here’s nothing quite like a solo night watch, in fair weather. I’m standing one right now. My shipmate is snugged down in the aft cabin and I’m working at the chart table with Iron Mike the autopilot steering. He’s not doing a bad job. I can tell that from the numbers on the plotter screen which is also displaying AIS and radar, so I’m unlikely to be caught napping by any vessels passing with malicious intent. Just to make sure, I pop my head out every 10 minutes or less, let my peepers get accustomed to the dark, then take a solid look around the horizon to check that my far-seeing electronic eyes haven’t missed anything. If I sat out there at the helm for three hours staring at the compass I’d nod off. This way, I keep alert and maintain an infinitely better watch. The time passes quickly too, because
