Crew watch rotas for a 6 - 10 day passage

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RMHM

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Can anyone suggest a sensible watch rota for a crew on a 62' sailing yacht making a passage from Torquay to Gibraltar; the expected passage is between 6 to 10 days non-stop.

There will be a minimum of 4 crew - possibly 5 - but no more. The plan is to have 2 crew on watch at all times altho' perhaps this might be relaxed occasionallywhen not in shipping lanes/darkness/bad weather. The vessel has state of the art navigation systems, including radar.

I've been told that a watch (& rest) period of 4 hours should be considered. Does this make sense? Any thoughts on watch rotas generally? As ever, all comments will be gratefully received.
 
Firstly, RMHM, are you the skipper/owner, and have you done a long passage before? Regardless, most yachtsmen feel that if 4 peeps on board, then set two watch teams, each with a designated senior/watch leader, with either 3 or 4 hr watches round the clock (flexible during daylight hrs); 4 hr watches cycle better so as to avoid same team with same night watches; stand-down team cooks cleans & sleeps; if 5 then consider still keeping 2+2, with skipper/owner as floater and overseerer (but still seen to be working). My opinion and preferences but with apologies for mixed metaphor, horses for courses ...
 
Beware of having one person alone on watch at night - you might find an empty space at the breakfast table next morning!
Never change a complete watch in one go, but instead change people one at a time to allow for one person on watch with good night vision at all times.
Skipper should not be included in the rota if at all possible. If his/her attention is required in an emergency the skipper should always be able to rise to the occasion with 100% concentration.
Make sure that your people are on watch at different times each night.
At this time of year you will experience about 9 hours of darkness, maybe 10 by the time you are in South Biscay, so it should not be too difficult to arrange a system to cover the night hours.
I found these principles to be acceptable on a 35 nights passage across the Indian Ocean.
 
It's a good idea to have 4 hour watches during the day and 3 hrs at night.

All the boats I've sailed on have had one person on watch. If you can work 1 watch on and 2 off you'll be much less tired.

The one on watch should be clipped on when in the cockpit and should never go on deck unless someone else is there to see him if he falls.

If everyone on board is in the watch rota then you must decide whether the offgoing or oncoming watch is the standby for sail changes etc. If the skipper is out of the watch rota he can be on 24 hr standby.
 
With 5 people, 4 on 6 off, change one person every 2 hours.
If you need extra hands call the person due on in the next two hours. Changing every two hours helps reduce the boredom and on a larger boat you dont disturb the off watches going below as hopefully they all get a quiet cabin.

With 4 people its 4 on 4 off, change every 2 hours.
 
I did an 18 day passage on a 60ft with 4 crew. For the first 2 days we had watches of 2 on watch for 3 hrs and 2 off. After a couple of days once we were used to the boat etc we switched to solo watches, 2 hours on and 6 hours off throughout the day and night and it worked well. All depends on the experience of crew, weather, sea conditions etc...
 
We did the same but when we went to solo watches had 3 hours on 9 off during the day and two watches of 1.5 hours (4.5 off) during the night.

All assuming the self-steering works of course, otherwise just stick to two people 3 on/3 off.
 
depends on so many factors, but for a night passage in fairly busy waters, i think i wd alsways have two on watch at night with five people, partly cos it's a biot boring, also so you can chat/argue about what that thing is on the radar...
 
8 on 8 off changing one man every 4 hours with skipper as "floater"
3~4 hours kip between watches is O.K. for first few days but then crew is exhausted and that is when accidents happen - I much prefer 8 and 8 at least then you can get a decent rest on the 8 off.
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You phrase the question in an interestingly general way. Are you writing a book which includes a sailing trip? Is it a long-term ambition which you're exploring in your imagination before deciding on crew size, timing etc? Are you about to crew on a boat and don't want to ask the organisers about the parts that worry you? Is it a Health and Safety survey for your PhD?

All entirely laudable reasons and good fun for us answering but I for one would find it easier to answer if I knew what's really happening.
 
[ QUOTE ]
You phrase the question in an interestingly general way. Are you writing a book which includes a sailing trip? Is it a long-term ambition which you're exploring in your imagination before deciding on crew size, timing etc? Are you about to crew on a boat and don't want to ask the organisers about the parts that worry you? Is it a Health and Safety survey for your PhD?

All entirely laudable reasons and good fun for us answering but I for one would find it easier to answer if I knew what's really happening.

[/ QUOTE ]

Are you a private detective?
 
Be careful with a rotating system as it is much easier for the body to adapt to sleeping times when they do not change every night. I (and the crew) preferred to do always the same watch at night, if alone on watch not more than 3 hrs, if two on watch then 4 hrs. For this reason they do not rotate watches on commercial ships either...

Holger
 
Thanks again for such quick & helpful responses. The trip is real and not a PhD research project - but we might wish that it was when we are in the Bay of Biscay! The yacht is a well found 62' sloop. We really do leave, all being well, on Saturday bound for Gibraltar. I am not the skipper but he and I are discussing passage planning (see earlier message string on Torquay to Gibraltar).

The crew (either 4 or 5) has generally high levels of sailing experience & qualification - inc one member (not the skipper) who has made this very trip 3(?) times as a delivery skipper.

Thanks again for all your comments.
 
Whatever system you decide ....

One point often missed is the "Start as you mean to continue".

Too many start with everyone sitting around jawing, having a drink and generally all getting tired togther ... then its switch time and you have tired people on watch ... especially in the Channel and down to Ushant !!

Second and a point that wasn't in you original ? - The food / domestic also should start at start !!

For the trip length you are doing rotation or staggering of time to not have same time on watch is not so bad ... but longer - then the Ships way of fixed timings so that a person has watch at same periods is advised ... the body then adjusts to the sleep pattern better. But that was already suggested by another and I second that.

If you have an experienced crew / persons around you - then I am sure they will have their ideas ... discuss, agree and then stick to it BEFORE casting of ...

Good Luck
 
Re: Whatever system you decide ....

[ QUOTE ]
Too many start with everyone sitting around jawing, having a drink and generally all getting tired togther ... then its switch time and you have tired people on watch ... especially in the Channel and down to Ushant !!

Second and a point that wasn't in you original ? - The food / domestic also should start at start !!

[/ QUOTE ]

Don't just think about watch keeping at night. Remember the old adage:-

"Every good skipper gets at least 8 hours sleep a day. Anything he gets at night he treats as a bonus!"

Unless everyone gets some sleep during the day, you'll feel very tired at night.
 
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