SO+YOU+WANT+TO+BE+AN+EXPLORER!?

Here are the questions that might come from the research you did today on the Caravel... 1. Why were Caravels popular with explorers? 2. How big was a Caravel? The answer is given in meters. HINT: You will have to find out how many feet are in a meter to be able to measure off the caravel in the gym. 3. What was placed below the decks? 4. Since sailors had to live on the main decks --- how would life have been for them. A. Think in terms of the things you value most like privacy--- 1. Where did they go to the bathroom. 2. Could they take baths? 3. Where did they change clothes -- or did they change clothes? 5. What was food like on a long voyage? Do you remember what some of the problems were with the food? A. What was the source of the information about the food on board ship-- what kind of source did it come from? 6. Sailors who went on these long trips had big health problems. Can you name two of the diseases that plegued them? What caused those diseases? 7.[|Sailors had to be able to tie many kinds of knots]--- can you guess why?

**What were the jobs sailors had on an explorer's caravel?**

 * Master (Captain)** - in charge of the sailing of the vessel and the crew
 * [|Pilot]** - in charge of navigation-
 * Interpreter** - on the voyage spoke Hebrew and Arabic so could hopefully translate and negotiate during trading
 * Marshal of the Fleet** - kept the discipline aboard ship and in the fleet
 * Secretary of the Fleet** - kept the accounts of the expedition.
 * Comptroller** - kept the accounts of the expeditors of the fleet, kept a record of items traded with the native populations and the items received. **Pedro Gutiérrez**-
 * Ship’s Surgeon** - a surgeon in that period was not really a doctor, as we know them today. A surgeon knew how to give some types of medicines for particular symptoms, but he generally was trained in how to amputate limbs and remove bullets after a battle.


 * Other crew included:**
 * Boatswain** - the most experienced sailor onboard who had the men carry out the pilot’s or master’s orders. Also had responsibilities that included: stowing the supplies, keeping the ship’s supplies dry, keeping the rope and sails in good order, keep the bilge pump working and clear of debris, and the general business of the ship
 * Steward** - in charge of the ship’s food stores, water and wine, keeping the firewood dry, trimming the lamps’ wicks, and watching over the ship’s boys
 * Carpenter** - kept the wooden ship in repair, replacing rotten wood, fixing broken spars, etc.
 * Copper** - kept the barrels that held the food and drink from leaking and made new barrels as needed for new supplies
 * Caulker** - primary job was to repair leaks in the ship’s caulking between the wood planks
 * Silversmith** - brought along as an assayer for precious stones, silver, and gold
 * Able Seamen (Marineros)** - the average sailor with some experience at sea
 * Ordinary Seamen (Grumetes)** - Sailors with little experience and ship’s boys. The lowest on the ship’s hierarchy.

When the crew signed on, they came aboard with only the clothes they owned. They were not given a special uniform for the expedition. Most sailors wore calf length pants, which today are called slops. They had a shirt, maybe a waistcoat or a jacket. Two disguising pieces of clothing that Spanish sailors wore were a hooded smock and a “gorro”— a red, woolen stocking-hat. Because leather-soled shoes would slip easily on a wet deck or spar, most sailors went barefoot on-board ship and saved shoes for land.During the voyage the crew tried to keep themselves and their clothes clean using salt water. The dirt was removed, but the salt stayed in the clothing. Mariners Museum.
 * What did they wear?**


 * Hailey asked** --- What caravel are we going to use--they changed over time! Good point Hailey just like we have new car models come out each year -- there were new models of caravels! It might be fun to write an add for a caravel dealership -- designed to sell caravels to explorers!