How to Never Miss a Horizon Check again!

by Nancy Knudsen on 12 Mar 2008 Whether you are out for a daysail to a familiar anchorage, or crossing the Atlantic Ocean, keeping a good watch is one of the prime rules of good seamanship. Whether it's because you're likely to fall asleep, forget, or have inexperienced crew, here's the clue on how to relax knowing you will NEVER miss a horizon check again – the Watch Commander.

How it works: Connected to 12 volt power on the boat, it will sound a small alarm every time a horizon check is due – 8 minutes, 12 minutes 15 minutes – you decide that according to your judgement of potential closing speeds.in the area where you are sailing. After the allotted time, a tiny alarm will sound – tiny, so that if it is nighttime, you won't wake other sleeping crew. All you must do then, having conducted the horizon check, is hit the 'off' button. IT WILL AUTOMATICALLY RESET, and cannot be turned off by the crew member on watch. If the crew member does not hear the small alarm within a set period of time, then the Watch Commander will let off a second alarm, which is guaranteed to frighten passing fish and certainly the rest of the crew.

A normal kitchen timer won't do this, your watch won't do this, an alarm clock won't do this - no other type of normal reminder system can enable the skipper to confidently – even with raw crew – go to sleep confident that the watch keeper will be reminded reliably and regularly that they must do their mandatory checks. Even for the reliable crew member or skipper, it enables you to attend to other tasks – send an email, read a book – without being worried that you may miss your checks.
During the day, it also allows there to be 'nobody' on watch, as the Watch Commander ensures that someone will have to respond to its call.


It's a great and inexpensive solution to a long vexed question for cruising sailors. To get all information and order it online, go to the http://www.sailsafely.com/!Watch_Commander! Website.