Seamester Life Aboard: Watch Teams

Depending on your Seamester voyage, passages between ports of call can range anywhere from a short 4-hour sail up to 18 days at sea. While it takes the entire crew to raise the anchor and set sail, once you're underway, it only takes a handful of the crew to stand watch and maintain the proper course. As a Seamester student, you play an active part of that crew and will be responsible for standing watch alongside your staff. The crew is typically split into three watch teams. Watches run continuously from the time the vessel leaves port until the anchor drops at our next destination. The standard watch schedule is usually 4 hours on, followed by 8 hours off. Each watch team is paired with at least one staff member, and each member of the watch will alternate through the following primary duties to ensure the safe passage of the vessel. Helmsperson: On the helm, you are the ship's pilot, using compass and GPS navigation to guide the vessel along its plotted course. Bow Watch: At least one crew member must stand watch at the bow of the vessel. Serving as the eyes of the helmsperson, you'll look out for other ships and navigational hazards while occasionally being joined by some oceanic visitors. Boat Check: Lastly, it's of vital importance to monitor all vessel systems. Every hour you'll do a ship walkthrough, checking things like rigging, battery voltage, and fluid levels, and recording the vessel position in the ship's log. As a watch team member, knowing that YOU are in charge of the vessel's safe passage across the world's oceans gives you an incredible sense of responsibility and accomplishment, one that you won't find with any other study abroad program.