The very essence of offshore sailing is standing watch. Most captains will split the crew up into two to four groups and choose a time period of two to four hours when that person or group stands watch.
The following contains an article on standing watch, links to other websites and articles, and a checklist for watch standing procedures.
Tasks for the Watch Stander
It is the duty of the watch-stander to:
Maintain a sharp lookout in order to avoid collisions.
Hoist, trim, and shorten sail in order to keep the boat moving smoothly above 4 knots.
Maintain situational awareness of the weather via use of the radar, NAVTEX weather receiver, VHF and visual observations.
Monitor key systems of the boat to conserve resources and avoid problems.
Maintain situational awareness of our current position, course, destination and proximity to hazards. When running offshore, our position is updated at least once per watch on the paper chart. When running coast-wise, our position is updated at least once per hour on the paper chart.
Steer the boat.
Notice that steering the boat is last on the list of duties. On most boats the autopilot, does 98%+ of the steering on board. The duty of the watch stander is just that – stand watch.
Your watch starts with a brief check of the boat and key systems. Use the checklist below at the beginning of your watch:
Log entries: make entries in the log with our current position, weather (wind speed and direction, general notes), sea state, battery voltage and current draw.
Hand-pump the bilge from the cockpit: should have little or no water to pump. At most, there should be about 3-4 strokes where you’ll actually empty any water from the boat. If there’s more than that, please alert me; wake the captain up if necessary.
Energy management check battery voltage and drain (in amps). If the battery voltage (house set) is below 12.2 volts, consider motor sailing for an hour or two to recharge the batteries. If energy consumption at night is above typical consumption (about 10 - 15 amps for many boats) let the captain know.
Set a radar guard zone (see radar section for more info) and sweep the horizon once every 15 minutes or so.
You may still be half-asleep at the beginning of your watch. It’s acceptable to run through the checklist any time during the first hour of your watch.
Second Watch Stander
There are times when it’s desirable to have two crew members on deck – e.g. lots of squalls, heavy commercial traffic, rough weather, etc.. It’s OK for the watch stander to request that the next person up sleeps up in the cockpit, fully dressed in foulies and ready to go. Never feel that you’re “not manly enough” if you’re not confident in your ability to handle the conditions coming up on your watch or are afraid you can’t even stay awake. Remember, our lives depend on you, and any of us will be happy to stand watch with you.
Watch Etiquette
Coming Off Watch
When coming off-watch, you may have to wake the next crew member. Rather than shaking their shoulder (a good way to startle someone or even get punched!) shake their foot.
As a courtesy to the next watch-stander, make a pot of coffee or prepare a snack. You’re already adjusted to darkness, you’re awake and can handle the galley. Often, the new watch-stander will have enough trouble just getting dressed.
Overlap with the new watch-stander by 5 to 10 minutes. You’re not relieved of your duty until you confirm that the new watch-stander is awake and functional. Discuss the course, bearing, sea state, wind, and other conditions you’ve encountered over the past 3 hours of your watch.
Going On-Watch
Be considerate of your ship-mates – if your watch starts at 0300, don’t start waking up at 0300. Get up 15 minutes or so early, get dressed, and take the time to wake up. Be ready to relieve the watch stander promptly.
Gear-up: As you come up on deck, get the MOB fanny-pack from the person coming off-watch. This pack contains 3 small flares, flashlight, dye marker, knife, whistle and signal mirror. The contents of this small kit may make the difference between being seen and drowning if you go over the side.
A little tradition: When handing over the helm, the departing watch stander will tell the new crew the compass point and bearing, for example “South-by-southeast, 175 degrees”. The new helmsman replies “South-by-southeast, 175 degrees, all mine”.
The following links will take you to pages outside of SmartCaptain. Many of these links are to vendor / commercial sites like West Marine, magazine sites like Cruising World or certification sites like the American Sailing Association (ASA) or US Sailing.
Status - Discuss wind and wave conditions with the person coming off watch. Confirm current heading and bearing to the next waypoint. Discuss ships seen and other sightings.
Weather - Listen to the VHF (or SSB if offshore) for updated weather forecast
Reset the VHF Radio back to channel 16. If the VHF radio has a scan feature, set radio to scan channels 13 and 16.
Collision Avoidance
Radar - perform a radar scan at 2, 4, 8 and 16 miles every 15 minutes
Confirm that running lights are on (once per watch)
Mid-Watch Systems Check
Batteries - Check battery voltage. Run engine for charging if battery level is below 12.2 volts
Bilge- Check water level in bilge and pump if necessary
Engine - Check engine gauges for proper temperature and oil pressure when engine is running
Engine - Open engine compartment and perform a visual inspection looking for oil or coolant leaks.
Navigation (Hourly or once per watch at the Captain's discretion)
Check cross-track error and correct if necessary
Plot current location on paper chart
Update position in the log book
Standing Orders (Modify as required by the Captain)
Do not approach within 1 mile of commercial traffic. Change course as necessary to keep this distance.
Do not contact US Navy vessels without first notifying the Captain.
Maintain a minimum boat speed of 3.5 knots. Use motor as necessary to maintain this speed.
Reef down when winds exceed 18 knots apparent
End of Your Watch
Put tea kettle on stove so next watch stander has a hot drink.
The very essence of offshore sailing is standing watch. Most captains will split the crew up into two to four groups and choose a time period of two to four hours when that person or group stands watch.