Why are pirates always scrubbing the deck?

Sailors swabbed the deck — and not just to keep it clean. The saltwater helped keep down mildew on the wooden boards and kept them swollen to reduce leaks.

Why are Pirates always mopping?

This practice started in the Age of Sail and was part of a lengthy procedure that only ended with what you'd think of as “washing” the deck, what the sailors would have referred to as “swabbing the deck” because they used mops and they called mops, “swabs.” That term was used to refer to particularly stupid sailors, ...

What is the purpose of scrubbing the deck?

"Swabbing" or washing the deck is very important on a wooden planked deck. The frequent scrubbing with salt water preserves the wood, keeps moss or mold from growing, and keeps the planks swelled so the deck does not leak (much..).

What did Pirates scrub the deck with?

Holystone is a soft and brittle sandstone that was formerly used in the Royal Navy and US Navy for scrubbing and whitening the wooden decks of ships.

What does swabbing the deck mean?

wash with a swab or a mop. “swab the ship's decks” synonyms: swob. type of: mop, mop up, wipe up. to wash or wipe with or as if with a mop.

Why Did Sailors Swab The Deck? - Naval History Animated

Why are Navy toilets called heads?

"Head" in a nautical sense referring to the bow or fore part of a ship dates to 1485. The ship's toilet was typically placed at the head of the ship near the base of the bowsprit, where splashing water served to naturally clean the toilet area.

Why are sailors called swabs?

Also known as a sailor, gob, or swab. The term swab comes from military crewmen who swabs the deck with a mop. Navy men in times gone past were generally called bluejackets, with working names like deckhand or black gang. Deckhands were ordinary seamen who performs routine labor on the ship.

How did pirates punish their crew?

A common punishment was to be flogged on board a single ship or sent around all the ships in the port and flogged at each one of them (a punishment also used in the Royal Navy). In the Indian Ocean, pirates were so numerous that those captured were often branded with a letter P on their foreheads using a red-hot iron.

Did pirates sleep on the floor?

Pirate captains and higher-ranking members had private sleeping quarters, while common sailors had to sleep in one room. Some of them slept on hammocks. Others slept on the floor. It was easier for them to sleep on hammocks because they swayed and rocked with the ship's movements.

Did pirates sleep on the deck?

Where did pirates live? When on the high seas, any one who wasn't a captain would sleep out in the open, either in a hammock or on the floor. There were however, 'pirate havens'. Regions of the Indian Ocean and Madagascar were often safe places for pirates to stay, outside of the law and state governance.

What do you use to scrub a deck?

Vinegar and baking soda are a powerful couple when it comes to natural cleaners. To clean your deck, combine 240 ml vinegar with 3.8 litres of water. Sprinkle baking soda on any mildewed timber and use the vinegar and warm water to scrub over all the boards.

Should a deck be flush with the house?

In a nutshell, no, your deck should never be level with your home, according to roof maintenance specialists. This is because of the one thing that even the bravest DIYers and homeowners fear most: water damage.

How do you punish a pirate?

Why do pirates have yellow teeth?

They didn't brush their teeth.

It wasn't until 1938 that the modern toothbrush was invented. Until then, if pirates cleaned their teeth at all it would have been with a “chew stick” which was less than effective at keeping teeth clean and plaque at bay.

Why are pirates always missing an eye?

Over time, swashbucklers who often found themselves embroiled in combat had learned how to adapt. Of course, the only way to move stealthily through the dark of night was to utilize your eyes to the fullest. By wearing a patch over one eye, pirates could “trick” their vision into adjusting to darkness more quickly.

Did pirates ever shower?

Bathing or washing was pretty much a no-go on a pirate ship as water could not be wasted; those who fancied a shower would have to stand outside in the rain and risk pneumonia! Visiting the bathroom, however, was a much more feasible exercise, thankfully.

Did real pirates fight each other?

It wasn't uncommon for pirates to team up to take on both sea and land based targets. There are only a handful of times pirates attacked each other and even those were very restrained. If pirates actually did attack each other regularly, the pirate strongholds throughout the world wouldn't have worked.

What alcohol did pirates drink?

According to most accounts, the principal beverage that pirates drank was rum, although ale (beer) was also served on most pirate ships. Ale was usually only available on shorter journeys or at the beginning of a long adventure because it would turn bad over time.

Who was the most brutal pirate?

His given name was John David Nau. He was born in France but came to the Caribbean when young as an indentured servant. Once he had gained his freedom, he joined the Buccaneers and was apparently one of the most violent sociopaths among them.

What was the most common death for pirates?

However, swords, guns and cannonballs were not what sent most pirates to Davy Jones' locker (meaning, to their death). Instead, a pirate's greatest enemy was disease: food poisoning, malnutrition, infection.

Why do sailors refer to ships as female?

Another tradition is to consider ships as female, referring to them as 'she'. Although it may sound strange referring to an inanimate object as 'she', this tradition relates to the idea of a female figure such as a mother or goddess guiding and protecting a ship and crew.

Why do sailors have beards?

Submariners were allowed to grow longer beards because their limited access to fresh water made shaving difficult. Sailors deployed to colder climates also were permitted to have fuller facial hair to protect them from the elements.

Why is there a nose on the front of a ship?

Introduction. A bulbous bow is an extension of the hull just below the load waterline. The basic purpose is to create a low-pressure zone to reduce or eliminate the bow wave and reduce the resulting drag. Today the bulbous bow is a normal part of modern seagoing cargo ships.