4 hours

For those on duty when a vessel is at sea, particularly those on the bridge, the ‘watches’ are nearly all of four-hours duration except for the First Dog Watch and Last Dog Watch. The first watch of the night at sea is called, not surprisingly, the First Watch (2000hrs through to midnight).

the First Dog Watch (2 hours) was from 16:00 (4 p.m. to 18:00 (6 p.m.) The Last Dog Watch (2 hours) was from 18:00 (6 p.m.) to 20:00 (8 p.m.) The First Watch was from 20:00 (8 p.m.) to midnight.

Dog watch, in marine or naval terminology, is a watch, a period of work duty or a work shift, between 16:00 and 20:00 (4 pm and 8 pm).

Dog watch is the name given to the 1600-1800 and the 1800-2000 watches aboard ship. The 1800-2000 four-hour watch was originally split to prevent men from always having to stand the same watches daily. As a result, sailors dodge the same daily routine, hence they are dodging the watch or standing the dodge watch.

Ship’s Bell Time Striking clocks use the traditional ship’s bells. One stroke of the ship’s bell indicates the first half hour of the watch. Then an additional bell is struck for each succeeding half hour. Thus eight bells indicates the end of a four-hour watch.

Like danb indicates, it’s nautical slang. A four hour watch consists of eight half hour bells – seven bells is almost all the way. The OED: “In Naut. slang phrs. to knock seven bells out of (someone): to beat (someone) severely; similarly, to scare seven bells out of: to terrify.”

Ship’s bells are a system to indicate the hour by means of bells. Instead, there are eight bells, one for each half-hour of a four-hour watch. Bells would be struck every half-hour, and in a pattern of pairs for easier counting, with any odd bells at the end of the sequence.

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.

The ringing of the five bells is a reminder that a whole life can be imagined in the space of a ring of a ship’s bell. The poem offers no answers to the meaning of life, especially individual lives.

That pattern told sailors how far they were into their watch. 2. There were eight half-hour periods in a typical four-hour watch so “eight bells and all’s well” meant that the sailors had uneventfully reached the end of their watch. 3. Each twenty-four hour period was traditionally divided into seven watches.

For example, the President of the United States (or a four-star general or admiral) would be greeted by eight side boys and eight gongs of the ship’s bell upon arrival and departure.

Timing of ship’s watches Unlike civil clock bells, the strikes of a ship’s bell do not accord to the number of the hour. Instead, there are eight bells, one for each half-hour of a four-hour watch.

Navy One is the call sign of any United States Navy aircraft carrying the President of the United States.

Yes, it is customary to salute them when you recognize them as officers, when they are in uniform or when they are participants in ceremonies. Security personnel (gate guards) at military installation entrances salute retired officers when they see their rank as they check ID cards, for example.