Watch Captain Playbook — Lupo Di Mare
On-watch authority for Lupo Di Mare. WC owns sail-change execution, reef calls, maneuver coordination, and squall protocol leadership.
Prerequisite reading: Crew Orientation, then the other five role playbooks.
TL;DR
- WC is the on-watch authority — sail changes, reef calls, maneuver coordination, squall leadership.
- Defers up to Skipper on routing changes, deviation from pre-race plan, MOB, structural concerns.
- Navigator advises; WC decides whether to execute the routing call.
- Owns the whole-watch handoff brief (driver-to-driver handoff is a subset — see driver_playbook).
- In a squall: one voice. WC if Skipper not on deck; Skipper otherwise. No committee.
- One voice in every maneuver. Brief → assign → execute → confirm → debrief. Every time.
Authority Chain
| Decision | WC has call | Defers to |
|---|---|---|
| Sail change execute / defer / hold | yes | — |
| Reef #1 in / out (call only; Pit owns execution) | yes | — |
| Douse heading | yes | — |
| Peel timing | yes | — |
| Sail selection within briefed window | yes | — |
| Sail selection outside briefed window | — | Skipper |
| Tactical course change | — | Navigator advises, Skipper concurs |
| Route deviation (T-CL gate) | — | Navigator + Skipper |
| Squall response, Skipper on deck | execute | Skipper |
| Squall response, Skipper not on deck | full authority | — |
| MOB | — | Skipper |
| Structural / rigging concern | — | Skipper + Navigator |
| Frontal passage protocol brief (T-2 h) | yes | — |
Whole-Watch Handoff Brief — Every Change, Verbal + Written Log
| # | Element | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wind state | "TWS 14, TWA 105°, reaching mode, steady 30 min" |
| 2 | Current state | "GPS minus log = 0.6 kt favorable, NE" |
| 3 | Sail plan | "Code 67 up; next-likely change: A2-1 if TWS drops below 12" |
| 4 | Next decision point | "Navigator wants stream-entry sail commit in 4 h" |
| 5 | Forecast change | "GFS 12z pushed front 2 h earlier vs T-24 brief" |
| 6 | Crew status | "Bow rested; Driver tired, swap at 0200" |
| 7 | Outstanding concerns | "Watch starboard jib lead — slight chafe" |
| 8 | Skipper status | "Sleeping; wake at 10-nm squall rung or front" |
Both verbal transfer and log entry are required.
Sail-Change Decision Matrix
Apply to every Navigator advisory:
- [ ] Current sail outside its TWS/TWA window? (
sail_inventory.md,crossover_notes.md) - [ ] Change worth >0.2 kts sustained for >2 hours? (Card 07 fatigue test)
- [ ] Crew on watch can execute cleanly — ≤10 min for a peel, ≤7 min for a reef, at race-week-drilled pace — in current conditions?
- [ ] NOT a high-stress phase (Stream, night, squall) — or safety-driven if it is?
- [ ] Maneuver drilled and signed off in race week? (Card 04 — undrilled or unconfirmed first-time goes to conservative sail)
All yes (or three-of-four with safety driving): execute. Brief Bow, Pit, Trim, Driver. Any no: defer to next watch / hold current sail / tell Navigator the advisory was deferred.
Reef Triggers
| Sail plan | Reef #1 trigger | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Main + working headsail, upwind | >22 kts sustained | confirmed ✅ |
| Main + working headsail, reaching | >26 kts sustained | confirmed ✅ |
| Main + spinnaker, any angle | kite down first; reef main if needed alone | Card 10 + Card 09 |
| Night + building | reef proactively before next watch | conservative bias for unfamiliar boat |
Reef-in execution: pit_playbook.md — Reef #1 in (rams-horn sequence). WC owns the CALL; Pit owns EXECUTION.
Squall Protocol Leadership
Ladder is canonical in crew_orientation.md — Squall Protocol (30/20/10; inside Stream: 20/10 per Card 05). See Card 09 for per-rung response procedure.
- Skipper on deck → Skipper calls; WC executes.
- Skipper not on deck → WC has full authority. Skipper woken at 10-nm rung or any contact.
- No committee. No counter-suggestions. One voice.
Frontal Passage Brief (T-2 h before predicted passage)
- [ ] Expected rotation: ___ degrees
- [ ] Expected wind speed post-front: ___ kts
- [ ] Pre-front vs post-front sail plan
- [ ] Immediate action at shift: gybe / tack / hold
- [ ] All-hands status during rotation
- [ ] Wake Skipper for any front >2 h off forecast
Maneuver Coordination — Six-Step Contract
No improvisation. Every non-routine maneuver (peel, set, douse, gybe, reef):
Six-step contract (drill in race week)
- Brief — name the maneuver, the next sail, expected duration.
- Assign — explicit roles: halyard, sheet, bow, helm.
- Pre-rig confirm — Pit: "halyard ready, [side]"; Bow: "tack made"; Trim: "sheet ready."
- Execute — WC calls "go" / "hoist" / "drop."
- Confirm — Trim: "trimmed"; Pit: "halyard tight"; Bow: "clear."
- Debrief — note chafe, hang-up, or improvement for next handoff log.
If any step is skipped or improvised, stop and re-run from step 1.
Watch-On Duties
- Receive handoff brief (all 8 elements above) — written log + verbal.
- Monitor weather to windward, traffic, radar; flag any echo to Navigator.
- Take Navigator's continuous brief at watch start: route, next decision point, forecast change.
- Hold the briefed envelope — no sail change without the decision matrix above.
- Drive the handoff in the last 15 min — pre-stage on-coming watch.
Watch-Off Duties
- Sleep — WC fatigue cascades to every decision.
- Brief incoming WC on any pending decision.
- Interruptible for: any all-hands call; squall threat; structural concern; MOB.
Comms Protocol
WC escalates to:
- Skipper: any decision at the authority-chain boundary; any wake-trigger per navigator_playbook.md — Wake thresholds.
- Navigator: radar echo in Stream within 30 nm; current divergence; forecast change since brief.
Full calls-in and calls-out
WC calls in: - "Sail change in [N] minutes: [maneuver]" — 30-minute notice for non-emergency changes. - "Reef #1 in" / "Reef out" — to Pit and Trim, 5-minute pre-rig notice. - "All-hands, [reason]" — squall, frontal passage, MOB, layline approach. - "Watch handoff in 15" — pre-stages on-coming watch. - "Skipper wake: [reason, threshold]."
WC calls out: - To Navigator: sail-change decisions executed/deferred; any observation Navigator should use. - To Skipper: any authority-chain boundary decision; any wake-trigger. - To Driver: target mode, target band, Navigator's tactical instruction. - To Trim: target mode advisory. - To Bow / Pit: maneuver brief with explicit role assignments.
Failure Modes
| # | Mode | Symptom | Recovery | Prevention |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maneuver called without explicit role assignment | Bow/Pit/Trim execute different timing; peel takes 2–3× normal | Stop; re-brief explicit roles; restart step 1 | Six-step contract is mandatory |
| 2 | Skipper not woken at threshold | Skipper enters decision without context | Brief immediately; log breach | Wake-threshold table is a contract, not judgment |
| 3 | Handoff verbal-only (no log entry) | Incoming WC misses outstanding concern | Re-establish state via Nav + Driver + Pit + Bow | Both verbal and written required |
| 4 | Committee in a squall | Counter-suggestions during douse/reef | One voice restored; debrief afterward | Brief crew pre-Stream: squall response is single-voice |
Race-Week Deliverables
| Item | Owner | Target |
|---|---|---|
| WC slot assignments — Watch 1 = Joel, Watch 2 = Ryan (navigator-anchors) | Skipper | confirmed |
| Squall drill completion confirmation | Skipper | pre-race brief — locks 30 vs 20 nm rung |
Cross-references
Load-bearing onboard cards: - Card 03 — Pre-Gulf Stream — WC briefs Stream-entry sail commit; pre-assigns Stream-crossing roles. - Card 04 — Gulf Stream Entry — WC holds the entry sail by default; a Stream peel needs Skipper clearance. - Card 09 — Squall & Frontal Response — squall protocol; WC has full authority if Skipper not on deck.
Other role playbooks: - Navigator Playbook — Navigator advises WC; wake-thresholds table is the WC's contract. - Driver Playbook — driver-to-driver handoff is a subset of whole-watch handoff. - Trim Playbook — Trim's "trimmed" closes the maneuver loop. - Pit Playbook — Pit owns reef #1 execution; WC owns the call. - Bow Playbook — Bow's callouts are WC's milestone signals.
Reference:
- crew_orientation.md — watch system + canonical 30/20/10 squall ladder.