Keeping awake on night watch

nigelmercier

nigelmercier

RIP
Joined
20 Jun 2007
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16,234
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Live in Kent, boat in Canary Islands
www.bavariayacht.info
I had an idea last time I did a night watch, I:

[1] Charged up my cell phone
[2] Set cell phone on Loud
[3] Called it from another phone, but didn't answer

Every 5 minutes (other phones may vary) it beeped at me to tell me there was a missed call. This helped to keep me awake, and prompted a timely look around.

Any other ideas?
 
The mobile phone gag reminds me of a stunt suggested by someone on here ages ago, for a long crossing. Send a text to your mobile but make sure your mobile is turned off at the time. Mid passage, out of cellphone range of land, turn your phone on. Go to sleep. The text will arrive when you are 10miles from your destination, and the phone will chirp. That wakes you up and you can prepare for your landfall.

Don't shoot me - I know it's barmy. I'm the messenger and I'm not recommending this. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
If you are somewhere safe and quiet, a managed nap of 15 minutes may mean that you feel fresh when it is busier. It's not just about being 'eyes open' - somebody needs to be 'at home' as well (especially if you are to identify somewhat confusing light configurations from certain forumites!).

Make sure you wake up using a kitchen timer or equivalent though (or maybe two different alarms).
 
Think of the big ships that will run you down. Always keeps me awake.
Failing that Raymarine autopilots have a watch facility that will beep every 10 mins.
 
R.T. McMullen, the 19th century yachtsman and author of "Down Channel", used to steer sitting on a small 3-legged milking stool. If he dozed off, he fell off the stool and woke up.
 
[ QUOTE ]
The mobile phone gag reminds me of a stunt suggested by someone on here ages ago, for a long crossing. Send a text to your mobile but make sure your mobile is turned off at the time. Mid passage, out of cellphone range of land, turn your phone on. Go to sleep. The text will arrive when you are 10miles from your destination, and the phone will chirp. That wakes you up and you can prepare for your landfall.

Don't shoot me - I know it's barmy. I'm the messenger and I'm not recommending this. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]


I kinda like that!
As a last resort strategy it's got a lot going for it. Unfortunately for us Dover based types our phones go "roaming" and pick up French services before we've passed the harbour wall.
 
I schedule checks and logs. ProPlus (caffeine tablets) when I am very low. Coffee. Cat nap -- I have developed the skill over the years to be half awake. For Lyme Bay just leave Ch 16 on. You won't doze off /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
 
I'm not really sure that I like standing a night watch with everyone else asleep, but last time I did this it wasn't a serious problem ... I had 4 - 8 pm and 4 - 8 am, got to see lots of sunsets and sunrises.

one thing which can help is a CD player loaded with with favourite tracks and equipped (please!) with headphone or earphones.

plot position at regular intervals.

Have confidence in your shipmates, then you can sleep when off-watch.

If single-handed, check your insurance policy. Mine is only valid for single-handed sailing up to 24 hours at a time, which I think is sensible, though a long trip such as across Lyme Bay might be a problem. You might have to put the engine on and go for it when you might otherwise have sailed.
 
If it gets really serious, and there is a danger you might actually go to sleep, dont be afraid of waking someone up and asking for help - they should be relieved that you had the guts to do it, rather than annoyed.

I would rather be woken by a shipmate, able to go back to bed a few hours later, than by a Bang as we collide with another vessel, or go aground, when the consequences dont bear thinking about.
 
on the way back from St Malo I woke up at the wheel of a 40ft power boat, it was after a good weekend, about 5 pm half way back, how long had I been asleep, /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
 
Is this a troll?

If it isn't then God help us!

Why would you set off on a passage when you're half asleep or cannot carryout your (legal) duties as a skipper or watch leader?

Can someone enlighten me?

Am I missing something here?

Peter.
 
The reality is that at a time when the body expects to be asleep if it is comfortable and quiet it can be difficult for many to keep awake, and this is a problem that applies to all who keep night watches or shifts.

Certainly when I was involved with marine equipment all ships autopilots had a watch alarm which would set of an alarm in the captains cabin if the button was not pressed every 10 minutes.

As for the problem raised I think timer alarms that have to be reset to avoid waking the rest of the crew are good, and also cover for the inadvertant MOB .
 
As I get older I seem to find it easier to doze off. Crossing Baltic I find my head drooping quite often as sleep tries to invade.
I get into fidgeting, standup, sitdown ... anything that gets blood moving again. But it's a hard fight.

Music via headphones is a sure way for me to close eyes !

Worst time seems to be getting close to dawn or just after sunset ... psychological ?

I've tried various ways of preventing the 'nodding off' and haven't found THE answer yet. each to their own I think.
 
If you're smoking light one and then stick it not between index and midle finger but between midle and the next finger. That way it doesnt fall off and you'll be awaken by the warmth before you get burned by the fag.It has helped me always and as you see sometimes smoking is good when everything else fails.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Is this a troll?

If it isn't then God help us!

Why would you set off on a passage when you're half asleep or cannot carryout your (legal) duties as a skipper or watch leader?

Can someone enlighten me?

Am I missing something here?

Peter.

[/ QUOTE ]

/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
Yup - missing real life. Easily avoided until it happens to you. A great reason to read forums is to pick up on other people's experiences they have been open enough to share. Self regarding statements of the bloody obvious say more about you than the issue under discussion.
 
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