Ships Logs

Our ship’s Logs are a daily record of life aboard our voyages; they capture the experiences, reflections, and achievements of everyone on board. Written collaboratively by the skipper and the youth crew, they offer an honest and engaging account of each day at sea. The skipper records an overview of the voyage, including progress, conditions, challenges, and highlights; alongside this, one member of each watch of trainees contributes a Reflective Journal that shares their lived experience in their own words.

When completing the Reflective Journal, young people are asked:

• If you could tell someone at home one story from today, what would it be?
• What happened aboard today?
• What part did I play in the day?
• What am I looking forward to next?

We also use additional prompts and support from the Afterguard crew to help young people write their log, so even if someone is not particulalry good at writing they will always feel they are able to get their thoughts into the log.

A rich digital record supports each Ship’s Log; this includes a navigational logbook, made possible by equipment generously gifted by Actisense and backend development from 50North 4WSest allowing us to display a live route map, environmental data such as solar power generation and CO₂ savings, and a gallery of images that bring the voyage to life. Together, these elements create a multi-layered record that documents not just where we sailed, but how young people grew along the way.

Our Ship’s Logs demonstrate how real-world challenge, reflection, and responsibility can unlock deep learning. For young people and families, they are a lasting record of adventure, achievement, and personal change.

For teachers and youth professionals who would like to explore this approach in more detail, our Ship’s Logs guide is available to download as a PDF, offering deeper insight into the educational thinking and structure behind the Reflective Journal.