We Sail the Ocean Blue Trivia Quiz

Answer: By at least 3000 BC

Although no one knows who invented the sailing boat, they were in use by both Mediterranean and Austronesian cultures by 3000 BC, meaning that they were invented sometime before then - possibly even a long time before then. The Egyptians were among the first to commonly use ships with sails, using a single oar as an aid. Early boats were very simple, and evolved into different styles depending on the country, including galleys and junks.

Answer: Cherubs holding a crown

HMS Victory's figurehead has quite an interesting saga. Launched in 1765, the 100-gun warship was overhauled in 1799, including being given a new figurehead. This was in the form of a 10-foot-tall sculpture of two cherubs or angels on either side of a crest, bearing the royal British crest topped by a crown.

In 1815, 10 years after the Battle of Trafalgar, the British Admiralty commissioned a replica figurehead. This lasted until 2009, when contractors, assuming that the figurehead on the Victory was a modern reproduction, sawed it into six pieces with a chainsaw! A decade later, testing determined that this was actually the 1815 figurehead. Luckily, the six pieces had been saved and were put on display.

A real modern reproduction now graces the Victory.

Answer: Rum

Beginning prior to the mid-17th century, an alcohol ration was an integral part of the British Navy. By 1655, the usual beer ration was changed to rum after concerns regarding lack of space for storing the vats of beer (and political issues as well, as always, making it more politically prudent to serve rum over other spirits). Rum was the traditional spirit used throughout the 18th, 19th, and early 20th century, up until 1970, when the rum ration (the "tot") was abolished in the Royal Navy.

Other navies abolished the rum ration earlier; in the United States, it was 1865. In Canada, however, the rum ration survived until 1972, while New Zealand only officially ended it in 1990. My great-grandfather, serving on Canadian ships during WWII, remembered the rum rationing fondly! The last Canadian rum ration bottle is preserved at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Nova Scotia.

Answer: Navigation

The master of a Royal Navy ship was not, in fact, the captain. Instead, he was the highest-ranked warrant officer (as opposed to a commissioned officer). He was often "raised from the ranks" - that is, he was once an ordinary sailor. He was knowledgeable in navigational plotting, steering, coastlines, and other subjects related to the ship.

Answer: Injury caused by a cannonball passing closely by a victim

"The wind of the ball" is a term given to injuries that were caused by a cannonball flying close by, but never actually touching, someone. These injuries could range from broken bones with no sign of contact, to internal bleeding. Naval surgeons could only surmise that the wind of the ball was responsible - that is, the force of air of the ball passing by.

This was not uncommon during battles when cannonballs were everywhere.

Answer: 100 or more

By the 18th century, the ship rating system was well established. The first-rate ships were the largest ships in the British Royal Navy, and usually carried about 100 guns. In the HMS Victory's case, it was 104. Ratings went from first to sixth rate; second-rates carried about 84 to 98, while third-rates varied greatly in size and could carry anywhere from 60 to 80 guns.

Answer: "Man the capstan!"

The capstan is a large cog-shaped machine in the center of a ship with handles jutting out like spokes from all sides. Several sailors would push from each spoke and turn the capstan, which in turn would raise or lower the anchor by winding or unwinding the anchor cable from around it. Similarly, the capstan could be used to raise or lower other heavy items such as new masts. Manning the capstan was difficult work and required hard pushing, particularly when the rope cable of the anchor was wet and stretched more. Often, boatswains were encouraged to use their rattan, or small whip, on the backs of the sailors to produce harder pushing.

Answer: England

Portsmouth was one of England's largest naval bases and seafaring towns, along with other cities such as Falmouth, Plymouth, and Sheerness. Most vessels in the British Navy docked and set forth from there during the Age of Sail. Today, Portsmouth is the location for the HMS Mary Rose, a Tudor-era ship, and the HMS Victory.

Answer: Dice

Dice, or any form of gambling, was officially not allowed on board Royal Navy vessels, and strict punishments were available for all those caught defying the rules. Scrimshaw, a form of carving in ebony and whale bone, was a common pastime, and sailors often sent scrimshawed items home to sweethearts. Singing and dancing were also common, along with music playing such as the fiddle. Rat-catching could sometimes be a necessity, but sailors often found ways for making a game out of it!

Answer: HMS

HMS stands for "His Majesty's Ship" or "Her Majesty's Ship", and is used to identify ships in the British Navy. HMCS, which stands for "His/Her Majesty's Canadian Ship", is used for Canada, and HNLMS, which translates to "His/Her Netherlands Majesty's Ship", is used for the Netherlands.

Subtitled "The Lass that Loved a Sailor", "HMS Pinafore" was first performed in 1878 and became the first widespread hit operetta for composer and librettist duo Arthur Sullivan and W.S. Gilbert. The story follows Ralph Rackstraw, a humble sailor aboard the HMS Pinafore who, unfortunately, falls in love with Josephine, the Captain's daughter, a lass who is "much above his station".

A visit from the First Lord of the Admiralty, Sir Joseph Porter, further complicates matters; he is both engaged to Josephine, while continually disdaining of the class boundaries that would keep Ralph and Josephine apart. In true Gilbert and Sullivan fashion, however, a mix-up is righted that changes the stations of the principle characters, making a happy ending possible without defying class boundaries. This is one of my childhood favorites and you might hear me humming this tune any time of day!