Life at Sea - Rest time and entertainment

Rest time and entertainment

Music
As you can imagine, there wasn't very much time for rest and relaxation onboard a Naval vessel between watches. The crew entertained themselves in various ways, and one of the most popular was with music. Many sea shanties have survived until today - shanties were not only played for entertainment but to help with tasks on the ship itself. They very often have a strong beat that would help the crew keep time when, for instance, pulling in an anchor rope or hauling up the heavy sails.

Hear a typical shanty sound. This one is called 'Nelson's Blood' and was written after Nelson's death.

The words suggest Nelson's body was preserved in Rum on the long journey home. This is not true as it was Brandy and Wine of Spirits that were actually used in the barrel, but the myth about rum still persists today. You can read the words from this link.

You can hear some more shanties from the 'Sounds at Sea' page on the Site Map.

Knitting and Sewing
Knitting and sewing took up some of the crew's spare time - this meant they had something to pass the time with and also helped with repairs and making new clothing, although the poor lighting below decks must have been a problem.

Scrimshaw and carving
'Scrimshaw' is the name given to the art of carving pictures and motifs on bone or tusk and some very intricate pieces were produced. The carver needed little room to work and the piece could be safely stored in a small space. Scrimshaw pieces were usually intended as a gift for a loved one at home and often showed an interesting picture of a voyage. Many pieces of scrimshaw work are preserved and on show in museums.

Wood carving was popular for the same reason and chess or draught pieces could be made to give further entertainment.

Diaries and letters
Not all crew members could read and write. Those who could would often send letters home to their families and some of the letters still exist today. They give a wonderful picture of life on board. Here is an extract of a letter written by a ten year old boy who served at Trafalgar. He is writing about the food that was obviously not to his taste.

"We live on beef which has been ten to eleven years in the cask and on biscuit which makes your throat cold in eating to it owing to the maggots which are very cold when you eat them, likecalvesfoot jelly."

Dice and Cards
Dice and card games were popular - they could easily be played in the cramped conditions but these games were illegal as was any form of gambling onboard.