Imagine what it would be like to be a Sailor in Tudor times.
Write a diary entry about your experience. Try to include:
-How you felt.
-What it smelt like.
-What you heard.
Remember to write in first person using adverbials of time to link your paragraphs.
Here's an example for you:
Angus’s Diary of a Tudor Sailor
It is 1578 aboard the Golden Hind. Today is the 17th October. It is night and we’re still sailing. It is strange, we don’t usually sail at night. I have noticed that Captain Drake seems slightly bothered lately. Maybe it’s because he suspects we’re being chased by the Spanish (spit spit spit).
Life aboard ship is hard. I have no idea where we are although rumours say we just sailed round the tip of a place called Emerica.
Earlier today I was firmly told by Captain Drake to go up to the crows nest. Then he told me in a hoarse whisper to watch out for the Spanish ships. I can’t believe how much you get rocked about up there. I felt quite sick after 10 minutes I came down the rigging and was bled arrgh that hurt.
Later I was asked to help with an amputation. I do not like helping out with amputations. I was asked to hold down the unlucky person about to become an amputee!
It was 1574 aboard the Mary Rose. Today is the 29th July. It was was night time and we're still sailing. Its so odd, normally we would never sail at night especially on the big, mighty, Mary Rose. It was so cold because we were close to the Arctic ocean I just felt the bumpy goosebumps on my arm, it wasn't that worrying because we had professionals on board. I felt like it was torture time one of my friends was getting thrown of the Mary Rose by some Spanish guy. It was not good my friend Bob ate all the Food and we literally got nothing fine maybe I got half of a sandwich and 3 quarters of ocean water but it was maybe about 2 and a half weeks ago and Im starving and I feel a bit nauseous and weak Dawid my buddy that was on board he fainted and fell into the ocean and it took us roughly about an hour to take him out he couldn't swim and we waited for him to appear like a submarine from the ocean and Dawid was wet and soggy and full of water like a sponge.
ReplyDeleteIt was 1574 16th of April aboard the golden hind.It was a dark and stormy night all along with only thew friends.I felt weird like I never done this before.the when a big wave crushed as.But it was okay we were so worried this night.Then when we reached the bumpy old rock we nearly crashed about 4 times.I saw a million of fishes jump around one after another suddenly they stopped.........then a biggest fish I ever saw jumped out.then when we reached the land we ate lots of bananas and drank thew coconuts.
ReplyDeleteMy first day at sea today did I like it – no. The Golden Hind is massive and beautiful. When I first got on the ship the captain showed me to my room – OK not a room a hammock. I was next to a man named Phil about 30 I liked him and we had a chat. My sailors chest is almost full with chess, food and all my possessions. later on I heard screaming I quickly dashed up from the main gun deck (where I work) to see what was going on. I realised Phil was being whipped I hated having to watch this but many men just kept laughing and drinking beer. When Phil came back from being whipped I asked he’d done but he just turned away then he came back and pounded me, I was bleeding. Then I puched him back but soon stopped after I heard footsteps. I was asked to empty the dirty toilet buckets on my first day.The perfect thing to do before tea. Tea was ships biscuits many ate theirs in the dark I wondered why until I took a bite. Maggots!!! I almost puked but composed myself till night.
ReplyDeleteA diary of a Tudor sailor
ReplyDeleteIt is 1515, 28th of September on the golden Hind. It is midday and we are still sailing since yesterday morning, with me having nothing to eat or drink. I felt so sick. I was steering so I had to still wait one more week until I could eat whenever I fancied. We hardly set foot on land and don’t have any fridges or freezers. It felt really strange because I normally don’t steer and I struggled to turn.
Later that evening, I came up with a plan. When everyone was asleep I ate a little bit of food. It was all slimy and smelt of fish. I heard the sound of eagles squawking with their long orange beaks along with white fur! Big waves were crashed against the boat.
Dear Diary,
ReplyDeleteIn 1578 I went shipping with my friends in a very big boat . The ship was bigger than a hotel . I felt really good and also really happy . We saw big blue dolphins jumping in and out of sea and also grey juicy fish . it was awesome being on a tudor ship seeing these amazing creatures that we had never seen before . I heard people talking about all the creatures that lived under sea . I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS THE BEST TRIP I WAS EVER IN !
BY SELIEN
It is the end of 15th century.I m a english sailor during 1985 I started expedition to claim new land.
ReplyDeleteThe ship is Really large.Im going to spend long time sailing the ship.Here I have to sleep on the deck and i only have the clothes that I wore .My ship is very dirty ,Old and infested with mice.Many of the people around me caught a disease called scurvy which made there teeth fall out .I haven 't got any fresh food or water the meat we have here is rotten with worms and creatures which is really disgusting and makes me feel sick.I don't know if I m going to survive.
It is 1578 on the merry roger.It looks like theirs going to be a storm
ReplyDeleteI better go inside.I can hear waves crashing on the side of the boat theirs a crack on the ship so there's a big chance of the boat sinking.It's morning the suns shining oh oh one of the people are going to be seasick urgh it stinks!The boat has a blue sail a captain
[named James cooper] a entertainer that puts everyone to sleep even but theirs still alot to deliver.I can smell seasick,blood,rum,the cat and captains perfume.
My ship was dented and broken after the storm. I took it to a remote island to get it fixed but they got so scared, that everyone just ran away from me. So I got my axe and after a few hours, I had cut a tree into planks. All on my own, I stuck the planks on my ship with some big nails. After days of travel, I got a few shipmates like some scary Vikings like me and also a fierce pirate who smelled of rotten fish. I was the captain as I towered over everyone and all of them were afraid of me. We went far and wide and there wasn’t a single drop of rain, so all was good until one stormy night I saw two of the Vikings play chess and the pirate vomiting because he was sea sick.
ReplyDeleteIt is December 1580 This morning we are setting sail. Out of south Hampton. Our ship has been repaired and our supply has been replaced. My main job on board is to feed the animals especially the horses.
ReplyDeleteWe are on our way to the settlement in Canada. My captain said I can join the settlement on the next voyage. "I'm really tired of this life of an old seadog. I have to go know It's my turn to look out of pirates
Hady's diary of a Tudor sailor,
ReplyDeleteIts 1578. I am on a boat in the ocean. Its the 21st January 2:30 at midnight! We are sailing to London to the Tudors...it is now 9:00 in the morning and we have nearly arrived. It has been now 2 hours and the engine has broken down and we are all frightened! The captain said "Get in the water and swim!", it was only 10 minutes away and we would get tired. We finally made it, but everyone was at their houses. Then I heard a noise like an explosion and it was closedi by...
December 19,1511 the Mary Rose
ReplyDeleteit is early morning, I had a rough night because the sea was really weavy and things kept falling over myself and it looked like the boat nearly tripped over.
Last night Captain Steve told me that my duty today was a gunner, I am feeling nervous and excited at the same time because is my first time shoooting. I have made some friendships with crew mates and I don't feel lonely, but I am homesick.
Hopefully I stay in the Mary Rose for few years, that will help my family to survive.i better go now, the Captain is calling us.
Jake Winter
Monday 18 July 1546
ReplyDeleteDEAR DIARY
Its approaching sunset my ship has hit a reef the damage is repairable but we were carrying cargo . I have come down the hatch and have found total darkness . I looked for the lantern and opened it to light it. I was very cold and hungry. My cabin smelt like smoke. I was right in the middle of the sea .
I was very scared what is going to happen? water was slowly trickling into the ship were it had hit the reef.I heard the wind blowing and shouting on the top deck. Land ahoy were safe me and my crew took a amergency boat and went ashore.
Then we saw light and we ran over there.there was a little village where we could rest and eat . In the morning we could get some to help from local people. In the morning we got someone to put some wood were the ship hit the reef.
Finally the damage was fixed . we got back on the ship and sailed back to give the cargo and went back it was a weird trip.
Mahanth’s dairy of Tudor sailors.
ReplyDeleteEverything started on 1428, it was at midnight but, my crew never went on midnight. In a strange way I heard big waves coming on our way and mostly the smell was like roasted chicken, roasted fruits and vegetable. 10 minutes later, while I saw birds flying, I felt like flying over the rainbow. 1 hour later, my crew said, they needed help to drop the anchor on the sea, because we reached an I land.
We didn’t bath on the ship because we no water to come on the tub but, we cook fry and eat dry food because we didn’t have any freezers. In the ship we never wash our cloths we wear the same cloths every day.
I have been in different places like Scotland, Paris but I live in London in a small village.
A Sailor's Life in Tudor Times
ReplyDeleteA life at sea offered great fame and riches and also offered exciting adventures. Sailing voyages could take many years and were often very dangerous and living conditions were very cramped.
Sailors rarely touched down on land and fridges and freezers were not yet invented meaning there was no fresh food. Lack of vitamins meant sailors suffered from diseases such as scurvy. Food had to be salted, smoked, dried or pickled and animals were also kept on the ship to provide a source of meat and eggs. Water was kept in barrels but this did not keep fresh for very long and sailors drank beer as this could be stored for longer.
Sailors often had to sleep on deck and conditions were very uncomfortable. The living conditions were made worse by the presence of rats on board ship, although sailors traditionally kept cats to kill them.
There was no policing at sea and there was a high risk from piracy, which made a sailor's life very dangerous. Living on the ship itself could also be quite perilous as punishment was severe, for example sailors were often dragged by rope under the boat as a form of punishment.
Lots of information Saisha! Can you put this into the style of a diary entry as though you are a Tudor sailor?
Delete