Sleep management offshore

bilbobaggins

bilbobaggins

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I'm looking for up-to-date thinking on sleep management and watch-keeping systems that work, reading into the race-proven suggestions of Dr Claudio Stampi. I'm told there was an article on this in a recent 'YandY' issue, but I cannot find a copy before likely departure.

Would anyone care to help?

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According to Alan Villiers, the watchkeeping system used on Finnish square-riggers, and on his ship "Joseph Conrad" was:-

0000-0400 /0400-0800/0800-1300/1300-1900/1900-2400.

This is designed for two watches, and AV reckoned it was well-liked.
 
Interesting. I find 4 hours just too long at night especially with 'watches' of 1 person. I am presently wondering about the best way to organise 4 people of varying levels of experience on a long passage. So I hope for some wise words on people's strategies.
 
I always tend to think of sleep management in terms of single handed.
The only watch system I have ever sat and thought about was for a 3 person crew crossing the Atlantic. We finally agreed on 2 hours on 4 hours off except for 2 daylight watches of 3 hours each. This kept the attention levels manageable at night. We never had to do the same watch pattern day after day and every 3 days you got a whole six hours off to catch up on your sleep during the day.
I have never worked a two person watch system but myself would prefer short watches even if it meant short breaks. I find two hours is plenty of time on watch at night by yourself if you expect to stay alert. We used to sail with the nav lights off and only turned them on if we saw a ship - so alertness was fairly essential as you could go for days without seeing a ship and then have two crossing right in front of you.
I have done a 2 person on watch at a time with a 4 person crew. Personally I think it is a waste of resources if there is nothing happening. Better to have someone to call if you are concerned than have 2 people sitting around the cockpit trying to amuse each other. This is all in my humble opinion of course.
 
I find that the watches I set will mostly differ for each passage, dependant on the following criteria:
1) Length of passage
2) Number of crew & experience of crew
3) Weather conditions - including air temperature & chill factor
4) Degree of awareness required - eg. is the passage through main shipping lanes?

The 4th condition will also often dictate how many people I will have on watch.

So, IMHO, answering your question without knowing anything about your passage and crew, is for me like answering the question "how long is a piece of string"....
 
I also consider what people like doing, and what their natural sleep patterns are.

I like the 0000 to 0400 period, which many dont. I also tend to rise late if possible.

Many yachties seem to be early risers, so something like 0400 to 0800 suits them, and they dont mind going on to around 10am being relieved after breakfast.

Subject to the passage plan, and conditions, I try to work something around the above.... but it always depends.

If I am crew, I have always offered to do the 0000 to 0400, or whatever the watch is around that time, and have never been refused - in fact most skippers are delighted.
 
IMHO based on many years of watchkeeping , the best system is one that allows people to get into a rythm - i.e. the same hours for a reasonable number of days, then (and only if really necessary) change - this way people get used to sleeping at the same time each day and get the best sleep per bunk hours.
 
Having sailed in almost every possible watch patterns on traditional vessels, some with rotating, some with non-rotating schemes, I am of the firm opinion that for effective sleep and some kind of rythm a non-rotating scheme is best. Watches shorter than 3 hours do not merrit getting up for, so 4 hours is ok, giving you either 4 or, with 3 watches, 8 hours of sleep/recreational time.

However, on a recreational trip with friends and only occasional nights at sea a rotating system is not a bad idea as less experienced crew normally cannot value a good 0000-0400 watch....
 
Middle watch is fine if you can sleep in the following morning. If not, I always felt a bit sleep deprived and preferred the morning 0400-0800. If you were lucky a bacon butty at 0630 when the chef started preps kept you going nicely until breakfast!
 
Depends on how many crew you have (and a few other things). Sailing two handed we do 4 on, 4 off. On the rare occasion we are three handed as above but with two dog watches 16.00 to 18.00 and 18.00 to 20.00. That way everybody gets to see a sunrise etc.
 
There is a very good paperback ' The Physcology of Sailing', may be out print now, but deals with issues such as this and offers a number of watch solutions. Pm me if interested and can't get a copy
 
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