A typical Spanish galleon had a number of decks: forecastle, upper deck, main deck, lower deck, poop deck, and quarterdeck. The Crew's quarters Were in the bow While the officers and passengers lived in Cramped cabins in the Waist or center section of the galleon. Food and supplies were stowed near the galley. Larger galleons also had a surgeon aboard. En addition to the sailors and soldiers that made up the crew, there were also the carpenter, sailmaker, Cook, and Cooper.
The captain or admiral lived in the Great Cabin. While his was above deck, the crew slept and ate on the gun decks where it was dark, damp, and …show more content…
odorous. Insects and rats abounded and foodstuffs often spoiled.
The crew of a Spanish galleon with thirty guns might number 180 men. In battle, sixty-six worked the guns, fifty manned small arms on the upper deck, and fifty sailed the ship.
Navigation in the 1500's was very difficult and because of the limited technological the
Sailors had at that time. It was possible to sail into the wind if the sails were at a slight angle, but they could not sail directly into the Wind.
Sandglass & Log Lines were used by the pilot to measure the galleon's speed. This was done by knotting a rope at equal spaces and tying a piece of wood to the end. The wood was thrown into the water and a sailor counted aloud as the knots in the rope slipped through his finger. The number of knots that passed through his fingers in one minute (measured by the Sandglass) provided the pilot with the approximate speed.
The Spanish did not use miles as a measurement, but used a similar method to measure according to their Own System.
Larger Sandglasses measured the passage of hours and were also very important. A pilot needed to know how long he had been at
Sea.
Experienced sailors kept logs describing areas where they had ventured before. These records included notes on Currents, Water color, prevailing winds, climate Conditions,
Water depth, sighting of birds and islands. By referencing the progress made on past
Voyages the navigator Could get a better idea of where he might be and what to expect ahead. The Captain also used a Compass. This was made from a magnetized needle that pivoted on a pin. They functioned like the modern compass.
Galleons Were very large ships that must have cost a substantial amount of money. It is difficult to determine the amount of money that the cargo itself would be worth today, but a galleon ship would be about a couple million dollars in today's money with inflation and the knowledge that people have of how useful they were for explorers on expeditions and in battle. in Conclusion, traveling by ship was tough then and it's still tough now. It's expensive, tough to navigate, and it was crowded. These tasks were strenuous and sailors often
Went Weeks without proper care on the
Water.