noon
The personnel being as follows : A lieutenant , a sub-lieutenant , two under or petty officers , a physician , a cook and two oilers , two first-class machinists , and seventeen helpers , or seamen , although it was evident , as the captain expressed it , that few of the helpers had seen much sea duty . While it is customary to divide the duties on shipboard into three watches , during the period of twenty-four hours , so as to give each squad a period of service every day at a different period , it would be difficult to carry out the same regulations on board a ship of this character . The captain said : `` I notice that they have practically two watches , one taking up the duty from midday until twelve at night , and the other from midnight to noon . Yesterday , I noticed the same shift that was on duty in the morning continued at work all the afternoon , so it is possible that every three or four days shift No. 1 , which works from noon to midnight , will be changed so that for the next four days the time for their services will be from midnight to noon . '' Attention is called to this method of doing duty so that the reader may understand certain events which will be referred to later . The personnel of the shifts was also changed at intervals so that while the lieutenant during one shift would have at work a certain machinist and petty officer , during the next or second shift thereafter another machinist or petty officer would be on duty . In this manner all became efficient , for they had the opportunity afforded of being drilled and handled by different combinations of men and assistants .