Life at sea during the age of sail was filled with hardship. Sailors had to
accept cramped conditions, disease, poor food and pay, and bad weather
. Over a period of hundreds of years, seafarers from the age of the early explorers to the time of the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, shared many common experiences.
What challenges did sailors face during the age of exploration?
Life at sea during the age of sail was filled with hardship. Sailors had to
accept cramped conditions, disease, poor food and pay, and bad weather
. Over a period of hundreds of years, seafarers from the age of the early explorers to the time of the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, shared many common experiences.
What were sailors afraid of in the 1400’s?
In the 1400’s, however, sailors were afraid of
sea monsters and boiling hot water at the Equator
, so progress was slow. After Bartholomew Dias and his crew made it to Africa’s Cape of Good Hope, Vasco da Gama and his crew became the first to sail around Africa and through the Indian Ocean to India.
What were early explorers scared of?
With
poor maps and navigation techniques ships could easily become lost
. Even in the best of conditions, hurricanes and tropical storms were always a concern. Ships could become marooned and have to wait until they could make repairs or replenish supplies before sailing again.
What worries did the sailors have when exploring?
- shipwreck due to storms.
- getting washed overboard during bad weather.
- suffering from diseases such ass typhoid (from bad water) and scurvy (from lack of vitamin C)
Did sailors eat rats?
Rats were a common pest on board ships and
seamen often hunted them for entertainment and then ate them
, reporting they tasted ‘nice and delicate… full as good as rabbits’. Another frequent pest were weevils, (a type of beetle) found in flour, biscuit and bread.
What sleep disease did sailors suffer from?
| Scurvy | Risk factors Mental disorders, unusual eating habits, alcoholism, intestinal malabsorption, dialysis | Diagnostic method Based on symptoms | Treatment Vitamin C supplements, Citrus fruits | Frequency Rare |
|---|
How do sailors say good luck?
The use of the expression “
fair winds
” is used to wish a person a safe journey or good fortune.
What do sailors say when they say goodbye?
“Fair winds and following seas”
is a common phrase for those in the United States Navy, where it’s used to say farewell to those retiring or leaving for deployment.
What is good luck for sailors?
For sailors in full uniform, it is considered good
luck to touch one’s collar while on the water
. Boating lore tells us that saints can be a great source of help during dangerous situations on the water.
What were three problems early European explorers faced?
What were three problems that early European explorers faced?
They needed better maps, and new technology for long voyages
. They needed a lot of money to pay the costs of their expeditions. They faced great dangers in exploring unknown seas and lands.
Did the Vikings land in America?
10th Century — The Vikings: The Vikings’ early expeditions to North America are well documented and accepted as historical fact by most scholars. Around the year 1000 A.D., the Viking explorer Leif Erikson, son of Erik the Red, sailed to a place he called “Vinland,” in what is now the Canadian province of
Newfoundland
.
What difficulties did early explorers face during the Age of Discovery?
- Geographical Understanding.
- Poor Navigational Tools.
- Lack of Adequate Supplies->Sickness and Starvation.
- Fear of the Unknown.
Why do sailors drink so much?
In the days of sailing ships, sailors worked 24/7 to keep the ship moving, with only the occasional break for the occasional bout of high-seas terror. A drink provided
much
respite, and since they were horrifically underpaid, they were also given booze rations as part of their pay.
Who found India?
Vasco-Da-Gama
discovered India when on a voyage.
What was the importance of the age of discovery?
The Age of Exploration was one of the most important times in
the history of world geography
. A significant portion of the unknown world was mapped during this short period. Also, many advances were made in navigation and mapping which helped future explorers and travelers.
