 Travel by sea was far from luxury in the 1500s  Ships sometimes went 3 months or more without fresh food

Scurvy, we know today, is caused by a lack of vitamin C in the diet. Scurvy was common among sailors, because most vitamin C comes from fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables were very difficult to keep fresh during long sea voyages in the days before refrigeration. So, sailors before the 1700s ate a diet that was mostly dried, hard bread known as hard tack, and dried, salted meat.

Scurvy

What did sailors eat? Sailors sometimes ran out of food, and had to eat anything they could find ◦O◦Ox Hides soaked in sea water, then cooked for a short time ◦S◦Sawdust ◦W◦Worms and Maggots ◦R◦Rats (were sold for money on a ship)

In 1521, Magellan wrote… “we were three months and twenty days without refreshment from any kind of fresh food. We ate biscuit which was no longer biscuit but its powder, swarming with worms, the rats having eaten all the good. It stank strongly of their urine. We drank yellow water already many days putrid. We also ate certain ox hides that covered the top of the yards to prevent the yards from chafing the shrouds, and which had become exceedingly hard because of the sun, rain and wind. We soaked them in the sea for four or five days, then placed them for a short time over the hot embers and ate them thus, and often we ate sawdust. Rats were sold for half a ducat apiece, and even so we could not always get them”

Where did they sleep? The high-ranking members of the expedition, such as the captain and other officers, had their own private cabins. They were not large, but they did offer the men a little bit of privacy. The crew, on the other hand, had to sleep anywhere they could find that was dry and out of the sun. Many would sleep in the forecastle. Since the ships only had one deck, the hold below would be full of supplies, bulge water from the ship (they all leaked a little), emptied pots from their toilet, and rats. Below deck was a place you would not like to be for very long. After arriving in America and seeing the natives use hammocks, the sailors quickly adopted their use aboard ship.

When someone committed a crime or did not do as they were told, they were flogged (beaten with a cat o’ nine tails/whip). The officers usually did this in front of the whole crew.

Keelhauling Very serious offenses could get a Keelhauling. It involved the guilty party being tied to a rope and dragged under and across the belly of the ship so the barnacles scraped away his skin. This punishment was often fatal, especially if a shark or two showed up to participate in the show.

MMyths about the Ocean from the Century: DDragons and Sea Monsters roamed the ocean TThere were giant holes in the sea where ships would just disappear WWild Natives in distant lands CCannibals VViolent Sea Storms LLands with no sign of life (Think about Outer Space now!)

SSea Sickness (Motion-Sickness) was another problem sailors had TThe movement of the waves made many people sick, but most people adapted IIn some cases, constant vomiting will cause dehydration, and sometimes death!

Positions on the Ship: Page. Pages were often orphans, aged 8 to 15. They cleaned everything on the ship, and they had to work the pumps to keep the boats afloat. Pumping water was so tiring that some people died trying to keep the water out. Apprentice. Apprentices were a little bit older than pages, and apprentices had more responsibilities. They were the ones who operated the sails, but had to do anything the officers asked. Sailor. If the apprentice did what he was supposed to, he became a professional sailor. An expert in all areas of the ship, the sailor would do everything from running ropes to navigation. Skilled Positions. Above the sailor were the skilled men, such as gunners, carpenters, caulkers, coopers and divers. The Barber. At first glance, taking along a guy just to give haircuts seems like a waste of resources on the ship. But the barber did much more than cutting hair. The barber was also the doctor, dentist and surgeon. The Officers. They guarded the goods on the ship, plotted the course, and generally made sure everything was in order. Captain. The captain was in charge of everything, and signed off on every decision. And when ships gained fame, it was in the captain’s name.

Writing Prompt: Life at Sea: Pretend that you are a crewmember on the explorer's ship. Write (LEGIBLY) three paragraphs about your time and life as a crewmember of the Victoria. Explain what life on the ship is like. Tell where you are at the time of your story. Include your position, facts about food, chores, and anything else to make your story believable.

Positions on the Ship: Page. Pages were often orphans, aged 8 to 15. They cleaned everything on the ship, and they had to work the pumps to keep the boats afloat. Pumping water was so tiring that some people died trying to keep the water out. Apprentice. Apprentices were a little bit older than pages, and apprentices had more responsibilities. They were the ones who operated the sails, but had to do anything the officers asked. Sailor. If the apprentice did what he was supposed to, he became a professional sailor. An expert in all areas of the ship, the sailor would do everything from running ropes to navigation. Skilled Positions. Above the sailor were the skilled men, such as gunners, carpenters, caulkers, coopers and divers. The Barber. At first glance, taking along a guy just to give haircuts seems like a waste of resources on the ship. But the barber did much more than cutting hair. The barber was also the doctor, dentist and surgeon. The Officers. They guarded the goods on the ship, plotted the course, and generally made sure everything was in order. Captain. The captain was in charge of everything, and signed off on every decision. And when ships gained fame, it was in the captain’s name.