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Old 05-10-2006, 01:17 AM   #1
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Default Watch Schedule

Anyone have a proven four hour system for a crew of 4 with overlaping on the first and last hours? Thanks in advance.
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Old 05-11-2006, 05:06 AM   #2
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Friends circumnavigated on their Cheoy Lee using that watch schedule, they liked it.

They ran a two-hour overlap, which they found very comfortable.
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Old 05-11-2006, 07:30 PM   #3
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We find we all get more sleep with little or no overlap except when foods being dished up.

I personally find with two watches each of two people running, a 3 hour on / off works fine 1900 to 0700, and 4 hours works fine 0700 to 1400, then team time together until 1900.

The watches switch over to do a differing time period for the next night. We've used this for 20 years and it keeps us all fresh even on longer trips.

JOHN
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Old 05-14-2006, 12:11 AM   #4
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I'm certainly no expert, but...

We're a couple of sea gypsies who have crossed three oceans while trying various watch rotations. We have come to learn that it's fairly easy to stand six hour watches by day and find it unfair that one of us get stuck with doing the two dark watches every night. It's also difficult to remain alert night after night.

The schedule we've finally settled into works well for the two of us when on passages of three days or longer. It keeps us fresh, well rested, in good spirit and shares the load fairly.

It makes for a hard day followed by an easy day.

0800 - 1400

1400 - 2000

2000 - 2400

2400 - 0400

0400 - 0800

Two 6 hour watches by day followed by three 4 hour watches at night.

This schedule shuffles the sun-sets & sun-rises... so that the same person isn't stuck in doing the same watches every day & every night.

The rotation works so one who has to do the two dark watches (2000 - 2400 & 0400 - 0800) gets a six hour rest followed by an easy afternoon & sunset sail and ending with one dark watch.

The one who has the one dark watch works the morning & early afteroon (0800 - 1400) and gets a six hour rest in preparation for the two dark watches.

Add a third crew member to the watch and you each enjoy a 10 hour break every other day!

We've recently been blessed with the addition of a cabin boy to our crew and we plan to get him into a routine of day and night periods, once we get underway again.

That's how we do it, anyway.

Kirk
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Old 05-14-2006, 08:56 AM   #5
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I don't think my comment about "overlap" was very clear. Here's how our friends organized their watches.

for example: Crew A, 0000 to 0400. Crew B, 0100 to 0500, Crew C, 0400 to 0800, Crew D, 0500 to 0900. etc., etc. So there are always two people on watch, but the last hour of one person's watch is the first hour of another's. The idea behind this is that one person is getting tired when a new, fresh crew is just coming on watch. They followed that for the six years of their circumnavigation and found it worked very well.

Some people have more energy than others, some people do better on day watches, others on night watch. As you travel, it's wise to adjust the schedule to accomodate crew members' strong and weak points.
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Old 05-18-2006, 08:13 AM   #6
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FWIW, I sail double handed with a crewmate that is less experienced than I. We both like as much uninterruped sleep periods as possible. Assuming no need for both on deck for bad weather, close encounters, etc.:

The watch schedule on VALHALLA is:

0500-1100 Stbd watch (me)

1100-1700 Port watch (her)

1700-1900 Both

1900-0000 Stbd watch

0000-0500 Port watch

This puts us both on deck (if required) to set sails for the night and day and a two hour overlap for sundowners, dinner and whatever.

Have been using this system for 14 years!

Terry
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