watch

noun, a fixed period of observation duty

“The watches were twelve to six, and six to twelve.”

“Oh, midnight watches. Oh, Sarah’s due to have her baby this week. Well we better not change the oil ‘cause we’re going to be running.”

“That’s when the watches were six and six: six on six off, two watchmen, three deck hands. For aft you had two engineers, two oilers, three fireman, two cooks.”

“You were there every day once you went on watch. Like once you went wheeling or watching or climbed up to mate, you were there.”

“Dad used to have to keep the log books, eh? Every day, when your light was lit, when it was put out, your horn time, and what way the wind was, you know. But they kept a weather watch up there.”

“Because back in those days, you done a 24-hour a day watch, eh?”
“What was the main thing the assistant did?”
“He helped Dad with the painting and everything. The grass cutting. But he was also made sure that the horn blew when the weather got bad, the light was lit.”