diff --git a/rowers/courseutils.py b/rowers/courseutils.py
index 1badc1fa..32b38eb1 100644
--- a/rowers/courseutils.py
+++ b/rowers/courseutils.py
@@ -40,23 +40,23 @@ def time_in_path(df,p,maxmin='max',getall=False,name='unknown',logfile=None):
     if len(df[b==2]):
         if logfile is not None:
             t = time.localtime()
-            timestamp = time.strftime('%b-%d-%Y_%H%M', t)
+            timestamp = bytes('{t}'.format(t=time.strftime('%b-%d-%Y_%H%M', t)),'utf-8')
             with open(logfile,'ab') as f:
-                f.write('\n')
+                f.write(b'\n')
                 f.write(timestamp)
-                f.write(' ')
-                f.write(name)
-                f.write(' ')
-                f.write(maxmin)
-                f.write(' ')
-                f.write(str(getall))
-                f.write(' ')
-                f.write(str(len(df[b==2])))
-                f.write(' ')
+                f.write(b' ')
+                f.write(bytes(name,'utf-8'))
+                f.write(b' ')
+                f.write(bytes(maxmin,'utf-8'))
+                f.write(b' ')
+                f.write(bytes(str(getall),'utf-8'))
+                f.write(b' ')
+                f.write(bytes(str(len(df[b==2])),'utf-8'))
+                f.write(b' ')
                 if len(df[b==2])>1:
-                    f.write(' passes found')
+                    f.write(b' passes found')
                 else:
-                    f.write(' pass found')
+                    f.write(b' pass found')
         if getall:
             return df[b==2]['time'],df[b==2]['cum_dist']
         else:
@@ -64,20 +64,20 @@ def time_in_path(df,p,maxmin='max',getall=False,name='unknown',logfile=None):
 
     if logfile is not None:
         t = time.localtime()
-        timestamp = time.strftime('%b-%d-%Y_%H%M', t)
+        timestamp = bytes('{t}'.format(t=time.strftime('%b-%d-%Y_%H%M', t)),'utf-8')
         with open(logfile,'ab') as f:
-            f.write('\n')
+            f.write(b'\n')
             f.write(timestamp)
-            f.write(' ')
-            f.write(name)
-            f.write(' ')
-            f.write(maxmin)
-            f.write(' ')
-            f.write(str(getall))
-            f.write(' ')
-            f.write(str(len(df[b==2])))
-            f.write(' ')
-            f.write(' pass not found')
+            f.write(b' ')
+            f.write(bytes(name,'utf-8'))
+            f.write(b' ')
+            f.write(bytes(maxmin,'utf-8'))
+            f.write(b' ')
+            f.write(bytes(str(getall),'utf-8'))
+            f.write(b' ')
+            f.write(bytes(str(len(df[b==2])),'utf-8'))
+            f.write(b' ')
+            f.write(b' pass not found')
     raise InvalidTrajectoryError("Trajectory doesn't go through path")
 
 
diff --git a/rowers/tasks.py b/rowers/tasks.py
index b30bfd2f..e83d08c3 100644
--- a/rowers/tasks.py
+++ b/rowers/tasks.py
@@ -197,9 +197,9 @@ def handle_strava_sync(stravatoken,workoutid,filename,name,activity_type,descrip
         except:
             e = sys.exc_info()[0]
             t = time.localtime()
-            timestamp = time.strftime('%b-%d-%Y_%H%M', t)
+            timestamp = bytes('{t}'.format(t=time.strftime('%b-%d-%Y_%H%M', t)),'utf-8')
             with open('stravalog.log','ab') as f:
-                f.write('\n')
+                f.write(b'\n')
                 f.write(timestamp)
                 f.write(str(e))
 
@@ -448,13 +448,13 @@ def handle_check_race_course(self,
                                                  name=polygons[0].name,logfile=logfile)
         with open(logfile,'ab') as f:
             t = time.localtime()
-            timestamp = time.strftime('%b-%d-%Y_%H%M', t)
-            f.write('\n')
-            f.write('Course id {n}, Record id {m}'.format(n=courseid,m=recordid))
-            f.write('\n')
+            timestamp = bytes('{t}'.format(t=time.strftime('%b-%d-%Y_%H%M', t)),'utf-8')
+            f.write(b'\n')
+            f.write(bytes('Course id {n}, Record id {m}'.format(n=courseid,m=recordid),'utf-8'))
+            f.write(b'\n')
             f.write(timestamp)
-            f.write(' ')
-            f.write('Found {n} entrytimes'.format(n=len(entrytimes)))
+            f.write(b' ')
+            f.write(bytes('Found {n} entrytimes'.format(n=len(entrytimes)),'utf-8'))
 
     except InvalidTrajectoryError:
         entrytimes = []
@@ -473,11 +473,11 @@ def handle_check_race_course(self,
     for startt in entrytimes:
         with open(logfile,'ab') as f:
             t = time.localtime()
-            timestamp = time.strftime('%b-%d-%Y_%H%M', t)
-            f.write('\n')
+            timestamp = bytes('{t}'.format(t=time.strftime('%b-%d-%Y_%H%M', t)),'utf-8')
+            f.write(b'\n')
             f.write(timestamp)
-            f.write(' ')
-            f.write('Path starting at {t}'.format(t=startt))
+            f.write(b' ')
+            f.write(bytes('Path starting at {t}'.format(t=startt),'utf-8'))
         rowdata2 = rowdata[rowdata['time']>(startt-10.)]
 
         (
@@ -596,17 +596,16 @@ def handle_check_race_course(self,
         # add times for all gates to log file
         with open(logfile,'ab') as f:
             t = time.localtime()
-            f.write('\n')
-            f.write(timestamp)
-            f.write(' ')
-            f.write('--- LOG of all gate times---')
+            f.write(b'\n')
+            f.write(b' ')
+            f.write(b'--- LOG of all gate times---')
 
         for path,polygon in zip(paths,polygons):
             ( secs,meters,completed) = coursetime_paths(rowdata2,
                                                         [path],polygons=[polygon],logfile=logfile)
             with open(logfile,'ab') as f:
                 line = " time: {t} seconds, distance: {m} meters".format(t=secs,m=meters)
-                f.write(line)
+                f.write(bytes(line,'utf-8'))
 
         # send email
         handle_sendemail_coursefail(