official Log entry tile — Type, the first line of the entry, and when it was created. The strip on the left reads Logged, or Modified once the entry has been edited.
- Arrow on a tile — Opens the full entry text and who created it, right in the list. Tap the tile itself to open the entry.
- + button (lower right) — Add a new entry. You need a connection to add one.
- Search — Searches the entry type.
- Tabs on an entry — Details, Photos and Audit Log.
How to Add an Official Log Entry
- Tap the + button.
- Pick the Type (types come from a set list; pick the closest match).
- Write the Log Entry — as much detail as you want. Plain text.
- Tap Add. YACHTWAVE stamps the entry with the current date, time and your location. Location must be turned on for YACHTWAVE, or the entry can’t be saved.
Tips
- Write more than you think you need. A note that’s too sparse to be useful in six months is worse than no note. Two-sentence entries are usually a regret.
- Add entries as things happen. Each entry is stamped with the time you add it, so the Official Log is a timeline of when things were logged. If you’re writing something up later, say when it happened in the entry text.
- Use Official Log for “things I told myself I’d remember.” Anything that starts with “I should remember…” probably belongs here.
- Official Log is where to put the why. The Maintenance Log says “replaced impeller — 2026-04-12.” The Official Log entry says “impeller failed at Faro outbound — sandbar strike at high tide, see chart photos.”
Troubleshooting
- “I can’t find an entry I made last month.” — Search by the entry’s type, then tap the arrow on each tile to read the full text. The entry text itself isn’t searched.
- “It says a location is required.” — Official Log entries record where the boat was. Turn on Location for YACHTWAVE in your phone’s Settings, then try again.
- “I can’t delete an entry.” — By design. Official Log entries can be changed (and every change is tracked) but never deleted.
- “My edit didn’t save.” — Make sure you tapped Save on the entry screen. If you tapped Back, edits in progress are discarded — there’s a brief confirmation dialog if you have unsaved changes.
- “I edited an entry but the Audit Log doesn’t show the change.” — Pull down on the Audit Log tab to refresh it. If nothing appears, check that something actually changed: saving an entry with the same values records nothing.
Frequently Asked
What's the difference between Official Log and Notes?
Official Log entries are dated events. They live on a timeline — what happened, when. Notes are reference material — things you want to remember but that don't belong to a specific moment (e.g. "ideal RPM at cruise speed", "boatyard contact list").
What's the difference between Official Log and Maintenance Logs?
Maintenance Logs are structured — date, type, engine/equipment, hours, description. They build your service history. Official Log is unstructured — anything that doesn't fit the structured format. The maintenance log says what was done; the Official Log can say why, what the mechanic mentioned, or what went wrong before you noticed.
Can I attach a photo or document to an Official Log entry?
Photos, yes — open the entry and use its Photos tab. For documents, upload to Documents and reference the document in your Official Log entry text.
Can I export my Official Log?
Yes — from the web version, use My Account → export. The mobile app doesn't export directly.
Is the Official Log visible to my crew?
Yes — anyone with access to the yacht sees the Official Log. Use Notes with the restricted flag if you need to keep something private.
See Also
- Cruise Log — for trips with start/end points and distance math.
- Maintenance Logs — for structured service history.
- Audit Log — system record of who changed what.
- Notes — for reference material not tied to a specific date.