Hi all,
I had occasion to write the below and thought it might be of general interest.
Watch schedules:
Watch schedules (for a couple) are a varied lot and if you find one that works for you, embrace it. And by works, I mean fending off fatigue. Getting enough sleep is a safety issue. Many a first few passages are riddled with anxiety for skipper and crew and become marred, even dangerous, by fatigue.*
Many advocate the 3-on 3-off watch schedule. For me, getting to sleep quickly was not easy as I was too anxious and wired up. So, it took 20-30 minutes to fall asleep and then awakened 10 minutes before my next watch meant that I only had about 2 ½+ hours of sleep and little of it was the deep refreshing sleep I needed. I quickly was overly fatigued.
I found I needed a 5-hour block of sleep augmented by a couple of naps. Ginger goes to sleep more easily and she would do 2000 to 0100 watch and I would do 0100 to 0600. Then it was Ginger on from 0600 t0 1000 and I on from 1000 to 1400. The afternoon was undesignated watches: whatever made sense according to fatigue, chores, etc.
So, we had one 5-hour period for sleep, a 4-hour period for a long nap and usually at least one nap in the afternoon. We were never fatigued. We often came to landfall feeling just fine while others took days to get their feet under them once again.
We always had dinner together and often lunch.
A reliable auto-pilot or windvane made the above possible.
Flexibility is key as the weather and boat needs could always dictate changes.
My best, Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy
*Fatigue is a valid reason to heave-to for a few hours and get some good sleep, a hot meal, and even take a shower. A good hot shower can transform someone who is feeling pretty beaten up and discouraged into an enthusiastic human being once again.