Keeping Watch at Night ?

[settingsun]

Took a long time to figure it out, but we use an egg timer and with visual check and radar/chartplotter check every 15 minutes all day and all night, with one designated person on watch at all times.

On the west coast of Mexico we usually see just 1 boat every 12 hours, but it is often a small fishing boat with no lights, no radar return, and no AIS transponder on board...

[carstenb]

let's face it, a couple making passage is single aahnding part of the time, but! i drowiness becomes too much you wake your partner.

this is what we do. better to wake the other peron, than to fall alseep.

we have the credo "when you are on watch - you are on watch, no books, so earphones etc."

we both enjoy the sounds of the water against the hull and the wind in the rigging, we can listen to it for hours. we do keep an egg timer set for half an hour just in case one of us drowses off without realizing it

hasn't happened yet

if we have crew, we tell tell them - you are on watch- your job is to keep a lookout - nothing else (and this is only after we have learned that we can trust them)

anyone who can't abide by these rules is put ashore at first harbor and we pay a ticket home - better off without them

[NOMN]

SINGLEHANDING?

[Wrong]

Originally Posted by carstenb

let's face it, a couple making passage is single aahnding part of the time, but! i drowiness becomes too much you wake your partner.

this is what we do. better to wake the other peron, than to fall alseep.

we have the credo "when you are on watch - you are on watch, no books, so earphones etc."

we both enjoy the sounds of the water against the hull and the wind in the rigging, we can listen to it for hours. we do keep an egg timer set for half an hour just in case one of us drowses off without realizing it

hasn't happened yet

if we have crew, we tell tell them - you are on watch- your job is to keep a lookout - nothing else (and this is only after we have learned that we can trust them)

anyone who can't abide by these rules is put ashore at first harbor and we pay a ticket home - better off without them

Wow! Could get pretty expensive flying crew home 'cause they can't stay awake. Another reason to sail alone.

[Amapola]

Keep watch.

[Wrong]

Originally Posted by Amapola

Keep watch.

Hmmm. How many reasons can we imagine that a person cannot keep watch? They could possibly refuse to take their turn. They may fall asleep. They may simply not be observant, obviously putting the boat in harms way.

You choose. I assumed they cannot stay awake which seems like the most reasonable explanation. But hey, what do I know? I sail alone and must rely upon myself - not others to "watch".

[JPA Cate]

HI,

Some of you might be interested in a gizmo Jim bought for us. It is called a "Gym Boss." It is a countdown timer that is silent. But it sits in your pocket and vibrates like a rattlesnake's tail at the end of its set period. This avoids waking the off watch person accidentally, should you nod off. Usually, one wakes shortly before it goes off, if one has trained oneself to 8 min. naps.

Please understand, I am not suggesting we should sleep on our watches, but sometimes people accidentally fall asleep, and in those cases, something to wake the on watch without waking the off watch seems like a good idea to me.
FWIW.

Ann

[Wrong]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

HI,

Some of you might be interested in a gizmo Jim bought for us. It is called a "Gym Boss." It is a countdown timer that is silent. But it sits in your pocket and vibrates like a rattlesnake's tail at the end of its set period. This avoids waking the off watch person accidentally, should you nod off. Usually, one wakes shortly before it goes off, if one has trained oneself to 8 min. naps.

Please understand, I am not suggesting we should sleep on our watches, but sometimes people accidentally fall asleep, and in those cases, something to wake the on watch without waking the off watch seems like a good idea to me.
FWIW.

Ann

Much cheaper than flying folks who can't stay awake (or other) home!

[goboatingnow]

we both enjoy the sounds of the water against the hull and the wind in the rigging, we can listen to it for hours. we do keep an egg timer set for half an hour just in case one of us drowses off without realizing it

hasn't happened yet

if we have crew, we tell tell them - you are on watch- your job is to keep a lookout - nothing else (and this is only after we have learned that we can trust them)

anyone who can't abide by these rules is put ashore at first harbor and we pay a ticket home - better off without them

wow carsten, thats a very absolutist view. I doubt it will remain as you do longer and longer sails.


i

f we have crew, we tell tell them - you are on watch- your job is to keep a lookout - nothing else (and this is only after we have learned that we can trust them)

who sails the boats, trims, fixes things, cooks, cleans, does equipment checks. !!

we both enjoy the sounds of the water against the hull and the wind in the rigging, we can listen to it for hours

hours, try doing that for a month!, you'll find reading , listening to iPods etc very useful ( even though funnily , I watch the night sky for nights on end, but I accept people need their props.)

On the ocean , not a lot is happening, your absolutist view is untenable. Sailing across the English channel is different.

anyone who can't abide by these rules is put ashore at first harbor and we pay a ticket home - better off without them

you must be Ryanairs best customer.!!

The essence of leadership is not control , dominance or rule making, but to instill commitment and drive in others to pursue your goals as a common one.

dave

[Wrong]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

wow carsten, thats a very absolutist view. I doubt it will remain as you do longer and longer sails.


i

who sails the boats, trims, fixes things, cooks, cleans, does equipment checks. !!



hours, try doing that for a month!, you'll find reading , listening to iPods etc very useful ( even though funnily , I watch the night sky for nights on end, but I accept people need their props.)

On the ocean , not a lot is happening, your absolutist view is untenable. Sailing across the English channel is different.



you must be Ryanairs best customer.!!

The essence of leadership is not control , dominance or rule making, but to instill commitment and drive in others to pursue your goals as a common one.

dave

Or, you can become a single hander avoiding all the above regarding oversight, control and delegation of responsibility. The buck then stops with you!

[thomm225]

Some of you folks are getting a bit ridiculous. You mean to tell me you cannot read or listen to music and scan the horizon at the same time.

Maybe you rode the short bus as a child.....

[sabray]

On sabray we don't allow slouching. If your shoulders are forward of your toes while on watch we put you off the boat. You must stand watch no sitting or its off the boat. Prisoners I mean crew will check the horizon every two minutes or its one night in the box. Bunks will be clear and crew articles are properly stored or its one night in the box. Messing up the latrine one night in the box
Enjoy your cruise
Luke aka cool hand

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by monte

my nav lights are a PITA, they are mounted centre of the catamaran and reflect off the stainless pullpits either side. Also the plotter and instruments even on lowest levels are too bright. I usually throw a towel over the instruments and peek under when I need to.. Any suggestions? Im considering a tricolor masthead but would probbably be a pain to install, or seperate the port and starboard lights to each hull so they don;t reflect..

Maybe just a piece of the auto glass film to lay over the screen.

I noticed the same thing with my Garmin 5212. Didn't try anything before sold though.

[boatman61]

The singlehanders can't get insurance is cobblers.. it depends on the amount of experience you have under your belt and on the history you have with the company... the last boat I had I considered worth full cover was a 2001 Bene 331 bought in the BVI's from Moorings..
It was insured with Pantaenius UK with the stipulation it would be singlehanded 95%+ of the time.. and that I'd be soloing back to Europe... no sweat they said.. full cover upto 200miles offshore and 3rd party till 200miles from the Azores when full cover kicked in again... then the same going on to Portugal... £470/year..
Insurance company's are basically taking a bet on you... if you've been sailing for 15yrs within 15miles of your home port... you likely won't get it...
If you've been voyaging solo and crewed for the same amount of years from the UK, up and down W Europe and through the Med and the only claim you've made is for a lightening strike... you likely will.
They like to make money... not blow it on stupid bets.
So that's another myth put to bed...

[Astrid]

On sabray we don't allow slouching. If your shoulders are forward of your toes while on watch we put you off the boat. You must stand watch no sitting or its off the boat. Prisoners I mean crew will check the horizon every two minutes or its one night in the box. Bunks will be clear and crew articles are properly stored or its one night in the box. Messing up the latrine one night in the box
Enjoy your cruise
Luke aka cool hand

To which the proper response should be "Zum Befehl, Herr Kaleu!"