At anchor

[Elena]

Which were the sailors' duties when at anchor? Usually I can find on the net only the part for at sea. Besides scrubbing the deck... what else was to do when in port? I know that the warrant officers and their mates were busy with inventory, resupplying (each one on his line of work), repairing what needed repairs. But what were the sailors to do?

[Jas. Hook]

... I know that the warrant officers and their mates were busy with inventory, resupplying (each one on his line of work), repairing what needed repairs. But what were the sailors to do?

Everything that the officers, warrants and their mates needed done. The common seaman did the cleaning, painting, repairs, overhaul the sails and rigging, transferring of supplies, cargo and passengers, stowing cargo, refill water casks, manning and, rowing ship's boats, etc. The sailors were never idle for long as they were the ship's labor and craftsman.

Jas. Hook

[Coastie04]

Lots of repairs and other work that couldn't be done at sea, loading and storing the goods picked up by the warrant officers and their mates, ferrying said crew members and supplies to and from shore, bilges still needed pumping, ships could do some heavy duty cleaning before being re-loaded with cargo/supplies, security watches, re-sealing the seams (the deck could potentially be done at sea in good weather, but the hull seams would be much harder and more dangerous to do underway), making new gear for the boat, etc. Additionally, if careening, there's plenty for the whole crew to do.

[Mission]

Caring for the sick, too. They would often set up tents on shore for this purpose. (Although it was not the only reason for doing this, some period surgeons believed scurvy could be cured by being on land.) See the discussion Location of the Sick During Landfall on this page for more: http://www.piratesurgeon.com/pages/surgeon_pages/quarters9.html

[Elena]

Thank you very much. You come all with good ideas! I know that I always find help with you for the regular, less adventurous scenes

[Coastie04]

Now that I've thought about it a little bit more, not much would change at anchor (unless a portion of the crew were allowed shore leave). If anything, there would be more work to do. All the regular duties of the ship would have to be fulfilled except helm watch (lookouts would probably be stationed in pirate or naval vessels even at anchor), and adjusting the sails. In many voyages, the sails were not actually adjusted all that often (of course different if in battle, near shoals, coming to a port, etc.). In the trade winds on an ocean crossing, days or even weeks could go by without touching a brace or sheet. Those sailors still had jobs to do, whether cleaning, maintenance, or actual running of the ship.