How do you actually manage sleep on a 3-5 day passage with two crew?

[Frank Holden]

I

............


In one of his books, Alan Villiers describes the two watch system used on Finnish sailing ships:

0000-0400
0400-0800
0800-1300
1300-1900
1900-2400

I never knew I was Finnish!
That is essentially what we do, voyages up to 4 weeks.
We typically have dinner just before sunset. that means I get to turn in after dinner, typically about 1900/2000. Mate stays up until midnight. I then do the 12 to 4. Mate turns out at 0400. Makes breakfast at about 0700/sunrise. Thats when I relieve them.We don't keep 'watches' through the day. The mate can then turn in after b'fast for as long as they like. I shut my eyes for an hour or two after lunch. Watches resume after dinner.

 

[elenya]

We have done many long and short voyages and use the following watch system.

08:00 to 12:00
12:00 to 16:00
16:00 to 20:00
20:00 to 02:00
02:00 to 08:00

This system rotates you around different watches and gives you a long period of sleep each day.
Works well for the two of us. Last long voyage was NZ to Guam (29 days) ab5 day stop and refuel/ restore and then 25 days to Attu in Alaska. About 7500 nm.

We find the hardest voyages are coastal voyages of about 3 to 4 days. Oven voyages are far easier we feel.