Print of 'Xmas Day in the Channel' by George Mackay

Life at sea offered many opportunities, but also presented many dangers. Early sailors did not have sophisticated navigational equipment, relying mainly on the stars for navigation. The waters and coastlines were largely uncharted, and dangerous rocks lay hidden below the waves. Shipwreck, disease and malnutrition were common hazards. Many seamen lost their lives, and their dependents turned to the Incorporation for help.

Other potential hazards, particularly in wartime, included falling victim to piracy or being taken prisoner. Those involved in merchant shipping were sometimes forced to join the Royal Navy by the Impress Service, or press gang. This was greatly feared, not just by the men and their families, but also by the shipmasters who faced losing valued crew members. Occasionally exemptions from the press gang were granted. In Trinity House there is a document from 1787 which exempts William Kay, chief mate of The Culloden, from press gang. To prevent impersonation in the days before passport photos, it includes a description of him: ‘five feet six inches high or thereby brown complexion, wearing his own short hair and is about forty-eight years old.’

Certificate of exemption from pressgang, 1707 [pdf, 3.6kb].

For those whose journeys lasted many months, particularly explorers and those involved in whale fishing, the voyage was often not just hazardous but also tedious. The men staged entertainments to pass the time.

In Trinity House there are also a number of curios collected from all around the world on these long voyages.

Wing of a flying fish, 1904, collected on board the Loch Ryan during passage to Sydney.

	< Bottle of seaweed, 1905. Seaweed in liquid that was gathered on board the Loch Ryan. Gentoo penguin egg, 1955, > Paradise Bay, South Georgia.