As all ships in the Age of Sail were made of wood a carpenter was essential, whether on a naval, merchant, or pirate ship. A ship’s carpenter was responsible for keeping the vessel afloat, making necessary repairs, and plugging holes. Carpentry was an extremely useful skill on board any ship and good carpenters were highly valued, especially on a pirate ship, which couldn’t just sail into a port for repairs. In the navy they were usually qualified shipwrights. They didn’t always have to be an able seaman, but were expected to pull and haul when required, although they probably spent most of the time carrying out repairs and generally maintaining the ship. On most vessels the carpenter usually answered directly to the boatswain.
Ships were complex and fragile in those days and were regularly in need of repair, be the damage caused by battle, reefs, or strong winds. As well as repairing damage the carpenter maintained the ship from general wear and tear, such as the loosening of joints. In battle he worked below deck to plug any holes caused by cannon balls with wedges, cones, or braced slabs of wood. Damaged masts had to be splinted. When a pirate crew captured a vessel and desired to make it their own, it was the carpenter’s job to modify the new ship to the pirates’ needs, which included removing the forecastle to reduce weight and make it more streamline; removing internal bulkheads to create space; adjusting masts; cutting additional gun and oar ports. Use was made of wood salvaged from others ships when there were no spares on board, or alternatively obtained on land, such as cutting down a tree for a replacement mast. Additional duties included the everyday repairs to the ship’s fittings such as stairs, rails, the deck, and furnishings. Careening of the hull was necessary up to three times a year to protect it from barnacles, rot, and ship-worm. This was a difficult task as no dry docks were available to pirates, forcing them to carry out the work on secluded beaches. In a process known as caulking, fibres made of material such as frayed rope (oakum) were driven between any boards that had too much space between them. A coating of tar was added to complete the waterproof seal. Additionally, if the ship had no surgeon, the carpenter would usually carry out amputations, possessing the necessary tools and knowledge of cutting and sawing.
The tools of the trade were primitive at the time when compared to modern standards. As screw vices did not yet exist, the carpenter had to steady the wood he wanted to saw by sitting on it. A useful tool was the bow drill, which consisted of a drill head set on the end of a long shaft. The shaft was run through a loop in the string of a bow, and as the bow was moved back and forth the bit would turn. Also available was the brace and bit, which was a primitive sort of crank with a removable drill bit. The carpenter placed the bit where he wanted to drill, then turned the crank by hand. Hammers were similar to those today and saws were in widespread use, having replaced blades and axes for cutting wood by the early 18th century. An adze was a tool similar to an axe, used for cutting grooves in wood, to smooth a beam for use, or cut planks from a felled tree. It could be used in place of an axe, and also employed like a plane, the modern plane not having been invented yet.
Being essential and respected, carpenters on a merchant ship usually received a higher rate of pay than other seamen. On a pirate ship they sometimes received a one-and-a-half share. Due to their scarcity, carpenters were often forced to serve on a pirate vessel, either permanently or temporarily. Sam Bellamy kidnapped the carpenters Thomas South and Thomas Davis in order to modify and maintain his ships. Davis miraculously survived the shipwreck of Bellamy’s ship survived Whydah Gally and was later captured; South had been transferred to the consort vessel Mary Anne at the time Bellamy’s ship went down, but he too was later arrested. Both men were acquitted on account of their being forced. Blackbeard is also known to have seized the master carpenter when capturing La Concorde.
If you want more information on ship’s carpenters read the article The Tools of the Ship-builder and the Mast-maker on the Lost Art Press website.