ABSTRACT
The day at sea is divided into six 4-hour periods called watches. These extend, and are named as follows:
From 8 p.m. to midnight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . the first watch From midnight to 4 a.m. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . the middle watch From 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .the morning watch From 8 a.m. to noon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . the forenoon watch From noon to 4 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .the afternoon watch From 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . the evening watch
In past days the evening watch was broken at 6 p.m. into two 2-hour periods called the first and second dog watches. This enabled two sets of watchkeepers (the watch-and-watch system) to alternate their routine day by day. Nowadays there are invariably three sets of watchkeepers, and the practice may only be used on small vessels manned by two watch-keeping officers.
