Conditions of Life Afloat

Though HMS VICTORY was built as late as 1765, a tour of her will give a good idea of conditions, and little imagination is needed to appreciate what life was like on long sea voyages and commissions, and how health suffered.

Below decks
Except for the upper deck, all other decks - the lower (main), middle and orlop decks - were enclosed and the sole means of ventilation was by hatches and gunports, which could be opened only in fine weather. Windsails were sometimes fitted, which helped to some extent. Lighting was by candle. The ship's company was accommodated chiefly on the gun decks. The orlop deck was below sea level and had no ports, and here were accommodated some of the midshipmen and the surgeon's mate, who was very small fry in those days. Tobias Smollett served as surgeon's mate in HMS CUMBERLAND in 1739 and has vividly described his experiences in the novel Roderick Ransom. Below this deck were the holds for stores and the bilges where water, stagnating and foul with decomposing vegetable matter, accumulated. Animals were sometimes kept on board. New construction timber sweated badly, and open braziers used in an attempt to dry the decks added fumes to the vitiated atmosphere. Humidity must have been very high, and there were no means of drying clothes. This is an eyewitness description of life at sea in bad weather:

"During such furious storms the spray of the sea raised by the violence of the wind, is dispersed over the whole ship; so that people breathe as it were in water for many weeks together. The tumultuous waves incessantly breaking upon the decks, and wetting those who are upon duty as if they had been drenched in the sea, are also continually sending down great quantities of water below; which makes it the most uncomfortable wet lodging imaginable; and from the labouring of the ship, it generally leaks down in many places, directly upon their beds. There being no fire or sun to dry or exhale the moisture, and the hatches necessarily kept shut, this most stagnating confined air below, becomes most offensive and intolerable. When such weather continues long, attended with sleet and rain, as it generally is, we may easily figure to ourselves the condition of the poor men; who are obliged to sleep in wet clothes and damp beds, the deck swimming with water below them; and there to remain only four hours at a time; till they are again called up to fresh fatigue, and hard labour, and again exposed to the washing of the sea and rains.

Between decks
There was severe overcrowding between decks, and hammocks had no space between, as only 14 in. were allowed between the clews. Rats abounded. As recruits to the Navy were largely impressed men, no leave was granted to prevent 'running'. The only consolation was that in home ports so- called 'wives' were allowed on board, but they brought drink and venereal disease with them. Punishments were appalling - flogging was a daily occurrence and keel-hauling not infrequent. The diet consisted chiefly of salt beef or pork, oatmeal, biscuits, beer and occasionally cheese and butter. There were no fresh provisions except on rare occasions, and after a short while at sea butter became rancid and uneatable, and biscuits alive with weevils. Water taken on board in casks rapidly became foul. Pay was negligible, and a levy of 6d a month was demanded to the 'Chatham Chest' for the treatment of sick and wounded.

Numbers
Large complements were accommodated, not only to man the ships for fighting as well as sailing, but also to allow for inevitable wastage from sickness and death. A first-rate carrying 100 guns or more and varying from 2000 to 6000 tons might have a crew of nearly 1000 men. Third-rates with between 60 to 80 guns might have 750 men, and fourth-rates with 50 guns a crew of 350 men. It was estimated that in a 60-gun ship, one quarter of the complement would fall sick in an epidemic disease. In a bigger ship the proportion might be one third of the total complement. Conditions can be epitomized in the words of Dr Johnson:

'Why, Sir, no man will be a sailor who has contrivance enough to get himself into gaol, for being in a ship is being in a gaol, with a chance of being drowned!'