What did the crew do on a ship?

Typical jobs on board included cook, parson, surgeon, master gunner, boatswain (in charge of the sails), carpenter and quartermaster. Other members of the crew would, of course, carry out all the duties, including keeping watch, handling sails, and cleaning decks.

What is the average crew for a ship?

A good-sized ship could carry five whaleboats and employ a crew of about 36 men, staying out for 3 or 4 years if necessary. A two-masted vessel usually having square sails on both masts and a for-and-aft sail on the rear mast. Brigs carried, on average, three whaleboats and employed a crew of about 22 men.

What is the crew of a ship?

They include a Master, First Mate, Second Mate, Bosun, Chief Engineer, Second Engineer, Medical Purser, Cook and Watch Leader.

How many sailors does a merchant ship have?

Most vessels require a crew of 20-25 personnel consisting of officers (master, first engineer), specialist technicians (electricians, mechanics), and lower level crews or “ratings” (deck hands, cooks, and oilers).

What does SS stand for on a ship?

screw steamer
Usage. Historically, prefixes for civilian vessels often identified the vessel’s mode of propulsion, such as, “SS” (screw steamer), “MV” (motor vessel), or “PS” (paddle steamer).

Where did crew sleep on sailing ships?

hammocks
At night, seamen sleep in hammocks slung between beams or at least, half of them do. The crew is divided into two “watches” (teams). One watch sails the ship from 8pm to midnight, then sleeps for four hours while the other watch works.

What was steerage like on the ships?

With limited privacy and security, inadequate sanitary conditions, and poor food, steerage was often decried as inhumane, and was eventually replaced on ocean liners with third-class cabins (which were still frequently called ‘steerage’ long afterwards).

Why is Captain called master?

Master, originating in the Latin word magis, meaning “more,” stems from magister, which also means “chief” as well as “director” or teacher.” In the Middle Ages, the man in charge of a ship, often but not always the owner, was called the master; this usage stems from imperial Rome.

What is a crew on a merchant ship?

Merchant sailing ship developed in Maine in the 19th century and designed for maximum carrying capacity with minimal crew size. had a crew of twenty to thirty. An officer on a merchant vessel, next in command to the captain. , or chief mate, supervised day-to-day ship operations.

What was life like on a ship in the 19th century?

Bigger ships, sailing from cities such as New York, had crews from all over the world, including northern Europe, the West Indies, and China. By the late nineteenth century, it was sometimes difficult to find a good crew. Life at sea was hard, and often there were easier and better-paying jobs available ashore.

How many sailors were on a ship in the Middle Ages?

Let’s take the famous East Indiamen as an example. The crew could variate quite a lot, bigger armed ships even had 300 – 350 sailors (even dutch vessel, well known for their small crews), whereas other smaller, newer or less armed vessels had about 100 – 200, but many had about 50!

What did sailors eat in the 18th century?

18 Responses to 18th century Sailor’s food – Ships Provisions. Fresh beef and pork was issued when available which was in port and shortly after leaving. Enlisted sailors diet was essentially what is listed above, the suet and raisins used to make a pudding on special occasions. Sauerkraut was issued in the USN as an anti-scorbutic.