Aargh, there be the rub. This ere be a workin ship.
More swabbin and mendin, than drinkin and dancin me lads.
Way back in yore, the watch was kept aloft. You've heard of the "topmen"? They were the slighter built men and boys, who spent the entire 6 hour watch aloft in darkness in the rigging. Back to the mast, hunched together in the wind, on the crowsnest platform. Ah, watches spent aloft, never again. Watches on deck, or below for me, if you please.
It's good to be an officer. After years before the mast, as an ableseaman. It's nice to live aft, in some little comfort. And, be not allowed by etiquette to leave the deck.
The sails are hauled and the yards are worked from the deck, but any actual sail handling was done aloft by the topmen. Still is on the few tall ships still working. And yes, it is all hands, officers included when full sail is to be handled.
Again, One and All; 2 masts, 13 sails, over 120 lines to deck. 12 full qualification crew, 24 trainees. 36, split into 3 watches. Under full sail she was sailed by 9 on watch at any one time, but all hands were turned out for ship handling. Port, middle and starboard watch, fore, mid and aft deck respectively. One officer and 2 senior sailors per watch.
Smaller ships with even smaller crews work in 2 watches, port and starboard. The night 3 x 4 hour watches are married and split into 2 x 6 hour watches.
That way you might get some sleep every other night.
Bigger ships are crewed to no greater extent than One and All except for the numbers needed for each additional mast and lift. A mast is "lifted" to its full height. The foot sit on the keelson, the top-mast is lifted and keyed into the "futtocks" of the foot. The top-gallant-mast is lifted into the futtocks of the top-mast The royal, goes above that. Fore-mast, main-mast, mizzen. Each with there own set of lifts, and the sails named for where they sit on the masts. All the rigging named for what it does. Simple.
Not rocket science, just sticks and string.
Now, getting it all timed and trimmed, not so easy.
String too tight one place, stick break another place. Not good.
I seem to recall a yacht race in San Diego. Some Aussie frou-frou million dollar boat. String too tight at the back, stick broke in the bottom of the boat. It broke the boat. Hmm, too tight.
|