Logbooks are one of the last paper relics in the wheelhouse — but their days are numbered.
While paperless bridges have become the standard, there is one item that remains stubbornly analog: the logbook. Most vessels are required to retain records for five years, but the idea of storing stacks of paper books feels increasingly outdated. The 2024 amendments to the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) now recognize digital logbooks, finally bringing recordkeeping in line with modern standards.
“If ever there’s an incident on board, a paper logbook might be lost or damaged, leaving no record of what happened,” says Liz Jackson, founder of Digital Logbooks, which offers cloud-based systems tailored for the superyacht sector. “With digital logbooks, the gray area disappears. Audit logs, automated reports and permission-based access make it far more transparent and accountable. You’re going from rifling through pages in a storage unit to pulling up everything in seconds.”
Despite the advantages, adoption has been slow. A reluctance to stray from tradition is often compounded by a “fear of the unknown” and concerns over implementation, Liz says. “It’s an inherited practice. A lot of maritime institutions still train crew using paper, so it’s what they are used to.”
Early concerns over legal recognition initially slowed digital logbooks uptake. “One of the reasons that logbooks may not have been included in the initial digital development phase was due to various jurisdictions’ attitudes to digital data in judicial proceedings,” explains Peter Southgate, regional director of the Americas for the Maritime Authority of the Cayman Islands, one of the first flag states to endorse digital logbooks. This legal barrier has largely been removed thanks to the publication of MEPC.312(74) Guidelines for the Use of Electronic Record Books under MARPOL, which addressed the legal admissibility and data integrity of digital logbooks. “The way data is input into digital logbooks is constrained by the rules of entry, reducing the risk of errors or false entries,” Peter adds.
Providers like Digital Logbooks offer cloud-based systems tailored specifically for the superyacht sector. “We started with the official logbooks — MARPOL, GMDSS, garbage records — and worked with Lloyd’s Register to certify the system,” Liz says. Ultimately, “it’s about simplifying what already exists.” For captains and crew, that means less time spent on paperwork and more focus on operations.
Switching to digital requires Recognized Organization (RO) approval to ensure it meets the data entry, storage and security requirements. “The vessel’s classification society must verify that it has been installed correctly on board, including any offline or cloud-based backups. If the system meets all requirements, the RO will issue a written statement of compliance, which must be retained on board as proof of regulatory approval,” Peter explains.
The transition faces hurdles, but as Liz points out, it’s only a matter of time. “It’s like the move from fax to email. At first, nobody wanted to let go of their fax machines, but now they’re obsolete. The same will happen with paper logbooks — it’s just a question of when.”