Welcome to the OarLog blog. OarLog exists because the paper Fahrtenbuch by the boathouse door has always been the same three problems: it’s slow to fill in with cold hands, impossible to read at a glance, and it tells you nothing once the page is full.
This is where we’ll write about fixing that.
What you’ll find here
We plan to write about three things:
Running a rowing club. The quiet logistics — who’s out, which boats are free, what’s broken — and how a good logbook makes all of it lighter for captains and equipment managers.
Building OarLog. Design decisions, like why a boat is only ever one of four states, and why the distance figure is the biggest thing on the screen.
Life on the water. Short notes on rowing itself — the early outings, the season leaderboard, the culture that keeps a crew coming back.
What we believe
A club runs on trust and a shared logbook. Software should make logging a trip faster than the paper it replaces — a few taps at the dock, before you’ve carried the boat to the water — and then quietly turn those trips into the stats your committee actually wants.
Encouragement, not pressure. Your distance adds up; the club leaderboard nudges gently. No streak-shaming, no red badges demanding attention.
A note on pace
We’d rather ship one good release than chase a roadmap. If it’s quiet here, we’re on the water.
Thanks for being here.
— The OarLog Team