what was life like for early sailers?

Answer 1

There were many types of sailors: military, merchants, and pirates. All of them suffered from deadly storms at sea, scruvvy, diseases acquired at ports, combat with other navies or pirates. Tough job, yet it gave them something to do with their lives. In fact, the famous French poet Arthur Rimbaud stopped writing poetry in the 19th Century and started to run an illegal gun trade. I think he died at sea or from the effects of sailing all the time.

Answer 2

It was pretty hard, especially for sailors that were involved in wars.

They often had to drink stale water that more often than not had dead rats in it etc etc.

Their main food, biscuits, were often infested with weevils and bugs.

If someone got injured, eg in a battle, often their legs/limbs etc had to be chopped off without any anesthetic... they were just fed lots of whisky or other alcohol to help dull the pain, and they were made to put a length of rope between their teeth otherwise they would clamp down so hard because of the pain that their teeth would break off.

Since they did not have any red meat or vitamins etc, they often get a sickness called Scurvy which I associated with lack of vitiamins e and c (i think)

They often didn't get paid much and most the time they got a share of any treasure or loot that was stolen or recovered from pirates, and sometimes this wasnt much because the captains were so greedy.

Answer 3

It was hard because they didn't have the technology we have today to make strong and sturdy ships that could handle the bad storms out at sea. Many became sick and some would die.

Answer 4

Hard work, hunger and starvation...At times, sailors had to resort to canniblism in order to survive...This was a normal practice with the vikings...

Answer 5

It was a lot of hard work because they had to keep feeding all those animals Noah brought on board.

Answer 6

Chapped and hard to sit down.