Changing Watch Schedules at Sea

The issue of how watch schedules were kept at sea on the Titanic is covered in full detail in my article in the THS's Titanic Commutator, Vol. 31, No. 178, called "The Mystery of Time." Because of the change in longitude each day, time must be added on a westbound voyage and subtracted on an eastbound voyage. For the passengers, only one time change is made each night (near midnight) to a master clock controling slave clocks located in various public places. The adjustment made is such, that at local apparent noon the next day, the clocks would read 12:00. For the crew, however, it is not that simple.

To follow these time adjustments in tabular form, as well as see the various watch scehedules for the different crew, how bells were rung, and much more, see: "BELLS, CLOCKS, WATCH SCHEDULES AND TIME ADJUSTMENTS"

WESTBOUND CROSSINGS For a westbound crossing extra time must added to the watch schedules of the deck department crew and engine department crew. The rationale developed for the westbound voyage is that the total extra time to be added would be split equally between the two watch sections of the deck department crew (as well as between two of the watch periods kept by the lookouts) in two separate clock adjustments as pointed out by QM Robert Hichens. The extra time to be added could also be split between the watch periods of two of the senior deck officers. This was the scenario presented in my THS Commutator article. Only two clock adjustments take place each night. These changes can be shown graphically. The diagram below shows the period of time from the start of the Second Dog Watch (at 6 p.m.) to the end of the Forenoon Watch (at noon). The deck crew watches, the watch periods of the lookouts, and the Senior Officer watches are all indicated. Time on clocks keeping Bridge Time, used by the deck department engine department crew, are indicated in a.m./p.m. notation. Lookout watches are color coded showing the three pairs of lookout assignments. A total setback of 47 minutes (as planned for the night of April 14, 1912 on Titanic) is assumed in this westbound example.

EASTBOUND CROSSINGS For an eastbound  crossing the total time to be subtracted from watch schedules of the deck department can be split between the two watch sections as well as the watch periods kept by the lookouts and the senior officers. Again simplicity is foremost, and only Ftwo time adjustments are made during the night to the clocks on board ship. As before, we can show these changes graphically from the start of the Second Dog Watch to the end of the Forenoon Watch. A total advancement time of 44 minutes is assumed (as on the night of July 1, 1911 on Olympic's maiden eastbound crossing).

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