How to keep your Passage Plan
with a Waterproof Paper Notebook

Being a RIB driver can be difficult at times - You are zooming along at 35knots whistling your favourite tune, not a care in the world with a clear view of everything - and then the skies turn dark and the rain starts. Not just your ordinary drizzle but heavy sharp pounding rain which always seems to come at you horizontally.

You can't see very well, the stuff is dripping down your collar -its not easy trying to adjust your wardrobe while navigating through the chop at speed. The wind has picked up, the swell just got another metre higher and you think - what was the bearing to the next waypoint.

I know its over there somewhere was it 075 or 095 degrees - and I'm sure there was a tidal rip and an obstruction - if only I had invested in those very fine all weather admiralty charts, although I might have had to remortgage the rib first - and anyway you can't read them at 35knots - and their too big to see while at the helm.

So....what you neeed is a small notebook with a summarised passage plan
- obviously waterproof so that it doesn't disintegrate in the rain or spray
- equally waterproof so if it falls in the water it is still readable
- small enough to fit in your all weather jacket
- big enough to be able to read it
- enough pages to mark up the various sections of the passage
- easy to flip over the notes from page to page
- easy to write on with comments in the rain if things have changed

and of course easy to attach to the boat so it doesn't blow away in the wind.

that was my challenge - so for the last 8 months we have been testing all types of substrates and inks in order to find a solution. I'm glad to say that we have come up with a product which I think does all of the above criteria which is available at http://www.flavell.com/shop/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=64

The best size for me is the small pocket book. I have now had one sitting in the water since May 2008 and it still seems to be coping.

Best of luck with your boating

Gordon Flavell

http://www.flavell.com/