Abstract:
A seaman's job is occupationally unique and was even more so in
the past. Before the advent of steam shipping, the nature of sailing
compounded many of the problems inherent in the seafaring lifestyle.
There were more risks involved, the voyages took longer, and the work
was particularly seasonal. Sailing vessels took longer stop-overs in
port before they were ready for another voyage, which meant the
sailors spent more time ashore between jobs. Necessarily transient,
the sailors almost always found themselves isolated strangers in
strange towns, al though they might have homes somewhere along the
coast. They also had unique consumer needs ashore, and were susceptible
to being cheated by waterfront businesses in unfamiliar towns.