Time Aboard Ships

Time aboard ships

How to tell what time it is aboard a ship

Time is usually expressed in terms of "bells." Aboard a sailing ship a bell is rung every half hour after a glass is turned, usually by a midshipman standing watch. There are seven watches in a day:

• Midnight to 4 a.m. [0000-0400] - the mid-watch
• 4 to 8 a.m. [0400-0800] - morning watch
• 8 a.m. to noon [0800-1200] - forenoon watch
• Noon to 4 p.m. [1200-1600] - afternoon watch
• 4 to 6 p.m. [1600-1800] - first dog watch
• 6 to 8 p.m. [1800-2000] - second dog watch
• 8 p.m. to midnight [2000-2400] - evening watch

This points to some inconsistencies in Naomi Novik's books, as on Page 117 of Throne of Jade (Del Ray Mass Market paperback edition) she writes:

"We will pipe the hands to breakfast early; she will be in hailing distance well before nine."

This is as the William of Orange is approaching the Allegiance as she sails along the West Coast of Africa on her way to China. Assuming, Ms. Novik is writing of nine o'clock in the morning, that would be normally expressed as before two bells of the forenoon watch.

If the reader is not familiar with nautical time terminology, "before nine," is a lot easier to understand, but inaccurate as expressed on a ship.