Life Behind The Logs: An Examination Of Life On Board VOC Ships, 1746- 1756

Abstract

Using case-studies from Dutch East India Company (VOC) ship’s logs from 1746- 1756, this thesis examines living conditions, circumstances, and problems faced by the crews of the Maarssen, Amsterdam, and Koopman. Each chapter explores a case study of a single ship. The ships all kept daily logs that will be used to examine life aboard a VOC vessel. The analysis of each voyage will be broken down into five sub-categories: discipline, danger, daily life, wages, and the composition of the crew. The goal of this thesis is to determine whether the sailing conditions on VOC ships were relatively uniform in nature, and if these conditions had any impact on the success of the company as a whole.