Watch systems to set up on offshore passages.

Before you set sails on a longer passage that includes night sailing, you should have an effective watch system set up to ensure that everyone is well rested to minimize fatigue, navigation and steering are carried out, adequate lookout is kept, the weather is checked, meals are prepared, maintenance is undertaken when necessary and so on.

Watch systems

There are no hard and fast rules for watch-keeping patterns or rotas. Depending on the number of crew and their levels of experience, the skipper may or may not opt to be included in the watches. There is no right or wrong way of setting up a watch rota. The “right” one is the one that works for that particular voyage, on that particular boat, with that particular crew. The perfect watch system probably does not exist.

Rest is critical to safety, and staying rested has to be a priority for every member of the crew. When you draw up a watch rota ensure that the crew have blocks of sleep of sufficient duration. Getting a full six-hour break once a day is probably the biggest boost there is to crew morale and energy levels. As per MCA guidance, adults need between 6 to 9 hours of sleep per 24h, preferably during one single, uninterrupted period. Research has shown that using the 4-on/8-off watch pattern provides sufficient levels of sleep. Shorter watch patterns (eg. 3-on/6-off) is likely to lead to sleep debt in a short period of time. See also Hours of Work and Rest section in the Master’s Guide to the UK Flag Large Yacht Edition. Although designed for merchant vessels, you will find a lot of wisdom on the subject in MGN 315: Keeping a safe navigational watch on merchant vessels.

Different watch systems may need to be adopted for different voyages, to suit the people on board and to respect the weather conditions. Whatever system you decide upon, you need to stick to it. If the day is sunny and nice, there is always the temptation to stay up on deck, that’s what we are all after - enjoying sailing. But you need to ensure that you get enough rest, especially as a skipper, because you never know when a situation could develop that requires all hands on deck. As per SOLAS a master should not be part of regular watches by adopting a three-watch system.

Another consideration is to time watch changes to coincide with mealtimes wherever possible so that we do not have to wake people up just for the meal. It also makes it possible for the crew to meet up and chat.

When deciding on whom to put into each watch, it is essential to have an experienced sailor on each watch and a mix of physical strengths. Someone up there needs to know ColRegs, weather and sail management. These people are usually assigned a Watch Leader position to make sure the operation of the boat is smooth. Having more experienced sailors in each watch is also a great way learning opportunity for less experienced crew. Once you set a watch pattern, try not to change it unless you need to. Changing a system could disrupt sleeping and the crew can get exhausted very quickly. But if the weather is going to be challenging do not hesitate to change things around to ensure that you have sufficient crew on deck.

The watch system can rotate, so crew do different watches every day. But for longer passages and period on the sea, the system should be on a 24-hour cycle. Otherwise, the off-watch times for each crew member will shift on a daily basis leading to fatigue. For a trip with short passages (1-2 days), this is advantageous as the crew have a chance to experience different watch times and conditions. But any longer than that and the crew effectively become permanently jetlagged and sleep deprived. To maximise the possibility of restorative sleep, the crew should be off watch at the same time each day. The effect of watch patterns and shifts on fatigue and performance is therefore critical to maintaining a safe operation. Shifts can cause:

• difficulties getting to sleep
• shorter time spent asleep
• sleep debt that leads to sleepiness during the watch

The effects of shifts are exacerbated when it includes night watch. This is because night work conflicts with our natural biological rhythms. Working during the night has shown to increase the likelihood of accidents and errors.

If you are short-handed (solo or double-handed) you will have to shorten the sleep cycles especially if you sail through busy waters. When solo sailing in more congested waters, 15 minutes of sleep (power nap) is all you can allow. Once you are in less busy waters with good AIS/Radar alarms you can switch from power naps to longer sleeping periods (1.5h and more).

Watch systems used on Bluewater Miles trips (PDF)

RYA recommendations for watch rotas

MCA recommendations on watch patterns

On-watch duties

• Helm/Steer to stay on the intended course
• Keep a proper lookout: frequently scan the entire horizon for other vessels, take bearings if another vessel is crossing the course, make radar and AIS checks (every 15 minutes)
• Monitor VHF
• Show navigation lights at night
• Trim sails and make sail changes in response to actual and expected wind changes
• Navigate to avoid any hazards
• Make the ship’s log entry every hour and plot the position on the chart at the end of the watch
• Prepare meals as per the watch rota
• Do the preventive checks (deck walk) as per the watch rota and make a habit to look around the deck for chafe and wear
• Follow standing orders (see below), e.g. when to call a skipper and/or off-watch

Watchkeeping rules

• Respect the off-watch: keep the boat sailing well and eliminate unnecessary noises
• Agree on who is responsible for waking the next watch. Will the current watch wake the off-watch crew, or will the off-watch set alarms and come on deck without assistance
• Come on deck about 5 minutes before the changeover
• Make a handover to the next watch:
  Make hot water available and replenish the snacks before the off-watch crew gets out of bed
  Explain the current situation, including a position on the chart, course, weather and sail changes, vessels in vicinity and any trends that might be useful for the next watch
• Keep the kitchen spotless by the end of the watch
• Keep the deck free of clutter by frequently tidying up lines and making sure everything is in order
• The off-watch should rest as much as possible to avoid fatigue on longer passages
• The off-watch that was the last on-watch should help the current on-watch if being called
• No matter how you feel try to always show up for meals and maintain watches to keep the morale and health
• Always clip on at night, when going to the bow and when you are alone on deck
• Drink water regularly throughout the watch
• Wear the right gear for the conditions

Standing orders

Even if the skipper is technically “off watch” the crew should be encouraged to wake the skipper whenever the crew is concerned or want a second opinion about something. The circumstances in which the skipper wants to be alerted are included in the so-called “Standing Orders”. This will vary depending on the boat, passage and experience level of the crew. Skipper might employ additional standing orders during a passage if needed (e.g. wake captain 2 NM from TSS).

Sipper standing orders (PDF)

Fair Winds and Following Seas!

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