by Thomas Emmon Pisano

Created on: June 19, 2009

The Boatswain

The three-mast clipper; Margaret Kay lay at berth on Sunday the day before her departure for England. That morning the crew began to assemble on her weather deck. All the rough-hewed men from all over Massachusetts came to outfit this merchant trader. They were motley and an undeserving lot, but then again so was the work of a seaman. No, only strong backs and hard chins were necessary to do the job of pulling lines, setting rigging and making sail. These men were rough and their leader had to be rough to keep them in line. He had to be a man made of rope and chain to understand the ship and its men.

Boston harbor, stinking from fish and creosote was draining from the out going tide, the sea gulls were in a feeding frenzy, and the smell was attracting all the birds to the mud and bounty. The Margaret Kay's moorings could be heard a-straining as the tide washed to the out going sea. The men could be heard laughing and being boisterous on deck as they waited for the muster to take place. They knew what to expect all being seasoned sailors and use to the hard life these vessels afforded. It would be hard tack, salted meat, and beans for the next four weeks as the clipper made her passage across the Atlantic to the English coast; their next stop would be Liver Pool with a load of Textiles and Dye.

All the men knew that this was a money trip, crew, and captain to share in the profits with the safe delivery of the goods to the buyer, bonuses all.

With smoking and the occasional bottle passed around, the men watched with keen eyes for the one man who could make or break them. His presence meant no nonsense and discipline all around. He was the heart and soul of the crew, he was the man that the captain relied upon to get things done. No one moved unless he said move, and if he said move then move it was or a belaying pin would be your lover. He was hard as nails, the ships survival depended on this mans efforts. He knew everything there was to know about the operation of this vessel; his experience would out weigh theirs.

Some of the men grumbled, some mock fought and some just sat and rested knowing that nothing would happen until he arrived. Patients were needed to deal with the chill in the air and the occasional shared sip of rum helped fend off the damp. It would be a while; these things took time, always.

At noon, the men from the freight company came to inspect the cargo to make sure that the load was secure, insurance papers

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