On a long delivery the boat keeps moving day and night; its safety depends on someone rested and alert being on deck every hour. A watch system is how that alertness is kept up for days.
Common systems
- Two crew
- Short, frequent watches; shorter at night, longer by day. Fatigue builds fast, so two is the limit on a long route.
- Three crew
- Each watch is followed by two off; the most balanced system on a long passage.
- Skipper
- Can be kept outside the rota, on call at any time.
Night rules
- Lifejacket and tether on deck.
- Nobody leaves the cockpit alone.
- Conditions for waking the skipper written in advance: change in wind or sea, a close-passing ship, a fault, any doubt.
Watch handover
- Position and course. Any deviation from plan?
- Traffic. Ships in sight and on AIS.
- Weather. Wind, sea and expected change.
- Boat. Engine readings, bilge, batteries, sail trim.
- Logbook. An entry every hour.
Why a system?
On a long passage the biggest risk is often not weather or boat but fatigue. A tired crew spots traffic late, decides slowly and lets small mistakes grow. A watch system means the boat is always watched by someone rested and the crew can sleep in turn. It is set before departure, and everyone knows their watch.
Typical systems
With two crew, the commonest pattern is four-hour watches, or shorter at night and longer by day. With three, each person gets a longer rest between watches, which makes a clear difference on long passages. The system is chosen for the boat's size, the crew's experience and the passage length; in bad weather watches can be shortened.
Handover
At handover, course, speed, weather, traffic and anything to watch for are passed on briefly and clearly. The new watch does not take over before their eyes have adjusted to the dark and they have grasped the situation. The handover goes in the log.
When to wake the skipper
Before departure, the skipper states clearly when the watch should wake them: wind above a set value, an approaching ship, an unexpected noise or alarm, a departure from course. When in doubt, waking is always better than not.
Food and sleep
Regular meals and enough water matter as much as the watches. Easy food for bad weather is prepared in advance. Off-watch crew rest lying down even if they cannot sleep.
Safety
On night watch, anyone going on deck wears a lifejacket and clips on when needed; a single watchkeeper does not go forward without telling someone.
The log
An hourly log entry of position, course, speed, wind and barometer keeps the watch alert and gives the next watch a clear picture.
A barometer falling fast over a few hours is one of the most reliable signs of worsening weather, and the skipper is told at once, even if the forecast said otherwise.
A watch system can feel tiring on the first day; the body settles into the rhythm by the second or third. So even on a short delivery it is applied from the start, with care that everyone rests well on the first night, when adrenaline makes sleep hardest.
A rested crew is the foundation of a safe passage, whatever the boat.
Plan the watches before the lines are cast off, and write them up where everyone can see them.