Sailor's Pay

All members of the crew are paid for their work, the amount based on the particular member's skill level and seniority on the ship. The ship's second mate would get a higher salary than a junior sailor, for example. Payment comes not on a regular schedule but only when the ship comes into port, giving the crew the choice of either saving their coin or spending it in the town or city.

The amount one is paid can vary from port to port, depending on the length of time between ports as well as any significant contribution from a crew member that might inspire the captain to slip him a few extra coins, or the acquisition of valuable cargo that might be split between the crew members. I

f the ship is in battle with other ships and takes/plunders/sinks that ship, the crew gets an even division of the spoils gained from that attack, with the officers getting a slightly higher cut. Division of the spoils is handled by the captain.

Expectations and Punishments

All members of the crew are expected to work and work hard at the job for which they were hired. There is no place on a working ship for sloth and laziness and a crew member who is not living up to his obligations may find himself punished aboard the ship or possibly tossed off at the next port.

All members of the crew are expected to report on time to their shifts each day and carry out their duties. On a sailing vessel the carelessness of a single crewmember can lead to injury to other members of the crew or damage to the ship itself. Crew members are expected to respect and follow their commanding officers. The act of attempted mutiny can cost a sailor his life.

All crew members are expected to know their duties, follow orders, and take care of themselves. Ribbing and joking are common on a ship, especially to the newest crew members and a sailor that cannot stand up for himself or accept the joking with a good nature will find he only further isolates himself. The Captain or First Mate is under no obligation to see that a man or woman fits into a crew or escapes name calling and taunting. Only when such taunting turns into a real and physical threat will the Second Mate step in and handle punishment. For example, making an off-color comment or joke on a female sailor's assets is part of the life aboard a ship. Acting on those comments and raping a female crewmember is cause for disciplinary action.

In a time of danger all members of the crew, no matter their skills, are expected to help aid the ship and the crew. A crew member who attempts to hide or flee in such a situation will likely suffer punishment for abandoning his duties.

Punishment aboard a ship is left to the discretion of the Second Mate and it is he who hands out punishments. For punishments there would be unpleasant duties and tasks, time in the brig, being barred from certain activities (ie most likely having to work through them rather than being allowed to join in). More serious punishments include whipping/lashes/caning, imprisonment, pay deducted or denied, losing one's job/being left at the next port, marooning, keelhauling, being tossed overboard and left behind, or execution."

Please understand if you choose to have your character break one of the ship's rules, you are consenting to being punished for it. VIPs and/or staff will work with you on the punishment for death or tossing a character out of the game is a last resort, but if character actions warrant it, we will see that things are handled in an IC manner. If you are unsure what kind of punishment your actions will bring, please ask a staff member first.

Meals

Three meals are prepared each day by the ship's cook and any assistants he may have. Mealtimes will generally occur around shift change, so those going onto a shift might eat before work begins and those coming off a shift will have food waiting for them once their work is done. Food is prepared for the entire crew and the crew is expected to eat what they are given. A ship is not a tavern and special orders are not taken.

Additionally, the ship's cook may keep a storage container of food available for between meal snacking. The crew is expected to eat sensibly; taking the entire contents of the container may be grounds for punishment. Crew members venturing into the cargo hold to sneak food or ale from the stores can likely expect to be punished for his theft. All foodstuffs are to be returned to the galley; this includes peels, pits, seeds, bones and anything else that cannot be eaten. Never should a crew member throw such things overboard as it is considered a waste.

At times the ships will stop, allowing the crew the chance to do some fishing and Atlantean members of the crew are encouraged to gather underwater animals and plants that are edible to add to the ship's stores. This is especially necessary on longer voyages.

Free Time and Recreation

Like any other job, crew members are next expected to be working all the time. Most members of the crew have hobbies and activities they like to participate in when not on duty. This can include solitary activities such as reading or group activities such as games, storytelling, lessons in a new subject, swimming, or exploring a new port. On many evenings members of the crew are provided some ale and late into the night the sound of sailors singing and joking can be heard on the deck.

When a ship goes into port most members of the crew are allowed shore leave. There will, however, always be some crew on the ship at any given time and sailors are expected to report for their regular shifts to see if they are needed. Otherwise, members of the crew are allowed to visit the port town or city as they wish and spend their pay as they see fit.

In some cases, the port might not be the friendliest of places and crewmembers will either be restricted to the ship except for certain hours, or will be expected to travel in groups rather than alone. New ports can be especially dangerous and crewmembers are expected to exercise caution when spending time in an unknown city. In some cases the Captain and his Mates will provide additional guidelines and warnings about specific locations (if these places are known) and the crew is expected to heed these warnings. The crewmembers are visitors and as such are expected to abide by the laws of the city or nation they are visiting.

Crew Quarters and Personal Items

Below decks is the crews' quarters which consists of a single large area where hammocks are hung. Every crew member has his or her own hammock and space allowable for a single trunk in which to store their personal items. This includes essentials such as clothing as well as luxuries such as books and personal mementos. Crew members are expected to keep their personal effects within their own truck, the ship's hold is not the place for crew members to store their personal things. A crew member may share his or her trunk with another crew member if he or she wishes to do so.

The ship's captain, first mate and second mate have their own quarters apart from the rest of the crew. The captain's cabin is generally the largest and often the first and second mate will share a cabin, depending on the size of the ship. These cabins are considered off-limits to the rest of the crew unless the captain or mate has personally called a crew member into his cabin.

Ship's Hierarchy

There is an established hierarchy on a ship as well as an understood one. The most obvious hierarchy is as follows:

Captain
First Mate
Second Mate

See the Buccaneer website for more information on the ship's hierarchy.

These are positions of authority of the ship and respect is expected from the rest of the crew. Insubordination is cause for punishment. Aside from those who are actually in charge of the ship and hold authority over the rest of the crew are members of the crew that hold positions that set them higher than the ordinary sailor. A position such as the Weapons Master is such a position, for while he has no place in the ship's official hierarchy, he is still in a position requiring skills many of the crew don't have and his title affords him some respect, though as a new member of the crew, he will still need to prove his worth to his fellow crewmates. Additionally, older and seasoned sailors are generally afforded some respect from younger sailors and are considered higher on the ship's hierarchy, even if they hold no official position of power. Such seniority might afford him the best shifts and tasks, a nicer hammock and higher pay.