Sleep Rhythm, Alerts and Operator Acknowledgement

Timer and Watchkeeper Module

Designed to help a solo skipper rest without losing touch with the state of the boat, whether the timer is on the helm UI display, the iPhone app, a fixed timer unit or a portable battery/WLAN unit.

Suite Overview Safety + Prevention

One Shared Timer State

The timer system is built around one shared watchkeeping state, not separate local alarms. The helm UI display, the iPhone timer app, the dedicated timer modules and the portable Waveshare unit are intended to show and control the same countdown.

Start, pause, reset and restart watch timers.
Snooze windows with a visible countdown.
Alarm acknowledgement with clear state transitions.
Command feedback stays visible on the other timer surfaces.

iPhone Timer App

The iPhone app is under test as a practical pocket control surface for the same watchkeeping timer used by the UI display and the separate timer modules. If the skipper starts, snoozes or acknowledges the timer from the phone, that action belongs to the shared timer workflow, not to a private phone-only alarm.

Push notifications are supported, so important alarms can still arrive when the phone is locked or in sleep mode. This makes the phone useful near the bunk, in the cockpit or while moving around the boat, while the dedicated timer units still remain part of the same system.

**iPhone Timer App**
Native iPhone timer view showing the shared countdown, UDP sender state and watchkeeping controls.

Dedicated Timer Modules

More than one timer module can be online and active at the same time.
The modules work together, so you can set or start the watch alarm on one unit and stop, snooze or acknowledge it from another.
This makes it practical to keep one timer near the helm and another near the bunk, galley or work area.
Shared timer state avoids conflicting local countdowns and keeps the watchkeeping rhythm consistent across the boat.

Waveshare Battery/WLAN Unit

The Waveshare version is also under test as a portable battery-powered timer. It works over the onboard WLAN, so it can be carried away from the fixed display while still staying connected to the timer network.

It behaves as one timer unit in the shared system.
It talks with the other timer modules on the network.
It mirrors the same alarm, snooze and acknowledgement state.
Warnings and alarms from the autopilot suite can be shown on the timer unit, making it a small remote alert display as well as a countdown device.

Safety Rhythm

A predictable alert cadence reduces missed alarms.
Timer ownership and command feedback stay visible.
The flow is designed to reduce false confidence during short sleep cycles.
It integrates with voice alarms for critical escalation.

**Timer Main**
Primary timer controls and next alarm countdown.

**Alarm and Acknowledge**
Alarm state with acknowledgement and snooze actions.

Related across the suite

Current page focus: Watchkeeping rhythm and alert discipline.

Watchkeeping rhythm with visible acknowledgement state.

iPhone timer app support for the shared watchkeeping state.

Helm UI display and separate timer modules stay synchronized.

Voice alarm escalation for missed or critical alerts.

Waveshare battery/WLAN timer unit support around the boat.

Alarm visibility from the wider autopilot suite.

Feedback And Comments

This project is still in progress, and I would genuinely like feedback on what is missing, what feels unclear, and what would be most useful offshore. The first sea trial is planned for the 2026 sailing season, and every comment is reviewed by me before it appears publicly.

No public comments yet. You can be the first to add feedback.

Built For Singlehanded Offshore Reality

These public pages focus on what the suite actually delivers offshore: steadier steering, fail-safe automation, and practical offshore support that reduces workload without taking control away from the skipper.