Bell Time Aboard Ship

The ringing of bells governs the daily routine of a mariner or spacer's life

“Do either of you remember what time the Admiral said it was when you came aboard and the Exec was giving her report?” Garan asked.
“Local time 9 p.m.,” said Yathar.
“Ship time three bells of the forenoon watch,” added Shaundar.
“Good! So that means that the next time it’s time to strike the bell, it will be four bells of the forenoon watch, so you strike the bell four times; that’s twice, pause, and twice again. You lads know how to keep ship time, don’t you?”
“Av!” the boys answered. There were six watches on a ship of four hours each (or seven, if you counted the two half-length dog watches), and the bell was struck to keep time every half hour—once at the half hour, twice at the hour, three times at the hour and a half, and so forth—to a total of eight bells at the end of the watch. The glass was turned at each time the bell was rung. And this was all very important, because distance was measured by time spent travelling, and its accuracy was essential to successful navigation.

— A Few Good Elves by Diane Morrison

Aboard a starfaring or nautical ship, time is kept by the turning of a sandglass, and divided into watches, marked by the use of bells. A ship's bell is rung every half hour of each 4 hour watch, or every time the glass is turned. A standard 24 hour day is divided into six 4 hour watches, except the dog watch (16:00 - 20:00 hours) which is often divided into two 2 hour watches to allow for the taking of the evening meal and shift changes.

History

A Sailing Ship's Helm by James Scott

As long as anyone can remember, it has been customary to keep time aboard ship by the use of bells. This may because time is often subjective when one is travelling the Airts, and most estimates of distance travelled - essential to successful navigation - are still based on time, as perceived by a ship's crew. While better timekeeping devices have been developed since, mostly in the form of wondrous clockworks invented by Gnomes and Goblins, most ships still maintain bell time, not only because it is custom (and starfarers love custom), but because mechanical devices can occasionally be unreliable.

The Peridotian Mutiny and the Dog Watches

There is a pattern to the striking of the ship's bell during the "Dog Watches" that is a break from the pattern of the rest of the watches. The signal for the Peridotian Mutiny to begin was the fifth bell of the Second Dog Watch.
So by tradition that has been maintained to this day, on Avalonian Imperial Navy ships in particular, from 4:00 to 8:00 PM, the usual bells are struck; except that at 6:30 PM only one bell is struck instead of five; two at 7:00 PM; three at 7:30 PM; and eight bells at 8:00 PM. Thus the signal for the mutiny, five bells in the Second Dog Watch, has never been given since.

Execution

Time is measured aboard ship by using a 30-minute sandglass. The quartermaster or cabin boy or cabin girl - customarily the youngest midshipsman or -woman (a.k.a. "middie") on the ship - turns the glass when the sand runs through, and it has become customary for them to strike the bell as they do so. The glass is turned eight times in each watch, and the number of strokes on the bell indicates the number of half hours elapsed after the crew comes on deck. These strokes are sounded in pairs, with an interval following each pair.
The bells are struck for every half-hour of each watch, with a maximum of eight bells. For instance, during the Middle Watch (Midnight to 4 AM) you would hear the the following:

• 12:30 1 bell
• 01:00 2 bells
• 01:30 2 bells, pause, 1 bell
• 02:00 2 bells, pause, 2 bells
• 02:30 2 bells, pause, 2 bells, pause, 1 bell
• 03:00 2 bells, pause, 2 bells, pause, 2 bells
• 03:30 2 bells, pause, 2 bells, pause, 2 bells, pause, 1 bell
• 04:00 2 bells, pause, 2 bells, pause, 2 bells, pause, 2 bells

At eight bells your watch is over! All other 4 hour watches follow this same procedure except the Dog Watches.

Dog Watches

The 4:00 to 8:00 PM watch may be “dogged”; that is, divided into the first and second dog watches, each two hours long, to allow crew on duty to have their evening meal.
At the end of the First Dog Watch, only four bells are struck, and the Second Dog Watch bells are struck like this:

• 6:30 PM 1 bell
• 7:00 PM 2 bells
• 7:30 PM 3 bells
• 8:00 PM 8 bells

Components and tools

The boys followed Garan once again, as he headed back up on deck. He led them over to a large silver bell in a wooden frame, big enough to fit both boys underneath it, covered by a sort of half-dome. A rubber-tipped striker was dangling from the frame it was mounted in. There was also a large hourglass in a wire frame pouring sand busily into its other half. It was almost halfway through this process.

— A Few Good Elves by Diane Morrison

A reliable 30 minute sandglass is required to maintain an estimate of time successfully. These devices are bolted in place as closely as possible to the Starfaring Engines to protect them from being upended or destroyed by gravitational shifts or combat.
The ship's bell itself is, by tradition, a large silver, brass, or Mithril bell, kept in a sturdy wooden housing that usually features the ship's name and crest (and in the Avalonian Imperial Navy it will also feature the Naval crest.)
It sometimes does not contain a clapper, since this may cause the bell to ring accidentally when the ship jostles on the currents. Such bells must be physically struck, usually with a rubber-tipped stick or mallet.
Conversely, a ship's bell might also have a long clapper, which is attached to a long rope. The clapper will usually not accidentally bang against the bell, but the bell may still be rung when the ringer swings the rope.

Participants

The entire crew of a ship participates in the keeping of ship time. The most important participant is, of course, the timekeeper, whether that is the ship's quartermaster or youngest middy; the Officer of the Watch, who calls the time; and the Boatswain or Bo'sun, who is responsible for getting the crew where they need to be for their shifts.

Observance

The striking of the ship's bell to keep time is a daily ritual aboard ship, and is essential to both measuring distance travelled, and to maintain the normal functioning and schedule of a ship's crew.

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Watch Divisions

Middle Watch	Midnight to 4 AM	(0000 - 0400)
Morning Watch	4 AM to 8 AM	(0400 - 0800)
Forenoon Watch	8 AM to Noon	(0800 - 1200)
Afternoon Watch	Noon to 4 PM	(1200 - 1600)
First Dog Watch	4 PM to 6 PM	(1600 - 1800
Second Dog Watch	6 PM to 8 PM	(1800 - 2000)
First Watch	8 PM to Midnight	(2000 - 0000)

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Bell Time by Watch

Middle Watch

Time	Bells
12:30 am	1
1:00 am	2
1:30 am	3
2:00 am	4
2:30 am	5
3:00 am	6
3:30 am	7
4:00 am	8

Forenoon Watch

Time	Bells
8:30 am	1
9:00 am	2
9:30 am	3
10:00 am	4
10:30 am	5
11:00 am	6
11:30 am	7
12:00 pm	8

First Dog Watch

Time	Bells
4:30 pm	1
5:00 pm	2
5:30 pm	3
6:00 pm	4

First Watch

Time	Bells
8:30 pm	1
9:00 pm	2
9:30 pm	3
10:00 pm	4
10:30 pm	5
11:00 pm	6
11:30 pm	7
12:00 am	8

Morning Watch

Time	Bells
4:30 am	1
5:00 am	2
5:30 am	3
6:00 am	4
6:30 am	5
7:00 am	6
7:30 am	7
8:00 am	8

Afternoon Watch

Time	Bells
12:30 pm	1
1:00 pm	2
1:30 pm	3
2:00 pm	4
2:30 pm	5
3:00 pm	6
3:30 pm	7
4:00 pm	8

Second Dog Watch

Time	Bells
6:30 pm	1
7:00 pm	2
7:30 pm	3
8:00 pm	8

Primary Related Location

Peridot