Started Sailing

Help with research for my sailing novel!

by Carole Gill
(United Kingdom)

Don't be frightened! I just need a list of the crew and their positions on 19th century (1870 circa) sailing vessels transatlantic.
If someone could help that would be great!

Will also join your page on Facebook!

I wrote a novel last year and am writing the sequel. it's for the sequel that I'll be needing this.

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Mar 26, 2011

Ghosts transatlantic? Not on my crew-list!
by: Han

Hi Carole,

Happy not to be dragged back to the Middle Ages again.
I forwarded your question to http://sailing-ships.oktett.net/, a site dedicated to 19th and 20th century square-riggers, I do hope they will comment too as this is not really my ball-park.

However, here's what I can think of, from the top down (but this is not in the order of "most important"):
Officers: skipper (captain) and his first, second and maybe third mates;
The craftsmen: boatswain and mate, sailmaker and mate, carpenter and mate, blacksmith and mate, cook and mate;
And the able seamen.
Numbers depend on the size of the ship, total of masts and sails. Many able seamen acted as mate of the craftsmen.
Sometimes one of the captain's mates acted as medical officer.

Regards,

Han the vampire-slayer.

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