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Brendan
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30 Sep 2007, 07:01 PM
Post #1
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Unregistered
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Ships' crews are divided up into two or three watches and then subdivided into divisions, each commanded by a lieutenant and midshipmen. Officers lived in the three-watch system, which allowed them to sleep two nights through in three. Two watches was safer and more usual: half the ship's Company was on duty at once, but they never slept more than four hours at once. The two watches were called the larboard watch (larbowlins) and starboard watch (starbowlins); the third was known as the middle watch.
Every member of a watch had one position about the ship for each of his duties (making sail, tacking, fighting, etc.), and another for when both watches were called, and had to remember them whether wide awake or half-asleep, and while obliged by the King to drink a pint of rum or a gallon of beer a day.
For the purposes of the board, the two-watch system is in use aboard ship. References to the Marines and the times of their activities are largely fictional, created for the purposes of this board. References to sailors and their activities are accurate to history.
Source cited at bottom.
Shipboard Watches - Sailors and Marines
4 AM - 8 AM: Morning Watch
- Sailors of the off-watch are woken between four bells and six bells (six and seven AM) to wash and scrub the weather decks.
- Marines are woken at four bells to clean and check their kit.
- All hands (sailors and Marines) are piped to breakfast at eight bells (8 AM).
8 AM - 12 Noon: Forenoon Watch
- Sailors of the off-watch wash and scrub the below decks.
- Sailors of both watches are worked at the guns, in the yards, or with the boats.
- Marines not standing sentry conduct musket or bayonet drill.
12 Noon - 4 PM: Afternoon Watch
- All hands are piped to dinner, the main meal of the day, and receive their first ration of grog.
- Sailors who'd worked the forenoon watch are put at leisure, while the afternoon watch worked the ship.
- Marines not standing sentry clean their kit.
4 PM - 6 PM/6 PM - 8 PM: First and Last Dogwatch
- All hands piped to supper and receive their second ration of grog.
- Both watches were either put to work exercising the guns or turned up for "skylarking" on deck.
- Marines not standing sentry are put at leisure.
- Watches change at the end of the first dogwatch.
8 PM - 12 Midnight/12 Midnight - 4 AM: First and Middle Watch
- Sailors of the watch attend to minor tasks on deck.
- The rest of the Company are piped below to sleep.
- Marines not standing sentry go below to their section of the ship to sleep.
Watches at Fort Charles - Marines
4 AM - 8 AM: Morning Watch
- There are two squads of Marines are on sentry or walltops patrol duty in the fort and two other squads are on patrol in town at all times.
- The bugle calls "Reveille" at 5:50 AM and "Rouse" at 6:00 AM are made. All Marines are woken up and turned out of barracks for morning roll call. Marines draw their muskets from the armoury after this parade.
- The stablemaster and his assistants report to the stables and begin their duties.
- Marines who had been granted overnight liberty return by 7:00 AM.
- At 7:00 AM, Marines not on sentry or patrol duty are called to mess by the bugle.
- The bugle call of "Fatigue" is made at 7:30 AM and previously-designated Marines report to the guardhouse for morning work details.
- The bugle calls "Warning for Parade" at 7:45 AM and "Parade for Guard" at 7:55 AM are made. Marines going on sentry or patrol duty are paraded for inspection and assignments.
8 AM - 12 Noon: Forenoon Watch
- At 8:15 AM, Marines relieved from sentry or patrol duty are called to mess by the bugle.
- The bugle call "Sick" is made at 8:30 AM. Injured or unwell Marines report to hospital for treatment.
- At 10 AM, Marines not assigned to fatigue parties conduct musket drill.
- Officers' attendants go about their duties.
- At 11 AM, Marines are relieved from musket drill and are dismissed to the barracks to clean their firelocks.
- At 11:15 AM, Marines assigned sentry or patrol duty during the Afternoon Watch are called to mess by the bugle.
- At 11:30 AM, Marines on work detail are recalled by the bugle.
- The bugle calls "Warning for Parade" at 11:45 AM and "Parade for Guard" at 11:55 AM are made. Marines going on sentry or patrol duty are paraded for inspection and assignments.
12 Noon - 4 PM: Afternoon Watch
- At 12 Noon, Marines not on sentry or patrol duty are called to mess by the bugle.
- The bugle call of "Fatigue" is made at 1:00 PM and previously-designated Marines report to the guardhouse for afternoon work details.
- At 1:00 PM, Marines not on sentry or patrol duty report to the barracks to clean and/or repair their uniforms.
- At 1:30 PM, Marine sergeants - including the Sergeant of the Guard - assemble in their captain's office to give the daily report on their respective sections.
- The bugle call "Defaulters" is made at 2:30 PM. If a flogging is ordered, Marines not on sentry or patrol duty assemble on the parade ground for punishment parade. Marines to be flogged receive their punishments. If there is not to be a flogging, Marines who defaulted on the previous day's liberty are awarded field punishment and no punishment parade is required.
- At 3:15 PM, Marines assigned sentry or patrol duty during the Dogwatches are called to mess by the bugle.
- The bugle calls "Warning for Parade" at 3:45 PM and "Parade for Guard" at 3:55 PM are made. Marines going on sentry or patrol duty are paraded for inspection and assignments.
4 PM - 6 PM/6 PM - 8 PM: First and Last Dogwatch
- At 4:00 PM, Marines not on sentry or patrol duty report to the parade ground for bayonet drill.
- At 5:00 PM, afternoon work details are recalled. Bayonet drill ceases at this call as well.
- The bugle calls "Sergeants' Dinner" and "Officers, Dress For Dinner" at 5:15 PM and "Officers' Dinner" at 5:30 PM are made. Sergeants and officers report to their respective messes. Mess stewards attend their duties.
- At 5:45 PM, Marines not on sentry or patrol duty are called to mess by the bugle.
- At 6:15 PM, Marines granted evening liberty report to the parade ground for roll call.
- The bugle calls "Warning for Parade" at 7:45 PM and "Parade for Guard" at 7:55 PM are made. Marines going on sentry or patrol duty are paraded for inspection and assignments. Marine squads assigned to stand Middle Watch are paraded with the First Watch for inspection.
8 PM - 12 Midnight/12 Midnight - 4 AM: First and Middle Watch
- At 8:15 PM, Marines not on sentry or patrol duty secure their muskets at the armoury.
- Marines not granted overnight liberty return at 8:30 PM and report to the Sergeant of the Guard.
- Officers' attendants go about their duties.
- The bugle calls "Tattoo" at 8:45 PM and "Last Post" at 9 PM are made. Marines not on sentry or patrol duty are in barracks for the night. The Sergeant of the Guard conducts a head-count.
- The bugle call "Lights Out" is made at 9:15 PM. Lanterns in the barracks are extinguished and loud talking ceases. No bugle calls are made until the next day.
Source - The Illustrated Companion to Nelson's Navy by Nicholas Blake and Richard Lawrence
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12:44 PM Mar 12
