Life Onboard An 18th Century Sailing Vessel
People from my generation developed most of their impressions about life onboard an 18th century sailing ship after watching the movie "Moby Dick." Today's teenager developed their impressions after watching the movie "Pirates of the Caribbean". Surprisingly, there is a very similar correlation between the two.
Scurvy
More than any other threat, excluding a massive storm, nothing was capable of wiping out an entire crew on an 18th century sailing ship like scurvy. This was a potentially a fatal disease caused by a deficiency in vitamin C. A big source of vitamin C on land was derived from eating fruits and vegetables. On the open sea, it was impossible to keep these two items fresh and edible for very long. Every ship's captain knew that the health of his crew was critical to their success, so he tried to keep them well fed.
Other Diseases
On an 18th century sailing vessel, these diseases could only be avoided while on the high sea by keeping the ship, the crew, and the crew's clothes clean. This insistence by the captain on keeping a spotless ship also kept the crew very busy. While sailing during the 18th century in a tropical climate, either malaria or yellow fever could decimate a crew in a very short period of time.
Discipline
Were the members of the crew frequently flogged and beaten? Maybe; but discipline onboard an 18th century ship meant the ship was well ordered. If they were flogged, it was most likely for doing something that put the ship and the rest of the crew in danger, like falling asleep while on watch. There was no imprisonment or fine, but the captain could cut off the offender's rum supply. Thieves caught stealing from crew members were punished by "having to run the gauntlet" allowing their shipmates to flog them with rope ends.
Clothes
What is true, as depicted in both movies above, is that sailors of the 18th century wore unique and colorful clothes. They also had wild hairstyles, personal jewelry, and tattoos; a lot like today's teenager. When they were on land, which was not very often, they were treated like kings, loudly telling their stories of adventure while drinking the peasants' free rum.
Women On Board
For many years, the myth existed that no women were allowed onboard ships during the 18th century sailing days, as they were considered bad luck. In fact large numbers of women went to sea, often as officers' wives or as nurses. Sailing on the high seas in modern times includes eating and drinking lavishly, gambling, playing shuffleboard, doing yoga, and line dancing.
