Watch Schedule for Crew of 3

[donradcliffe]

The sleep studies I've seen emphasize the need for REM sleep on longer passages to keep from going nuts. I don't agree with all of this article.

https://www.sailmagazine.com/cruisin...and-seamanship

[Enfant Du Vent]

Snore wrote, " If a watch schedule does not compliment the normal circadian rhythm- it will result in loss of mental acuity and fatigue."
My personal opinion is based on passage from Bahamas to Bermuda and then Bermuda to Halifax, NS (each approx 8 days). As a solo sailor on my 32' sailboat, I would sleep approximately 2 hours; then get up and do whatever was needed, or if all was well just go back to sleep. Arriving in Bermuda, I showered / shaved / cleared Customs and then went to a bar for dinner/drinks. Felt no loss of mental acuity even after 2nd "Dark & Stormy".
-I think my success was based on the fact I always got a minimum of 8 hours sleep per 24 hours of sailing.
-PS: My mental acuity was good enough to take noon sites every day with my sextant (pre-GPS days) and make landfall without any problem.

[nhschneider]

When my wife and I were circumnavigating, our watch schedule evolved to no schedule at all. We found that differing conditions warranted different actions. If it was calm, warm and a full moon, a 6-hour watch was easy. If the weather had deteriorated, sometimes even two hours was a stretch. Furthermore, having a specific schedule would often keep me from sleeping soundly as being late to relieve someone from their watch is irresponsible. We found that we both slept better knowing that when the person on watch needed relief, they would wake the person off-watch, eliminating the need for someone to set an alarm or worry about oversleeping. Besides, regardless of the number of hours someone is on watch, the last thing you want is someone who is struggling to be alert to be on watch. It worked for us.

Fair winds and calm seas.