Telling the time Onboard Ship  (Watches)

The sailors in the Navy could tell the time by using the ships bell.

The day is divided into seven periods called Watches.

The day starts at midnight and the time is recorded in four figures,

of which the first two denote the hour and the last two the minute.

The following table shows the difference in the recording of time by naval and civilian methods.

Watch (24 hr clock)

12 hour clock

Middle 0000-0400  (Midwatch)

Midnight to 4 am

Morning 0400-0800

4 am to 8 am

Forenoon 0800-1200

8 am to Noon

Afternoon 1200-1600

Noon to 4 pm

First Dog 1600-1800

4 pm to 6 pm

Last Dog 1800-2000 (Second Dog)

6 pm to 8 pm

First 2000-2400 (Nightwatch)

8 pm to Midnight

 

The purpose of dividing the period between 1600 and 2000 into two “dog watches” is to provide

an odd number of watches in the 24 hour day so that the port and starboard watches will keep

a different watch each day.  The seaman, unlike the civilian, does not speak of the morning,

afternoon, and evening, but of the morning, forenoon, afternoon and Dog watches.

 

Striking the Ship’s Bell
The time is indicated by striking the hours and half-hours on the ship’s bell throughout each watch,

 in accordance with the table below so the time indicated is called “one bell,” “two bells,” etc,

according to the number of times the bell is struck.

 

First half hour

One bell

 First hour

Two bells

First hour and a half

Three bells

Second hour

Four bells

Second half-hour and a half

Five bells

Third hour

Six bells

Third hour and a half

Seven bells

Fourth hour

Eight bells

 

This sequence is repeated in each watch, with the exception of the last Dog Watch; seven bells,

 for example, can therefore indicate 0330, 0730, 1130, 1530, or 2330, and so when quoting the

time by this method the name of the watch is added; 1030, for example, is described as

“five bells in the forenoon .” Time in the last Dog Watch is marked as follows:- 1830 by one bell,

1900 by two bells, 1930 three bells and 2000 by eight bells.

Another time the Ship’s Bell is rung is New Year’s Eve when it is struck 16 times –

eight bells for the old year and eight bells for the new year.