Life on a Tudor Life on a Tudor shipship

SailsSails The sails were made of strips of The sails were made of strips of

canvas and had rope attached to the canvas and had rope attached to the edges to make the sails stronger. edges to make the sails stronger. Different kinds of ships had sails of Different kinds of ships had sails of different shapes and sizes. Sailors different shapes and sizes. Sailors would raise or lower the sails using would raise or lower the sails using ropes, depending on how strong the ropes, depending on how strong the wind was, and the direction it was wind was, and the direction it was blowing from. blowing from.

Ship's catShip's cat

Traditionally every ship carried at Traditionally every ship carried at least one cat on board to kill rats. least one cat on board to kill rats. Sailors thought that black and white Sailors thought that black and white cats were the luckiest cats to have cats were the luckiest cats to have on board. on board.   

Sickness on boardSickness on boardSailors were often sick during their voyages. Sailors were often sick during their voyages. The most common complaint was scurvy. The most common complaint was scurvy. Sailors developed scurvy because they were Sailors developed scurvy because they were not getting enough vitamin C. Vitamin C is in not getting enough vitamin C. Vitamin C is in fresh fruit and vegetables and these could not fresh fruit and vegetables and these could not be taken on long voyages because they would be taken on long voyages because they would go mouldy. Scurvy made black and blue spots go mouldy. Scurvy made black and blue spots appear on the sailor's skin and their gums appear on the sailor's skin and their gums would start to bleed. Finally, their teeth would would start to bleed. Finally, their teeth would fall out. Scurvy was painful and horrible and fall out. Scurvy was painful and horrible and sailors would often die from the disease. sailors would often die from the disease. Sometimes over half the crew would die of Sometimes over half the crew would die of scurvy or other diseases on a long voyage. scurvy or other diseases on a long voyage.

2 MINUTE CHALLENGE!2 MINUTE CHALLENGE!

What do you think What do you think the sailors ate and the sailors ate and drank on their long drank on their long

voyages of discovery?voyages of discovery?

Sailor's dietSailor's diet

The sailor's diet was quite boring The sailor's diet was quite boring and not very nutritious, so sailors and not very nutritious, so sailors would catch fish and seabirds to eat would catch fish and seabirds to eat as well. as well.

LivestockLivestock

Tudor sailors didn't have fridges, like Tudor sailors didn't have fridges, like we do today. They brought dried we do today. They brought dried salted meat that would last a long time salted meat that would last a long time before it went bad. They also kept before it went bad. They also kept animals which provide meat and eggs. animals which provide meat and eggs. Goats and hens had to be kept tied up Goats and hens had to be kept tied up or in coops to stop them eating the or in coops to stop them eating the sailors' other supplies of food. sailors' other supplies of food.

Biscuits with weevilsBiscuits with weevils

Although sailors would sometimes eat Although sailors would sometimes eat meat and eggs, the main part of their meat and eggs, the main part of their diet was made up of biscuits called diet was made up of biscuits called 'hard tack'. The name gives you an 'hard tack'. The name gives you an idea about how tough and tasteless idea about how tough and tasteless these biscuits were. To make things these biscuits were. To make things worse, the biscuits would often be full worse, the biscuits would often be full of little bugs called weevils. of little bugs called weevils.

BrazierBrazier

When the Tudor sailors did eat meat, it would When the Tudor sailors did eat meat, it would have to be cooked. This was done on a have to be cooked. This was done on a brazier, a box of sand with a fire on it over brazier, a box of sand with a fire on it over which food could be cooked and water boiled. which food could be cooked and water boiled. The sand box was crucial. The whole ship was The sand box was crucial. The whole ship was made of wood, so starting a fire was always a made of wood, so starting a fire was always a risky thing to do. The sand protected the ship risky thing to do. The sand protected the ship from the flames. Later ships would have had a from the flames. Later ships would have had a bricked room called a galley. bricked room called a galley.   

Barrels of waterBarrels of water

You can't survive long without liquid and You can't survive long without liquid and you can't drink sea water, so Tudor you can't drink sea water, so Tudor explorers had to take barrels of water with explorers had to take barrels of water with them on board. However, water doesn't them on board. However, water doesn't stay fresh for long and after a while, the stay fresh for long and after a while, the water in these barrels would have gone bad water in these barrels would have gone bad and started to make the people who drank and started to make the people who drank it sick. It was very important to find places it sick. It was very important to find places to get fresh water on a long voyage. to get fresh water on a long voyage.

Barrels of beerBarrels of beer

When the water went bad, the When the water went bad, the sailors turned to weak beer. Beer is sailors turned to weak beer. Beer is alcoholic and alcohol helps to alcoholic and alcohol helps to preserve things, so the beer in these preserve things, so the beer in these barrels would have stayed fresh for barrels would have stayed fresh for longer than the water. longer than the water.   

2 MINUTE CHALLENGE!2 MINUTE CHALLENGE!

What do you think What do you think the sailors did on the sailors did on

the ships?the ships?

Climbing the riggingClimbing the rigging

To adjust the sails, sailors had to To adjust the sails, sailors had to climb the rigging. This was a climb the rigging. This was a dangerous job and must have been dangerous job and must have been scary. Imagine standing in your bare scary. Imagine standing in your bare feet on a piece of rope with the feet on a piece of rope with the stormy sea a long way beneath you stormy sea a long way beneath you and definitely no safety harness! and definitely no safety harness!

Crow's nestCrow's nest

The crow's nest was a platform near The crow's nest was a platform near the top of the mast. Sailors would the top of the mast. Sailors would have to climb up to this dangerous have to climb up to this dangerous perch to look out for other ships and perch to look out for other ships and land. land.

CannonsCannons

Most Tudor ships had cannons on Most Tudor ships had cannons on board to allow the sailors to defend board to allow the sailors to defend their ship and sometimes, to attack their ship and sometimes, to attack other ships. The cannons were very other ships. The cannons were very heavy so they had to be tied down heavy so they had to be tied down with ropes to stop them sliding about with ropes to stop them sliding about the deck and causing damage. the deck and causing damage.

Sailor in ironsSailor in irons

Here is a sailor who's been 'put in Here is a sailor who's been 'put in irons' as a punishment. His feet are irons' as a punishment. His feet are attached to an iron bar and he can't attached to an iron bar and he can't go anywhere. Punishment on board go anywhere. Punishment on board was very harsh, particularly for was very harsh, particularly for sailors found asleep on duty or sailors found asleep on duty or drunk on board. drunk on board.

PARTNER CHALLENGE!PARTNER CHALLENGE!

Show off what you know about Show off what you know about Life on a Tudor ship by Life on a Tudor ship by

drawing a mind map. Try to drawing a mind map. Try to include as much information include as much information

as you can rememberas you can remember..

Tudor Exploration

Life on a Tudor ship