Hardships

Eupeans explorers had to overcome many hardships and fears in their long sea travels. Maps were often wrong or incomplete making it difficult to determine where a ship was headed. Most ships of the time were very small and were easily wrecked by a bad ocean storm where waves could reach 20m high.

Conditions of life for sailors were appalling. All the ships leaked; even with regular use of the pumps, water was constantly sloshing in the bilge which was further fouled by the casual sanitary habits of the age. Roaches and rats swarmed everywhere. No sleeping quarters were provided, save perhaps for the master and pilot. Ordinary seamen slept on or below deck wherever they could find room. There was no water-proof clothing.

Ship life was usually very strict. Crimes like stealing, sleeping on duty, insubordination (not doing what the captain ordered) and mutiny had severe consequences. Punishments included:

1. lashing - being tied to the mast and whipped
2. hanging - usually done from the yardarm to discourage other sailors
3. keel-hauling - being tied and dragged by ropes under the keel of the ship while it was moving

Food was another concern. Voyages of discovery needed a large number of men to handle the sails of the early exploring vessels and the stores of food to last the voyage had to be carried on board. Shipboard menus consisted of dried or salted meat, salted fish, biscuits, rice, dried peas, cheese, onions, garlic, oil, vinegar and water. The sailor had to endure a terrible quality of food, the putrefying water; the fresh food eaten after only a few days; a diet of salted foods; then a time when even the salted and dried provisions turned into a slimy mess, undulating with worms. The poor diet and lack of fresh fruit and vitamins resulted in many deaths due to disease and sickness. Scurvy is a disease cause by lack of Vitamin C which comes from fruit and vegetables. Scurvy cause open sores to form, gums to bleed, teeth to fall out, weakening of the muscles and eventually death.

Early sailors showed a great deal of courage in dealing with many fears and superstitions of the time. It was common knowledge that the world was flat and if a person sailed too close to the edge they would fall off. Most people also believed in mythical creatures and sea monsters which was not helped by the fact that almost none of the sailors knew how to swim. If a person ever fell into the water, death was a certainty.