SeaMemo
How to make a photo book of your sailing trip
A good sailing trip photo book follows the route: one chapter per leg, three to five strong pictures per day, plus a map, the crew and a few lines from the logbook. The hard part isn't the layout, it is choosing. Here is how to approach it, and how to save yourself half the work on your next trip.
Why most sailing photo books never get finished
After a week aboard there are easily 1,500 photos on five phones. Some are in the WhatsApp group, some in the cloud, some are duplicates. Before the first page exists, someone has to collect, sort and weed out everything. That is where most projects stall.
The good news: once you know the structure, choosing goes quickly. And if the photos land in one place during the trip, the most tedious step disappears entirely.
The structure: one chapter per leg
A sailing trip has a built in story: arriving, the days on the water, the last evening. Follow it.
- Cover: a single strong image. The yacht under sail, your favourite bay or the crew on the bow. Add title and year, for example “Dodecanese 2026”.
- Opening: a map with the whole route and the key numbers: nautical miles, days, harbours, crew.
- The crew: one page with everyone aboard. Portrait shots work best here.
- One chapter per leg: an opening page with leg, date and miles, then three to six photos. One full page image per chapter gives the book room to breathe.
- In between pages: details such as knots, the galley, the harbour sign, the chart. They tell the story of everyday life aboard.
- Ending: the last sunset, a group photo on the pontoon, a line that stuck.
Choosing pictures in three passes
- Rough cull: anything blurred, duplicated or dull goes. Of ten near identical sunsets, one stays.
- Sort by leg: assign the remaining photos to the days. By capture date this is quick, as long as the clock is right on every phone.
- Pick per leg: one hero shot and three to five companions per chapter. Aim for variety: wide, close, people, details.
Rule of thumb: every spread needs one picture that carries it. If two hero shots compete for the same space, one gets its own page or goes.
Text people enjoy reading
- Leg header: “Day 3 · Kos to Pserimos · 12.4 nm · wind NW 4”
- One line on the mood: “First anchorage, first swim, nobody wants to get back aboard.”
- Crew quotes: the lines you will still laugh about in years.
- Logbook notes: if you kept a journal on the way, the best lines are already written.
Photo tips for your next trip
- Shoot morning and evening. Midday light on the water is harsh; the golden hour saves any subject.
- Keep the horizon level. Hard on a heeling boat, but a tilted horizon stands out in print.
- People at work: on the winch, at the helm, coming alongside. That says more than posed group shots.
- One overview shot per leg: harbour, bay or coastline. Later you will know exactly where you were.
- Protect your phone: waterproof case and lanyard. A phone overboard takes every picture with it.
- Mix portrait and landscape. Landscape for scenery and spreads, portrait for people.
Design it yourself or have it designed?
| Yourself with a photo book service | With SeaMemo | |
|---|---|---|
| Collecting photos | Gather from every phone separately | Already together in the trip |
| Sorting | By hand, by date | Already sorted by leg |
| Layout | Full control over every page | Designed for you, you state your wishes |
| Time | Several evenings | A request in the app |
| Several copies | Depends on the service | Volume discount for the crew |
If you love setting every page yourself, a classic service will serve you well. If you simply want a beautiful book in your hands, you can have it designed in SeaMemo. See photo book for how the request works.
Collect photos during the trip
The biggest time sink disappears if everyone puts their pictures in one place straight away. In SeaMemo the skipper invites the crew to the trip, and every photo automatically lands with the right leg. Together with route, miles and journal you get a travel journal along the way, which later becomes the photo book.
Get SeaMemo for free
Logbook, travel journal and crew in one app. For iPhone and Android, works offline at sea.
Frequently asked questions
How many photos should a sailing trip photo book have?
For one week, 80 to 150 pictures is a good guide: three to five per day plus a few full page shots. More photos don't make the book better, just busier.
Which format suits sailing photos?
Landscape or square. Horizon, sails and bays work best in landscape, and landscape spreads are ideal for panoramas.
How do I sort the whole crew's photos?
It's easiest if everyone collects their photos in one place during the trip, for example in the shared trip in SeaMemo. Then they are sorted by leg automatically.
What should I write in the photo book?
Short text works best: leg with date and miles, a line about the weather, a crew quote. Long reports rarely get read later.
Can I have the photo book designed for me?
Yes. In SeaMemo you request a finished book of your trip in the Cabin under Photo book. You get a personal quote by email, with a volume discount for several copies.