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from the plenty-of-time-to-sleep-when-you're-in-the-ground dept.
The Virginian-Pilot reports: https://pilotonline.com/news/military/local/article_eec71122-ecfd-11e8-bc0e-73bf42b0bc87.html
Anyone who has driven home late at night after being up for more than 18 hours knows the inevitable drooping eyelids and wheel jerking that can result. I was once in a conversation where the argument was made that driving tired was far more dangerous than being drunk (YMMV)
In recognition of this truth that all late night drivers realize sooner or later, the U.S. Navy has decided that driving their ships should only be done while alert and awake. To this end:
All Navy sailors working aboard aircraft carriers are now being given the chance to get eight hours of uninterrupted sleep per 24-hour period after a change in policy in the wake of two fatal collisions that killed 17 crew members in the Pacific Fleet in summer 2017.
The change extends to all carrier sailors, not just those working in aviation-related jobs, said Lt. Travis Callaghan, a spokesman for the Pacific Coast-based Commander, Naval Air Forces. It also makes it mandatory that all aircraft carrier sailors are not to be scheduled for more than 18 hours of continuous duties requiring them to remain awake. Previously, that was a recommendation that only applied to flight crews.
The article continues
"The longer you're awake, you're just basically, essentially, performing under the influence of your own fatigue, but just not alcohol," Rice said. "No one would say, 'I'm driving a little drunk,' to your skipper but we often will say, 'I'm a little tired.' "
I'm not sure why one would intentionally run sailors routinely to the point that if they had to keep going during an emergency they would potentially be starting in a sleep deprived state, but there you are. Perhaps someone that has more perspective on the Navy can explain it.
(Score: 5, Informative) by Runaway1956 on Monday November 26 2018, @12:02PM (5 children)
Swing shift, basically. Or, rotating shifts. No one is ever permanently on a shift. Duty sections rotate, everyone has a day of sunlight, everyone has a midshift, everyone has a dog watch, and everyone has a first watch. With four or more sections, those swing shifts are somewhat easier on you, with only three sections, they can be tough sometimes. But, the issue is less about the shifts, than about the lack of sleep that can result from swinging through the shifts.
Duty section 1: You don't have the duty, so you "only" perform your normal 8 hour shift of work then clean your work area, clean your berthing area, and stand by for - whatever. Tonight, you'll get your 8 hours or sleep, or more, if you wan tit.
Duty section 2: You have the duty, so you'll work half or more of your normal 8 hour shift of word, as well as standing two 4 hour watches.
Duty section 3: You are off duty again, so you perform your normal 8 hour shift of work, and depending on how tired you are form yesterdays duties, you may well spend the rest of the day sleeping.
Duty section 1: Rinse and repeat, ad infinitum.
There are six watches, and luck of the draw dictates which two watches you'll pull. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watch_system [wikipedia.org] The dog watches combined are 4 hours, but there is some shifting and shuffling to ensure that everyone gets fed, and can tend to hygeine, or whatever.
None of that touches on special evolutions, such as loading stores, general quarters, ship's casualties (aka "breakdowns") visiting dignitaries, and the mission.
And, up to this point, we haven't even mentioned heavy seas. As the seas build up, and the weeks pass, fatigue builds, until everyone is a walking zombie. At that point, the only thing keeping the ship alive, is ingrained training. (self preservation dictates that no matter how tired you are, you CANNOT pass by an improperly dogged hatch or door)
Maybe I can sum that up by saying, most of the time, you have adequate sleep. You may or may not be well rested, but you have adequate sleep. Sometimes, though, you get so dog-tired, you just count the days until you're in port, can get a drink or twenty, and just relax.
And, let me reiterate - you are ALWAYS at the mercy of the weather. Personally, 1978, Standing Naval Forces Atlantic, more commonly known as NATO. We started out in Virginia, joined the NATO squadron, went to Halifax, then to Rosyth, Scotland - and it was all fun and games up to that point. Then, winter set in with a vengeance. The squadron put to sea, and stayed out for six weeks. During those six weeks, the seas got worse and worse and worse. We experienced 80+ foot seas. That movie, 'The Perfect Storm' happened in the same area, just in a different year, with 100+ foot seas.
For six weeks, we literally got no "rest". Work til you drop, but when you dropped, you were battered and tossed, in your bunk, out of your bunk, sitting up or lying down - there was no rest.
We pulled into Portland, England for a single night of liberty. I had to get off of that ship, if only for an hour. I walked up the street, thinking about a drink, when I saw a sign for a bed & breakfast. I marched up to the door, paid, was shown my room, and slept about fifteen hours. The boarding lady woke be about 6:30, I snatched several mouthfuls of food as I ran past her table, and beat feet back to the ship. That was all that I ever saw of Portland, England.
Fortunately, the real storm season was broken. For the rest of the winter, we saw storms that battered us for a day or three, but no more killer storms.
(Score: 2) by GreatAuntAnesthesia on Monday November 26 2018, @01:43PM
> That was all that I ever saw of Portland, England.
You didn't miss much.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Immerman on Monday November 26 2018, @03:30PM
>you were battered and tossed, in your bunk, out of your bunk, sitting up or lying down - there was no rest.
It seems strange to me that hammocks have gone out of style on seafaring vessels. The extremely comfortable "hanging cot" design hangs flat enough to allow you to sleep on your stomach, while remaining under (and securely around) you despite the roughness of the seas, and was largely perfected when sails were still the dominant form of propulsion. And yet it seems that every video tour I've seen of a modern ship has hard, flat bunks that look like they wouldn't be terribly comfortable even in quiet sees, and would be positively dangerous in rough ones.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 26 2018, @04:12PM (1 child)
Now you've gone and done it. You started the Sea Stories.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Monday November 26 2018, @04:45PM
I have road stories too, if you prefer. I've been meaning to re-write my encounter with Texas Canyon.
Let it be a lesson to never trust an internet site with your only copy of a document. Had I not trusted that site, it would be simple matter of linking to the story as I wrote it years ago.
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Monday November 26 2018, @11:02PM
"if you wan tit."
After ALL that, I'm sure you DID! :)
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---