The shipboard day is divided into 6 watches, each 4 hours long. The day begins at noon. The traditional names of the watches are:
| afternoon watch | Noon to 4 pm |
|---|---|
| evening watch (but see below) | 4 pm to 8 pm |
| first watch | 8 pm to midnight |
| midwatch or middle watch | Midnight to 4 am |
| morning watch | 4 am to 8 am |
| forenoon watch | 8 am to noon |
The evening watch was formerly divided into the first dog watch, from 4 pm to 6 pm, and the second dog watch, from 6 pm to 8 pm. This made 7 watches instead of 6, so that those having the forenoon watch one day would have the afternoon watch the next, and so on.
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Last revised: 1 September 2004.