Location: Portsmouth, England
Sites Visited: HMS Victory & HMS Warrior
Our first full day was pretty exciting and tiring. I have not been able to switch on the new time zone, so I haven’t been getting much sleep on the ship. I am a bit tired, but I am pushing through. Today we went to Portsmouth. So somewhere in my history classes as a teen, I am sure I learned about this city in England. Though I knew absolutely nothing, I cam out learning a lot. We started the morning touring the HMS Victory. The tour guide was taking us through, and to be honest, I was listening, but trying to take pictures and listen is not something I do well. I am incredibly thankful that Jim Richardson pulled me aside. He walked me through the history of the British navel power and their impact on the world and how others viewed this nation. The Battle of Trefalgar was a turning point, and it was fought on the very ship we were standing on. This naval battle sealed British dominance over the seas. France and Spain, who desperately tried to take out the British, did not succeed, and as a result this led to more international conquests by the British parliament. Though Captain Nelson died on deck (and there is a spot on the boat to prove it), the British came out victorious.
Later that afternoon I returned to the Naval base area to explore more ships. This time I decided to explore the HMS Warrior. Now this ship was awesome,. It’s not to say the other ship wasn’t, but this experience helped me to see first hand what a steam power engine looked like during the 1800’s. All I can say is wow. This ship never entered battled, however it did help mark the start of the industrial revolution in England. Not only was this fascinating but to see how they lived aboard the ship was mind boggling. Upwards to 700 sailors and seamen would be aboard at any given time. The docent explained that the men alternated sleeping and working shifts. And oh, did I mention, they ALL slept in hammocks. Now this was the most surprising. I was expecting to see bunks, as all the images of slave ships show bunks-but this was not the case.
Sites Visited: HMS Victory & HMS Warrior
Our first full day was pretty exciting and tiring. I have not been able to switch on the new time zone, so I haven’t been getting much sleep on the ship. I am a bit tired, but I am pushing through. Today we went to Portsmouth. So somewhere in my history classes as a teen, I am sure I learned about this city in England. Though I knew absolutely nothing, I cam out learning a lot. We started the morning touring the HMS Victory. The tour guide was taking us through, and to be honest, I was listening, but trying to take pictures and listen is not something I do well. I am incredibly thankful that Jim Richardson pulled me aside. He walked me through the history of the British navel power and their impact on the world and how others viewed this nation. The Battle of Trefalgar was a turning point, and it was fought on the very ship we were standing on. This naval battle sealed British dominance over the seas. France and Spain, who desperately tried to take out the British, did not succeed, and as a result this led to more international conquests by the British parliament. Though Captain Nelson died on deck (and there is a spot on the boat to prove it), the British came out victorious.
Later that afternoon I returned to the Naval base area to explore more ships. This time I decided to explore the HMS Warrior. Now this ship was awesome,. It’s not to say the other ship wasn’t, but this experience helped me to see first hand what a steam power engine looked like during the 1800’s. All I can say is wow. This ship never entered battled, however it did help mark the start of the industrial revolution in England. Not only was this fascinating but to see how they lived aboard the ship was mind boggling. Upwards to 700 sailors and seamen would be aboard at any given time. The docent explained that the men alternated sleeping and working shifts. And oh, did I mention, they ALL slept in hammocks. Now this was the most surprising. I was expecting to see bunks, as all the images of slave ships show bunks-but this was not the case.
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