Extended watches as an alternative to flogging

How common were extended shifts as punishment, like the thirty-six-hour watch in Hornblower?

They were rare, but some captains preferred extended duty to flogging and were proud to command without using the lash.

Extended watches were a rare alternative to flogging that some captains preferred. Individual commanders could take pride in never having flogged a crewman, despite the Royal Navy's reputation for the lash. The availability of corporal punishment therefore did not mean that every captain relied on it. The distinction is between the punishments a navy permitted and the methods a particular captain chose.