What Do You Do on Watch ?

[barnakiel]

Argh - true - my first mate would listen to short wave too! I like that a lot and picked up a lot of Spanish this way. Then in the Pacific we also listened to (Aus?NZ?) Voices of the Pacific in English. It was fun too - always something interesting on the places we have just been or just about to visit.

barnie

[capt_douglas]

I spend the watch in the cockpit with quick trips to the head, coffee/tea thermos, hourly log entries, and a quick look around.

I've never been comfortable reading. You're on watch; not reading, not snoozing, not hanging out below decks. On the boats I Captain we have two on watch. One is the watch leader and responsible for navigation and following the night orders. The other is the lookout, and just like the COLREGS, can have no other duties. No music. No headphones/earbuds. No reading.

You're responsible for the safety of the vessel, crew, and guests. That's a lot of responsibility and most off watch crew appreciate the fact you're paying attention.

As for watches we do 4-hour daylight ad 3-hour night watches. That means you stand watches during different parts of the day. Some watch lists use set times, thinking that getting into a set routine makes standing watch easier. I don't know about that but I do know that 2-hour watches should be avoided at all costs.

I have, as a singlehander, done mini naps of about 20 minutes provided certain conditions are met and sleep in the cockpit. I have a screaming meanie (aka very loud and obnoxious) alarm clock that gets me right up. If I'm in a traffic area or see traffic either visually, on the AIS and within the CPA requirements I specify, or hear them on the VHF - no sleep. If I'm well off the shipping routes and everything looks clear, I'll take a power nap.

[bvimatelot]

Originally Posted by capt_douglas

I spend the watch in the cockpit with quick trips to the head, coffee/tea thermos, hourly log entries, and a quick look around.

I've never been comfortable reading. You're on watch; not reading, not snoozing, not hanging out below decks. On the boats I Captain we have two on watch. One is the watch leader and responsible for navigation and following the night orders. The other is the lookout, and just like the COLREGS, can have no other duties. No music. No headphones/earbuds. No reading.

You're responsible for the safety of the vessel, crew, and guests. That's a lot of responsibility and most off watch crew appreciate the fact you're paying attention.

As for watches we do 4-hour daylight ad 3-hour night watches. That means you stand watches during different parts of the day. Some watch lists use set times, thinking that getting into a set routine makes standing watch easier. I don't know about that but I do know that 2-hour watches should be avoided at all costs.

I have, as a singlehander, done mini naps of about 20 minutes provided certain conditions are met and sleep in the cockpit. I have a screaming meanie (aka very loud and obnoxious) alarm clock that gets me right up. If I'm in a traffic area or see traffic either visually, on the AIS and within the CPA requirements I specify, or hear them on the VHF - no sleep. If I'm well off the shipping routes and everything looks clear, I'll take a power nap.

Yep - like that - and its pretty much what I do except I do 6hrs during the day and 4s at night. The long Morning, or Afternoon, lets the off-watch get a meaningful time in his pit. Meanwhile, the On Watch preps up the next meal or does the domestics after the last meal. I dont tie the crew or myself to "total lookout" (unless necessary due to reduced vis, proximity of something or shipping activity) but I dont like to see the Watch on Deck reading or with ear-phones on....not only is it a visual Thing, its also an Audio one as well. Tony

[Jan Albert]

I'm way too new to this, but what about when you sail alone? Other than training your dog to bark at danger - and me distinguishing between him barking just for the heck of it - who else would alarm you? One needs to sleep too, I suppose... So, what do you do when you are Joshua Slocum of the 21th century in the middle of Atlantic on your first passage alone at 3am EST?

[FSMike]

This has been discussed a lot.Try searching the old threads. I think one was entitled "singlehanded-sleeping-good idea" or something like that.