User Guide

Boat Logbook + PDF is an app designed to make it easy to record and manage your boat voyages from your smartphone.

It can record your GPS track from departure to arrival and help you manage voyage information such as harbors, boats, passengers, voyage time, photos, maintenance records, and fueling records.
Saved voyage records can also be reviewed, edited, and exported as PDF files.

1. Getting Started

When you launch Boat Logbook + PDF for the first time, you will be guided through the basic setup required to use the app.

First, select the app language. You will then register the following information:

1. Captain
2. Harbor
3. Boat
4. Boat ownership type

Boat Ownership Type

You can choose whether the boat is personally owned or company owned.

If you select company ownership, you can also configure voyage purposes.
Setting a frequently used voyage purpose as the default makes it quicker to complete voyage records later.

These settings can be changed later from Registration Management or Settings.

2. Home Screen

The top section of the Home screen shows the current voyage recording status.

When no voyage is being recorded, you can start a new voyage using your default harbor and default boat.

When a voyage is already in progress, tapping the voyage status card returns you to the active voyage recording screen.

From the Home screen, you can open:

• Registration Management
• Voyage Records
• Maintenance Records
• Fueling Records
• Settings

If any maintenance items are due, a maintenance notice may also appear on the Home screen.

3. Registering Harbors, Boats, and Passengers

Open Registration Management to manage the information used in voyage records.

Harbors

You can add and edit harbors.

A frequently used harbor can be set as the default harbor.
The harbor marked with a star is the current default harbor.
Other harbors can also be reordered.

Boats

You can register a boat name and model name.

A frequently used boat can be set as the default boat.
The boat marked with a star is the current default boat.

Passengers

Registering passengers in advance makes it easier to select them when completing a voyage record.

One registered passenger can be set as the captain.
The passenger marked with a star is the current captain.

Voyage Purposes

If company ownership is enabled, you can add and edit voyage purposes.

A frequently used voyage purpose can be set as the default.

4. Starting a Voyage Record

Tap the voyage status card at the top of the Home screen to open the voyage recording screen.

Press the main recording button to start the voyage.

The first time you use voyage recording, Boat Logbook will request permission to access your location.
Location access is required to record your GPS track.

Once recording begins, Boat Logbook records GPS positions and can display information such as:

• Voyage track
• Distance traveled
• Current speed
• Maximum speed
• Elapsed time

5. Voyage Recording Screen

The voyage recording screen is the main screen used while underway.

Top Information Display

The top of the screen can display up to five information items.

You can change which items are shown and their order from:

Settings → Voyage Record Screen → Top Information Display

Available items include:

• Speed
• Maximum speed
• Elapsed time
• Distance
• Sunrise
• Sunset
• Total voyage time
• Heading

Some values, such as speed and distance, can also be tapped during a voyage to switch units.

Map Controls

Heading Up / North Up

This button changes the orientation of the map.

Heading Up rotates the map so that the direction the device is facing is shown toward the top of the screen.

North Up keeps north at the top of the map.

Current Location

Moves the map back to your current position and resumes automatic location following.

If you manually move the map, automatic following is disabled.
Tap the Current Location button to resume following your position.

Bathymetry Layer

Shows or hides the Boat Logbook bathymetry layer on the map.

Voyage Track

The track button controls the display of the GPS track recorded during the current voyage.

Tap

Tap the track button to show or hide the voyage track.

Long Press

While a voyage is active, long-press the track button to open additional display options.

Hide track up to here

Hides the portion of the track recorded before your current position.
Only the track recorded from that point onward will remain visible on the map.

Show full track

Displays the complete track again, from departure to the current position.

If you choose Hide track up to here, then turn the track display off and back on, the shortened display range is preserved.

To restore the complete track, long-press the track button and select Show full track.

Heading and Course Lines

When enabled in Settings, Boat Logbook can display direction lines from your current position.

Heading line indicates the direction the device is facing.

Course line indicates the direction of travel calculated from GPS information.

The length of these lines can be configured from:

Settings → Voyage Record Screen → Direction Line Distance

Weather

Current weather and wind information can be displayed near the top-left of the map.

Tap the Weather button at the bottom of the voyage recording screen to open detailed weather information.

The Weather screen can show:

• Current weather
• Temperature
• Feels-like temperature
• Wind direction and speed
• Maximum wind gust
• Humidity
• Atmospheric pressure
• Visibility
• Three-day forecast
• Chance of rain

Weather data is provided by WeatherAPI.com.

Taking Photos During a Voyage

While a voyage is active, use the camera button at the bottom of the screen to take a photo.

The photo is saved and linked to the active voyage record.

After the voyage has been saved, you can also add photos by choosing either:

• Take Photo
• Choose Photos

Tap a saved photo to view it in a larger preview.

6. Finishing and Saving a Voyage

Press the main recording button while a voyage is active.

After confirming your arrival, GPS recording stops and the Save Voyage Record screen opens.

You can review or edit information such as:

• Departure date and time
• Arrival date and time
• Departure harbor
• Arrival harbor
• Boat
• Voyage purpose
• Passengers
• Captain
• Photos

After confirming the information, tap Save.

Finding the Arrival Time from the Track

If GPS track data is available, you can use Find Arrival Time from Track.

Tap the arrival location on the map.
Boat Logbook searches the recorded GPS track for times when the boat entered the area around that point.

Select one of the displayed candidates to use it as the arrival time.

If the Voyage Has Not Actually Ended

If you accidentally started the arrival process while you are still underway, tap:

Resume Voyage Record

Boat Logbook returns to the voyage recording screen and continues GPS recording without saving the voyage as completed.

7. Resuming an Unfinished Voyage

If Boat Logbook is opened while an unfinished voyage still exists, the app detects the active voyage.

You can then choose whether:

• You are still underway
• You have already arrived

If you choose to continue the voyage, Boat Logbook reloads the saved GPS track and resumes voyage recording.

8. Viewing and Editing Voyage Records

Open Voyage Records from the Home screen to view saved voyages.

The list displays information such as:

• Voyage date
• Departure harbor and time
• Arrival harbor and time

You can filter the list by departure date range.

For each voyage, you can open the menu and choose:

• Details
• Edit
• Delete

The voyage details screen can display:

• Departure and arrival information
• Voyage duration
• Voyage distance
• Boat
• Captain and passengers
• Voyage purpose
• Photos
• Memo
• GPS track

Adding a Voyage Manually

Tap the + button on the Voyage Records screen to add a voyage manually without recording a GPS track.

This can be useful when entering a past voyage or a record that was not recorded with Boat Logbook.

9. Exporting Voyage Records as PDF

You can select multiple saved voyage records and export them as a PDF.

1. If necessary, filter the records by departure date.
2. Tap PDF Export.
3. Select the voyage records to include.
4. Choose whether to include photos.
5. Generate the PDF.
6. Use your device's share sheet to save or send the file.

PDF selection mode also provides Select All and Clear All options.

PDF Language

The language used in exported PDFs can be selected independently from the app display language.
This allows you to use Boat Logbook in one language while generating PDF reports in another supported language.

Free and Pro PDF Output

PDF export is available in the free version of Boat Logbook.
PDF documents generated by the free version include a SAMPLE indication.

An active Boat Logbook Pro Annual subscription removes the SAMPLE indication from generated PDF documents.

10. Maintenance Records

Open Maintenance Records from the Home screen to manage maintenance history for each registered boat.

Select a boat, then tap the + button to create a new maintenance record.

Maintenance records can include:

• Maintenance date
• Maintenance item
• Quantity
• Unit

In addition to the built-in maintenance items, you can create custom maintenance items.

Maintenance Alerts

Maintenance alert settings can be configured separately for each boat.

For supported maintenance items, Boat Logbook can use both:

• Elapsed months
• Accumulated voyage hours

When a configured maintenance interval has been reached, a notice may appear on the Maintenance screen and the Home screen.

11. Fueling Records

Open Fueling Records from the Home screen to manage fueling history for each registered boat.

Fueling records can include:

• Fueling date
• Fuel quantity
• Quantity unit
• Fuel cost
• Currency
• Fueling location

If both the fuel quantity and cost are entered, Boat Logbook automatically calculates the unit price.

When creating a new fueling record, the previously used quantity unit and currency may be filled in automatically.

Saved fueling records can later be edited or deleted.

12. Settings

Open Settings from the Home screen to customize Boat Logbook.

General Settings

Available settings include:

• Theme
• Language
• Boat ownership type
• Distance unit
• Speed unit
• Coordinate format
• GPS recording accuracy
• Keep screen awake during voyage
• Low battery warning

GPS Recording Accuracy

You can choose between Standard and High Accuracy.

Higher GPS accuracy may increase battery consumption depending on the device and surrounding environment.

Low Battery Warning

When enabled, Boat Logbook displays a warning during an active voyage if the battery level reaches 20% or lower.

Voyage Record Screen Settings

You can configure:

• Top Information Display
• Heading line
• Course line
• Direction line distance

13. Data Transfer and Backup

Open:

Settings → Data Transfer and Backup

to create or restore Boat Logbook backup files.

Creating a Backup

Tap Create Backup.
Boat Logbook creates a backup file that can be saved or transferred using your device's share function.

Restoring a Backup

Choose Restore Backup and select a Boat Logbook backup file.

Before restoring, Boat Logbook shows a summary including:

• Backup creation date and time
• Number of voyage records
• Number of photos
• Number of GPS track points

For safety, backup creation and restoration are disabled while a voyage is actively being recorded.

14. Purchases and Boat Logbook Pro

Open:

Settings → Purchases & Pro

to view the in-app purchases currently available for your platform.

Boat Logbook currently supports:

• Remove Ads — a one-time purchase that removes advertisements.
• Boat Logbook Pro Annual — an annual subscription that removes advertisements and removes the SAMPLE indication from generated PDF documents.

All core Boat Logbook functions remain available without purchasing either option.
The free version can generate PDF documents, but those PDFs include the SAMPLE indication.

Prices are displayed by Google Play or the App Store and may vary by country or region.

If a previous purchase is not reflected correctly, use Restore Purchases.

15. About Location Information

Boat Logbook uses your device's GPS for voyage recording.

Before starting a voyage, confirm that:

• Location services are enabled on your device.
• Boat Logbook has permission to access your location.

GPS accuracy may vary depending on the device, satellite reception, surrounding buildings, weather, and other environmental conditions.