Hi Ya'll;
Have any of you Really given any thought to what it was like crossing the Atlantic or Pacific in the old Sailing and early Steam days? Sleeping in Hammocks 'Tween the guns! Or in the orlop? You know that had to be a challenge. The Bosu'ns call in the revielle call said it all,"Heave out and Trice up".You had to have clear decks to fight a ship back in the day.
That coupled with the wet, damp conditions. Remember, till Steam there was no such thing as real WaterTight Doors! You'd be in your Hammock and you are tossed about at the whim of ships movement.When she dove into a wave you went in that direction and when she went Bow clear then you flopped aft. Interesting ,right?
Just think ,it didn't change that much in early steam days.Just look at the Olympia for an example.That big open space on the main deck under the stacks and bridge is where some were. Again, damp Wet conditions.
As ship design advanced so did berthing. Not really by much though.You had a fart sack into which you shoved a very puny mattress and net or canvas attached to a metal frame to hold it, that you had to "trice Up" before going to quarters. That meant, If you were top, Linking your support chain to a eyebolt in the overhead so it would be out of the way and then everyone else hooked to you. Lockers were little boxes on the deck.Watertight? Nah!
It was still that way on the Gearings in the fall of 1960. It was the worst of times, It was the Best of Times, though. Lifetime Friendships formed, and pride in one's ship went actually deeper than most folks outside thought. The Ship I was in Was known by her Knickname-"The Galloping Ghost of the Korean Coast" She supplied what was called, "Supporting Fire" sometimes right on top of the Marines calling it in, Or Army. Oh ,By the way, 5"38cal. guns don't go "Boom"! they have a heavy cracking "Bark" like a pissed off Pit Bull!
OOPs, time for chow, gotta run," All reports to the Bridge , all Messcooks to the Messdecks" Bye! T.B.