Daily Routine

Life on board was made up of routine tasks. The ship’s rigging had to looked after. Sometimes sailors had to fish for some fresh food to add to their diet. They also attended religious services on board the ships.

One of the most important tasks was the turning of the sandglass (like a modern egg timer). This was done when every half an hour when the sands ran out. This was the only way of knowing the time on board the ship and when to change the watch. It was also used to measure distance and speed. One of the boys would sing a short song whenever the sand glass was turned.

Keeping Watch

The crew were divided into 2 watches, each under the direction of a single officer. This officer was in charge of the ship during his watch. The watch changed every 4 hours, after the eighth turn of the sandglass. The lookouts were changed every hour.

Throughout the morning the watch was changed at 4.00 am, 8.00 am and 12 noon. In the afternoon it changed at 4.00 pm, 8.00 pm and 12 midnight. This meant that different crews worked different watches.