On Fri, 05 Jun 2015 19:53:37 -0500, Vic Smith
wrote:

On Sat, 06 Jun 2015 06:58:30 +0700, wrote:

On Fri, 05 Jun 2015 06:15:59 -0600, Paul Cassel
wrote:


Still, these guys had no power other than muscle and winch yet handled
gaff rig schooners with canvas sails, sisal lines and so forth. I'm in awe.


I suspect it was a matter of "that is the way it is" so they just went
ahead and did it. Read the book "White Jacket", my Melville, for an
account of a voyage from San Francisco to New York (I believe) not so
much for the brutality but for the matter of fact attitude of the
crew. "Oh, the wind is blowing, we got to reduce sail. Well boys, lets
get at it".

When you're young you pretty well do "what is expected of you."
Most sailing ship crews hardly had a man over 30.

Sure. Heck, an "old man" was maybe 60 :-)
--
Cheers,

Bruce