Using descriptions from contemporary documents and writings, this concise book explores what it was like to be a sailor in the Georgian Navy of the later 18th and early 19th centuries. It looks at how a seaman could join the Royal Navy, including the notorious 'press gangs'; what was meant by 'learning the ropes' -it was just that in fact; and the severe punishments that could be levied for even minor misdemeanours as a result of the Articles of War. Military tactics, including manning the guns and tactics for fending off pirates are also revealed, as is the problem of maintaining a healthy diet at sea - and the steps that sailors themselves could take to avoid the dreaded scurvy. There is also material on how to spot the signs of an impending mutiny and the kind of scientific observation and experimentation that could be carried out on board.