The night watch

An hour of helm alone

The night watch is the quiet centre of any passage. The off-watch sleeps below, the instruments hum, and the whole boat is yours for a while.

watch     0000-0400
coffee    yes, in a lidded mug
lights    dim, red if you can
sound     the boat, the wind, the water

You hear the boat first

In the dark your ears take over. A change in the rigging's pitch means the wind is shifting. A new rattle below means something has worked loose. The boat talks all night if you listen.

Log it all

Course, speed, wind, and anything odd — written down, even if it seems like nothing. The morning watch can't read your memory. The log is the handoff.