How to Run an Offshore Watch
Over the summer, I sailed aboard a 66-footer in three long-distance races: the Block Island Race (186 miles), the Annapolis to Newport Race (473 miles) and the Marblehead to Halifax Race (361) miles. All three races were long enough that a watch system was necessary to keep our boat functioning smoothly and at a high level.
Standing a watch is the basic procedure on all naval, merchant, operational vessels and yachts. I learned on my first voyage at sea, on a troop transport ship, that standing watch is an important responsibility. Our crusty captain drove home the message: “Relieving a sailor late is a dishonorable offense.” We took the dictum to heart.
Setting up a watch routine and keeping to a schedule is important for racing and cruising vessels alike. There are many variations of watch rotations. The classic model for sailboats is to stand a watch of four hours on and four hours off. A crew gets into a regular routine on a long passage with this system.
On merchant ships, there are enough crew to schedule a watch that is four hours on and eight hours off. Junior members of the watch are assigned the 12-to-4 shift because it is either dark or light; the more complicated watch is when the sun is rising or setting as the light is changing, so experienced sailors are assigned to these hours.
Preparing to go on watch takes 15 to 20 minutes of preparation, depending on the wind conditions and sea state. Getting ready takes longer when the weather is rough.
At 0340 on the Annapolis to Newport Race, my alarm went off and I started the process. It was dark down below in the black carbon fiber hull. I was careful to leave my boots and foul weather gear in a convenient place. I get better rest without wearing bulky, wet clothing. On this night, large sail bags had been moved, and my kit disappeared. It took a few minutes to locate my gear.
My next task was making hot tea before sitting with the navigator to survey the wind conditions and our progress on the racecourse. It is important to understand the weather trends. It was hard moving around belowdecks with the wind blowing 22 to 27 knots. We were sailing to windward, and the boat was pounding in the ocean swells.
When I came on deck, I realized that it was foggy. The scene was a little ominous, but we pressed forward at 10.8 knots. My first act was to ask the other watch captain what had been going on. Soon after our brief talk, our ship’s clock rang eight bells, and I took over the wheel.
Any discomfort vanished as we settled into our watch routine, with the watch captain making sure morale is high and everyone is fully engaged. The first task is the roll call, confirming that everyone is on deck. Next, get every crewmember working in their assigned position. Take a good look at the trim of the sails, and check to make sure all lines and halyards are coiled and cleated properly. Look to see if anything is dragging in the water, and check for chafed lines. Look to see if there is water in the bilges.
Most important: Talk about the weather conditions and what changes are expected. Top crews always prepare for the next possible sail change depending on the weather forecast. This simple routine sets the tone of the watch.
Respect the demeanor in the cabin of the off-watch, and keep quiet on the deck. Sailors need rest. The time off will pass quickly. Discourage crew members from staying on deck during their off-watch period. People get tired and become ineffective. I find it difficult to sleep for long periods, but I’ve learned that being below and out of the wind gives sailors some relief.
Be strategic when running the engine to charge the boat’s batteries. Avoid running the engine all the time for one watch and not the other. It can be hard to sleep with loud engine noise.
A watch bill should be posted prominently so every crew member can see their time slot. A boat will get out of kilter when a watch system breaks down. The watch captain is responsible for making sure everyone stands their assigned watch. I find it soothing to hear the ship’s bell. It rings once at the end of the first half hour, and then a ring is added until the end of the watch, when eight bells announces that the watch is over and the new watch is on duty.
On a long passage, sailors can get lackadaisical. For example, it is easy to become dehydrated. Make sure every member of the crew has a water bottle and sips regularly. During the day, remind the crew to reapply sunscreen, make sure everyone is wearing shoes, protect your hands, and wear sunglasses and a hat.
Plan meals around the time of a watch change. The on-watch will find a happy crew if a meal is ready when they wake up.
I’ve had good success with the classic four hours on, four hours off model. Other effective watch systems include the Swedish watch system. There are two versions. One breaks up the time periods into watches of four, six, six, four and four hours. The other sets up watches of four, four, five, six and five hours. In these two schedules, the off watch usually eats just before coming up on deck; the shortest watches are during the coldest, darkest hours; and the longest watches are during the day, when the crew is accustomed to being awake.
To keep the crew alert, rotate positions during watch period. I believe one hour is the maximum length of time someone should be on the helm. In extremely rough conditions, an even shorter period is effective.
I smile thinking about how opposite watches sometimes get into a competition to see who has sailed more miles in four hours.
There is merit in setting a watch schedule where a few crew change watch every hour. This keeps disruption to a minimum. The important thing is to make sure that every crewmember keeps to their assigned time slot.
On an ambitious expedition across the Drake Passage to Antarctica, we set up a watch system for our eight-person crew that called for two crew to be on deck for only two hours at a time. Happily, the off watch enjoyed a well-earned six hours off watch. The wind was strong, and the temperature was below freezing. The boat had a fiberglass dodger in the middle of the deck. One of the on-deck crew could hide underneath the dodger and avoid the freezing spray. The two watch standers rotated every 30 minutes.
During our three offshore races, we experienced a problem in each race. Our procedure was to gather the leaders, talk about the issue and come up with a solution to fix it. Often, the planning took some time, and we were sailing slower than we would have liked, but once we put our plan in place, we were ready. In every case, we solved the problem and carried on.
“All hands” calls should be avoided. A better policy is to make a list of designated crew to be called for a specific problem. I find great satisfaction at the conclusion of a watch and have learned to be comfortable handing the control over to the other group.
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