Watch on Watch

[Ramage]

Hi gang,

I have been reading Patrick O'Brien's Aubrey-Maturin series for several years now (read through once, currently re-reading) and I find they are beginning to affect how I think about Trek...

The question comes down to this -- how many of us actually have "watches" aboard our ships? A captain has to sleep sometime, as does the Chief Medical Officer, Chief Engineer, usw.

As I am playing around with this concept in my new campaign, I was wondering if anyone else had shifts aboard their vessels? If so, how many?

Thanks for any feedback!

[Don Mappin]

As an ex-Navy bubblehead, you can bet your butt my ships have watches!

I prefer a four watch rotation, with alternating supernumeraries to stand in. The XO is in charge of the watch rotations and all the department heads fill out the rosters and submit to him. Depending on the command staff, the second, third, and fourth officers all head up a watch.

Sometimes we'll go the extra mile and actually stick the crew in their different watch shifts, but that level of detail isn't really necessary. For story purposes when something happens on the ship, the Narrator typically wings where all the characters are--watches be damned.

[qerlin]

I try for a real traditional nautical flavor. We've got watches: 6 4-hour ones with 30-minute 'bells' in each. Teh average officer works a 4 hour watch, then has another 4 hour that is more admin & other non-bridge duties.

They are : morning (0400-0800), forenoon (0800-1200), afternoon (1200-1600), evening (1600-2000), dogwatch (2000-2400), midwatch (0000-0400). Three shifts: 1 (forenoon-evening), 2 (evening-midwatch), 3 (midatch to fornoon)

At least, that's our deal.

[Sea Tyger]

I, too, prefer the four watch schedule, but that's only because most of the Star Trek books I read in the 80s used them (Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta shifts).

The skipper usually takes the first watch (0600-1200), the XO the second, and the next two senior conn-qualified bridge officers third and fourth.

The rest of the day is broken into an additional "working" shift, a "transition" shift (two hours of work, four hours of time off), and a sleep shift. Meals are usually taken the last half hour before watch, the first half hour after watch, and one during the crew member's personal time.

Of course, when all hell breaks loose, the PCs always find their way to the action!

[Capt. Chris]

Well if you go by the lug rules there is a three watch system for Starships and occassionally a fourth per the Player's Guide.
They are listed as Alph, Beta, Delta, and Gamma.

I always used watches in my games. It was always fun to have the captain of the ship have to get to the bridge when an unexpected emergency occured. I always saw the Alpha Shift as the main shift which if the ship went on alert must report to the bridge for duty no matter what shift was in progress and take over for the less experienced crews on the other watches.

[AslanC]

How is it then that the XO and CO are on the bridge at the same time even when all the crap isn't hitting the fan.

Is there an overlap of watches?

[pathstrider]

Generally, I use the standard three watches.

Basically, to account for the overlap, I assume that you have one watch where you have to be at your station. Then the other 8 hours you have time when there are jobs you have to do, but you can be anywhere (A bit like homework). Also, these officers have to man duty stations at a Yellow alert or above.

So... On our average Alpha shift, the XO is actually just hanging about doing work.

I use shifts a lot. One of my players wasn't the senior science officer and the other was an XO (To the NPC CO) - so Beta watch was used a lot. As well as the science officer maning a backup station during the various Red alerts.

Mark

[Don Mappin]

Originally posted by AslanC
How is it then that the XO and CO are on the bridge at the same time even when all the crap isn't hitting the fan.

The CO doesn't stand a watch -- he's got plenty of other stuff to do. Or, if feeling so inclined, simply sits on his bridge, even during someone else's watch.

At least, COs in my games never have to stand watch.

[Sea Tyger]

Originally posted by AslanC
How is it then that the XO and CO are on the bridge at the same time even when all the crap isn't hitting the fan.

Is there an overlap of watches?

Easy. If the captain wants to take extra watch time, he can. It's his ship, after all.

[AslanC]

I always used a 4 shift rotation since that's what the Enterprise used.

Remember when Jellico came on and ordered Riker to put her on 3 shift rotation? Or was that the other way around?

[Ramage]

Personally I am looking (for a Miranda-class cruiser) at a four-watch (8-hours each, with 2-hour off-station, 6 -hour on-station) rotation, with the CO and XO not officially on any watch (nor the Department Heads, for that matter). These "rankers" will be in a floating position.

Now if I can just figure out what a Boatswain does in the modern navy...

[PGoodman13]

Originally posted by AslanC
I always used a 4 shift rotation since that's what the Enterprise used.

Remember when Jellico came on and ordered Riker to put her on 3 shift rotation? Or was that the other way around?

Other way around, and Riker fought the four-shift rotation with every fiber of his being. And rightly so, IMHO; Jellico was a decent CO, he should have known better than to muck up his entire crew with no warning like that.

[Sea Tyger]

Originally posted by Ramage
Personally I am looking (for a Miranda-class cruiser) at a four-watch (8-hours each, with 2-hour off-station, 6 -hour on-station) rotation, with the CO and XO not officially on any watch (nor the Department Heads, for that matter). These "rankers" will be in a floating position.

Now if I can just figure out what a Boatswain does in the modern navy...

The Boatswain is still in charge of rigging, etc., although there are no sails to rig any more. Much of "modern" Navy rigging is for things like underway refueling and resupplying (lead lines to send the fuel hose guiding cables, etc.), mooring lines (the really, really, big lines that tie the ship to the pier), canvas works (mostly decorative coverings for various items, like a capstan covers), signal flag lines, and decorative rigging.

Primarily, though, it is a ceremonial position, a tie to the "wooden ships and iron men" Navy, given generally to the highest ranking Boatswain's Mate enlist or Warrant Officer (or, sometimes, a deck department Limited Duty Officer).

In a Star Trek setting, it could be a technical position in engineering, as the ranking officer responsible for maintaining the ship's moorings and tractor beams, or a command or operations position with the same responsibility, additionally responsible for setting up ceremonies.

[AslanC]

What would the person in charge of Ship's Services (galley, laundry, etc) be called?

[Dan Gurden]

Whenever particular 'watches' have occured with players on different watches, It has always ended in confusion and tears.

So, while my ships have watches, my players are always Alpha watch, and are always on call when the 'fit hits the shan'.

On the whole though, it just so happens that anything intereszting usually happens during Alpha Watch, and those crew on duty tend to stay there until its all resolved. No clocking off halfway through the space battle...

"Tactical. Launch Torpedos! Tactical?"

"Sorry Sir, work to rule. I'm clocking off and going for a beer!"