So I’m sure you can probably guess what a Travel Journal is but have you ever heard of a SAILING Travel Journal? It’s SO much better and has been designed specifically for sailors that love to go sailing and travel to different destinations.
Let me explain what’s inside our Sailing Travel Journal and why you need to get one!
Where did the Idea Come From?
As you will know if you’ve read our About Us page, I’m currently sailing down to the Mediterranean from the UK with my partner and our miniature Jack Russell ‘Scrappy’ and living aboard our 34 foot Dufour sailboat. I knew I wanted to record as much of our journey as possible so I could look back at our adventure in the future and remind myself of everything that we did and all the experiences we had.
Since we moved aboard our boat in May 2017 I have been keeping a diary, trying to keep on top of a log book, taking loads of photographs and even more videos but have found it a bit of a struggle to get all the details down about each marina / anchorage that we’ve been to and each journey we’ve had. I’ve only got so much space in my diary and it’s not enough! I wanted some structure and somewhere to keep everything in one place.
I looked online but couldn’t find exactly what I wanted (or anything really close to what I had in my mind). So I made one myself!
I thought about exactly what details I want to record and remember then found a way to structure it and this is what I came up with!
The Sailing Travel Journal is Born
Our Sailing Travel Journal. It’s a Travel Journal, log book and diary all in one, encased in some beautiful, unique nautical themed covers.
There are 10 different nautical themed covers available. Choose from landscapes, vintage maps, a young (sulky!) Victorian boy in a sailor outfit, nautical wallpaper design, close up pictures of ropes (sheets!) or an old peeling wooden boat to name a few!
The Interior Pages
Inside the front cover, the nautical theme continues. On the front page there is space for you to fill in your and your boat’s details for referring back to if and when needed.
I decided to add some index pages so you can quickly look up a Marina / Port and turn to the page rather than flicking through every time you want to check something. The star rating was included so you can see at a glance your favourite places to visit in case you want to go back there in future. There are two double page spreads in the journal – 100 slots in total to fill!
The Port Information pages took a long time to perfect. I thought long and hard about what would be useful information to record and what I’d want to remember about a place.
The left hand page has been designed for the facts and figures.
The obvious had to be included: the name of the port and country it was in (who knows where these journals are going to end up?! Mine have the UK, Holland and France already and we have big plans for next year too!) I thought writing the Latitude and Longitude would be useful for plotters and also to know what the courtesy flag is (so you can make sure you have it onboard ready!).
The next section is more a log book section where you can record the journey travelled from the previous port. I included it in the Port Information section rather than it’s own so it could have some context. The items included are all the things I’d want to note down plus a few more.
Next is the general information about the Port. This can be filled in before your journey whilst you do your plan if you wish so you have it to hand when it’s needed and know for sure that you’ll be able to get into your chosen destination when you arrive.
After that – the facilities they have at the port. This can help you plan where you can get certain jobs done if you are travelling long term (like we are) or can just be filled in as general information about a place whilst you are there.
The Recreational section: I always like to know what’s on and the things I can do when I get somewhere. What’s the fun of getting somewhere and sitting on the boat – I love to go and explore my surroundings!
The right hand page is more of a diary format so you are able to record all your thoughts and feelings about a place.
I admit. I have an obsession with food and LOVE to sample any local specialities! (I walked 30 minutes across the centre of Amsterdam just to buy the best Stroopwafel in the city!) As my plan is to eat my way across Europe, a box purely dedicated to food and drink was a must – you never know what your new favourite food is going to be or what you’ll come across on your travels!
Every place you visit will have a best bit whether it’s a restaurant, beach, walk, museum visit, swim off the boat… this is the space to record that in: the Visit Highlights.
Everywhere we go, we meet new people on our travels and it’s great to keep in contact with them in the future. We’ve met fellow travellers, long term liveaboards, people on holidays and business owners and for one reason or another, want to keep in touch with them. The box has been included so you can write down names, numbers, emails, addresses – whatever you need to stay in touch! It will also help you remember where you met them and help jog your memory if it’s been a while when you do get in touch.
The notes box is there to record anything else that doesn’t fit in any other section.
Boats always need maintenance and whilst on a trip, things always come up that need doing that might slip your mind if you don’t note them down. You can also record jobs that have been done in this section.
After your visit, go back to the first box and give the port a rating from 0-5 stars so you can quickly look back at any particular place and see if it’s worth a return trip!
There are 100 double page spreads in each journal – room for plenty of trips!
Pretty much all boats that I’ve seen have an engine – the size of them varies massively but all have one thing in common. They all use fuel.
I’ve included all the things I like to keep tabs on and think are useful to know. This kind of information can help you with future planning as you can work out how far you’ll get with the fuel you have or how much it will cost to travel a certain distance.
There are two double spreads in the book – 100 slots in total.
The Beaufort scale has been included at the back for referencing if you need it. I have included a scale on each Port Information page so thought an explanation was needed!
I don’t know about you, but I’m always planning my next adventure! I thought it would be great to have somewhere to record my plans, ideas and bucket list! There are 3 pages like this at the back of the book for you to use if you’d like.
The Covers
I had great fun making these covers. I have picked a wide range of images so there should be something for everyone! If there isn’t one you love – give me an idea of what you’d like and I’ll see what I can do!
Have a scroll through and pick your favourite – let me know in the comments below!
I’ve had so much fun designing and making these Sailing Travel Journals and I CANNOT wait for Spring 2018 to roll around so we can get back out there and use these!
Have you managed to pick a favourite?!
Where to next?
I hope you enjoyed reading this and it inspires you to record your sailing adventures! I’d love to hear your thoughts and answer any questions you may have so please leave a comment below.
I’d also really like to see how far these journals manage to travel with their captains – if you’re happy to share any of your completed pages to help others that would be incredible! Please post them below or on our Facebook page!
If you’d like keep in touch with us via our social media pages, you can find our pages here:
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I love this idea! My husband and I are currently looking to purchase a bluewater sailboat and I will definitely need one of these once we become full-time liveaboards. I love the Vintage one with the globe!
Thank you very much Kristi! I’m glad you like them! Ooo fab! what boats are you looking for and where are you hoping to purchase?! 😀
We always fancied doing this unfortunately following a RTA we are not fit enough. Good luck with your travels though.
I’m sorry to hear about your RTA – what about going on a Sailing Holiday for a week or two? They can provide a skipper if you need one so all you have to do is relax and enjoy the sail! 🙂