Viewing current and next watch

One of the main jobs of WatchKeeper is to show the crew a clear answer to a simple question: who is on watch now, and who is next? The app is built so that this information is easy to check quickly, especially when people are tired, on deck, or working in low light.

On the main live watch screen, WatchKeeper shows the current watch, the next scheduled watch, and the time remaining until the next handover. This gives the crew immediate context without having to work through the full rotation manually. If the schedule is active and set up correctly, this screen should be the fastest way to understand what is happening right now.

The current watch section shows the crew assigned to the active watch. The next watch section shows who is expected to take over at the next handoff. If watch role labels are enabled, the display may also include labels such as Helm or Navigator, but the core assignment still comes from the watch schedule itself.

WatchKeeper calculates this state from the saved trip, the active schedule, any overrides, and the current time. That means it does not just rely on the last screen shown. If the app is reopened after some time, it recomputes the correct current and next watch from the underlying data.

What You Can See

• The crew currently on watch
• The crew due next
• The countdown to the next handover
• The next handover time

If Something Looks Wrong

• Check that the trip is active.
• Confirm the start time was set correctly.
• Review any delays, pauses, swaps, or unavailable crew changes.
• Make sure you are looking at the current trip, not an older saved one.

The live watch view should feel immediate and obvious. If a crew member opens WatchKeeper, they should be able to understand the current and next watch in just a glance.