Arrrrrrrrrr

If not the longest, this is the most in-depth D&D campaign I’ve ever run. I’m learning a lot about galleons and sea travel from it, too. For example:

-For lavatories, the crew uses seats overhanging the deck rail at the head (bow) of the ship.
-Everyone in the crew takes turns at the watch (keeping look out). Watches last 8 hours, and are timed with an hour glass. Sand takes half an hour to run through the narrow waist of this glass bottle.
-Sailors on the ship do not have cabins. They just sleep wherever there is space.
-Strict regulations control the use of candles, because of the risk of fire.
-Damage to the rigging (the sails and ropes) is common, so every ship carries spares. Rats eat even the sails if they can, so spare sails are often stored in empty barrels.
-Seawater that seeps into the ship collects in the bilge–the space between the hold and the keel–and turns into a foul brew. A pump clears the bilges but the smell of the water is disgusting.
-Cooking facilities are different on every ship. Often there is no chimney, so the galley gets very smokey.
-Many ships carry pigs, sheep, and chickens. Fresh eggs and meat are reserved for the sick and the ship’s most senior officers.