Both Lord Nelson and Tenacious are sailed by a permanent crew made up of professional seafarers and 40 ‘voyage crew’; the mixed physical ability crew of people who may also be referred to as ‘sail trainees’. As a member of the voyage crew it is handy to know who is who on board, so here is a brief explanation of the permanent crew who will be sailing with you on your voyage and their roles on board.
Captain (or Master)
The Captain is in command of the ship and is responsible for the safety of all crew and the vessel.
Mate (or 1st Mate, 1st Officer)
The Mate is in charge of the onboard day to day running of the ship. The Mate is also the Ship’s Safety and Security Officer.
2nd Mate (or 2nd Officer)
The 2nd Mate is the onboard Navigator responsible for maintaining up to date navigational information.
Bosun (or 3rd Mate / Officer)
The Bosun looks after the maintenance of the ondeck areas, the rigging and the sails.
Chief Engineer
The Chief Engineer is in charge of the engineering dept and responsible for the upkeep of all engineering systems.
2nd Engineer
The 2nd Engineer does all the daily routine checks (and the messy jobs the Chief Engineer doesn’t want to do…).
Medical Purser
The Medical Purser is the on board nurse (RGN) responsible for the medical side of things and lots more…
Cook
Arguably, the Cook is one of the most important people on board since sailing Lord Nelson or Tenacious tends to give people a good appetite!
Bosun’s Mates
There are usually two Bosun’s Mates per trip, both are volunteers. The Bosun’s Mates help the Bosun with ‘salty sea-dog type stuff’ which roughly translates into a lot of work on the sails and rigging and maintenance.
Cook’s Assistant
Usually we have one Cook’s Assistant per trip who is also a volunteer. As the job title suggests, the Cook’s Assistant helps the Cook keep everyone on board well fed.