Thanks for the daily reports, Scott. I am surprised that you are doing so well with the E mail! The first few days of any passage are the worse. We always felt that the one night passage was the worst. Two nights are next, by the third night you get in the rythm--but if you keep doing one and two nighters you never do get in the swing. I strongly recommend that you start standing watches at dark--we usually did 3 hours, 9-12, 12-3, 3-6 and 6-9. We each got at least two hours sleep each off watch, and another two or three during the day--naps are essential, and we didn't formalize the day watches, but made sure that one or the other of us was on deck. If the bands work--fine. But I also would consider Bonine (Meclizine) -assuming no allergy. For those times when it is really bad--transderm Scope patches--again to be prescribed by the physician as per specific requirements of the individual. We read, wrote etc, but there are times when it is just not the time--and then back off. I am not surprised about the FLIR--I had thought they would have been better in fog than you describe. We have an inexpensive night vision scope--and rarely found it useful--realize that the FLIR is much, much better. But between Radar and our sense in dark adaption, I that seemed to be more than adequate. It might have been nice to get a better look at some of the "patrol" boats off Central America--but didn't make any real difference.... Make use of the good weather--and continue with the fair seas. On the other hand, if there is a place you want to stop, stop--and get some rest. Don't push it. Take care! Good voyaging! Bob Austin

BOB AUSTIN: > I strongly recommend that you start standing watches > at dark--we usually did 3 > hours, 9-12, 12-3, 3-6 and 6-9....we > didn't formalize the day watches, but made sure that > one or the other of us > was on deck. The vast majority of my deliveries along the Pacific Coast were myself and 1-crew. I personally greatly preferred a defined watch schedule during the daylight hours too - just made it more comfortable for the off-watch to scoot off and take a nap or grab a bite to eat. But I think most folks tend not to define watch schedules during the day either because they are so used to working together (like Bob and his longtime wife) or they just don't do a lot of multi-day trips where everyone's on the bridge all day anyway so it's easy to duck out and take a nap. When cruising with my partner of 12-years, she greatly prefers defined daytime watch schedules, though we often let the schedule lapse a little if the other person is napping and doesn't get up at at their scheduled watch time. Watch schedules seem to be a very personal thing. 2-hours is the perfect amount of time to stand watch, but incredibly imperfect for the off-watch: just can't catch-up on sleep. With my best, regular crew, we'd stand 4-hour watches, but that's rare I think, at least for coastal cruising versus ocean crossing. 3-hour watches seem to be the number I see most folks settle on, perhaps shorter during the night hours. Another common schedule is 4-hours during the day, 3-hours at night, though it can be hard to logistically 'fit' the schedule into a 24-hour period. For husband/wife teams, I sometimes see the husband take longer watches (especially for new cruisers) - but not always. One experienced couple I met who cruise a Willard 40 between the PNW and Florida have the perfect setup. He's a retired fireman and has always gotten up early. She's a retired ER nurse who worked graveyard for the bulk of her career --- she preferred the solace of nightime cruising. I don't recall their exact schedule, but I think they stood very long watches - she, almost all night (I think). Rotating schedules: Developed for offshore sailboat racing teams. The idea here is that no one gets "stuck" with the dog watches. I have never met anyone who uses this consistently. Given the choice, folks seem to prefer a consistently 'bad' to an inconsistent schedule, especially for longer passages where folks tend to develop a rhythm for their watch regardless of the hours. A delivery I did several years ago had perfect crew for watch schedules (perfect crew for a lot of other reasons too - a great trip): Dennis Bruckel and his friend Rick crewed from Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale. Dennis must have been a dairy farmer in a prior life because his NORMAL schedule is obscene: awakes at 3AM, in bed by 8PM. Rick, on the other hand, is a true Night-Owl, normally up past midnight and easily sleeps until 10AM. Between the two of them, the dog watches were comfortably covered. I guess there's no perfect watch schedule, you have to try several to find the one that works best for your style. What are other folks doing out there - for multi-day trips? Peter W36 Sedan San Francisco