Starting a watch session

Starting a watch session is the moment when your planned schedule becomes active. In WatchKeeper, this begins the live watch rotation, sets the timing for the next handover, and prepares the app to deliver watch warnings and alarms based on the trip you created.

To start a watch session, open WatchKeeper and go through the trip setup flow. Enter the trip details, add your crew, choose the watch size and rotation style, select the watch pattern or custom duration, and set the correct start time. When you start the schedule, 

WatchKeeper saves that trip locally and begins calculating the current and upcoming watches from that point forward.

The start time matters because it anchors the whole session. 

WatchKeeper uses it to decide who is on watch now, when the next handover happens, and how future watch slots should be derived. If the session starts with the wrong time, alarms and current-watch information can feel off from the beginning, so it is worth checking before you begin.

Once the watch session starts, the live watch board becomes available right away. From there, the crew can see who is currently on watch, who is next, and how long remains until the next handover. If conditions change later, you can adjust the running schedule with delays, pauses, swaps, or other overrides without rebuilding the whole trip.

Before You Start

• Make sure the crew list is complete.
• Check the watch size and rotation style.
• Confirm the watch pattern matches how your crew will actually run.
• Double-check the start time.

What Happens Next

• The trip is saved locally on the device.
• The active watch schedule begins immediately.
• The next handover timing is calculated.
• Warning and alarm behavior can begin based on the active schedule.

A good watch session starts with a simple, accurate setup. If the crew and timing are right at the beginning, the rest of the trip is much easier to manage.