Some very creative men sailed the ships, I remember sailing with one AB who made model sailing ships out of cleanly picked chicken skeletons, not that we got that many chickens. The keel of the model was the breast bone, I've forgotten how he made the masts but the completed model was a true work of art when all rigged and varnished. He also made the little man in the barrel and when you took the little man out of the barrel an elastcally attached match, with redhead still in place, would spring to attention, gave the ladies a surprise.
Many seamen demonstrated a keen sense of humour with nicknames they gave to differet jobs around the ship, I recall the man on the washdown hose being referred to as "The Diver" because he was dragging the hose with someone tending, when Peggy was washing the dishes he was Pearl diving, some ships the bosun would be the "Sheriff" or even "The Wicked Fairy", mind you I wouldn't go round calling the wicked fairy to his face, a sense of humour was always an asset and always close to the surface, it kept the ship happy.
