A day in the life of an Ocean Watch Straddler on board racing yacht @teamtigress on Jua Kali.
Part 1: Disorientation
I could just leave it at this, quite frankly. But here is my story from day one of my ARC crossing... when we used to fly kites #nostalgia:
Having settled into the watch system with my crew, two teams, alternating around the clock, 6 hours on, 6 hours off, then 4 hour shifts overnight and a lovely rota of chores; all was balanced and dandy, until fate dealt me an alternate hand.
A discovery was made, per chance, when Glenny was helming and I made her a tea and a bowl of leftovers at the end of my shift, in overtime I must add, then hand fed her over the wheel. The bright idea was that it was rather useful having a tea bitch to hand, when the watch only had 4 people: 1 on helm, a Kite Trimmer, a Grinder and someone trimming the pole. Imagine flying a kite for a 6 hour shift and not being able to pee, eat a Haribo or flex a hamstring.
The Watch Straddler was born.
Glenny being Glenny, always with a bright idea, promptly devised a cunning rota for me that straddled the two main watches, the moment she came off the helm. I awoke to this hand written masterpiece (albeit my name spelt wrong - eyes to heaven) and was immediately plunged into my own watch. Rude, but not awakening!
Part II: Time
As a freelancer, weekends are a non affair with my busy work schedule; I hence never know what day of the week it is. Yacht racing on a gruelling watch system, always amplifies this reality. So having my own watch system, on top of the watch system and not having a powered up mobile phone on, 24 hours a day, like a freelancer usually does, I’m basically living off the scale.
Then, there’s the matter of “what time does my watch start”?
Between doing boat logs in UTC, operating our watches on Boat Time UTC-2 or 3 and my mobile phone still showing GMT, I’m basically _______ (insert expletive).
After 1.5 days of my new watch, I started to lose the plot and found myself waking 1 hour late for one of my watches, then further plot loss resulted in me working 2 extra hours that I should’ve been asleep.
Part III: Controversial
And there remains the question on everyone’s lips: “What time does your watch start?”
Well it’s quite genius really. It’s 3 hours later then yours on the 6 hour shift, so I get to support both watches; then 1 hour earlier than yours for the 4 hour night shift, so each watch gets me for 3 hours per night watch. Make sense?
It completely does.
But then no-one gets it.
My one time error at the beginning has now left a trail of: When do we wake Marilyn up? When does your shift finish? How are we doing the chores rota? Maybe there should be three watches? Maybe we should go back to two watches?
Then, on the contrary, despite the general confusion, just when I’m about to go off watch, there’s the trend of: Oh, can you fill our snack bag up? Could I just go pee? Can you make a round of tea before you go? Can you top up my water and find my glasses, can you pick my nose? Finishing off with: What time are you back?
Part IV: Conclusion
I basically have worked overtime most of the time. Sleep during my daytime 6 hours off is always a challenge, as the other watches have their change over during my ‘sleep’ and there’s usually lots of noise, then a massive sail change at dawn. So it’s been challenging for me, especially as sleep is my hardest bit on a race to accomplish and I’m already crap with timing. Now we can’t fly a kite, due to the boat breaking left right and centre, the problem of noise is less and I can actually leave my watch on time, pretty much.
Most of the crew embraced the system and eventually the stragglers got with it too, in particular the benefits. And for me: I’ve inherited two teams; I spend my time with everyone; I hear everything going on; and it feels good to be able to help everyone, especially when the shits going down and the team need looking after. Plus I like being flexible.
Since we’ve experienced massive fail from this boat - pretty much from the moment I became a Watch Straddler - it’s been thrown into question whether such a thing is necessary anymore. But my little watch straddle has remained intact, despite the fact we can no longer sail with any headsails whatsoever now. It’s been handy to have a spare team player to rotate the chores and the driving, despite people having more time to pick their own noses and even sunbath, since we’ve became a cruising boat.
Off the boat, I live my life as a Polymath; but I believe being one on a racing yacht is everything! The ability to jump into different positions and hold it down for the team is essential. And so, I rose to this crazy routine of mine, albeit somewhat ‘lost at sea’ ;) Now we are cruisers, this still stands true, somehow more than ever.
The Watch Straddler aka Marilyn Napaul
@teamtigress on Jua Kali
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