After a run-in with the press gangs, Samuel embarks to America with a load of salt. The passage across the Atlantic quickly deteriorates and contrary winds slow progress to a crawl and storms badly damage the ship. Winter had set in on the eastern coast of America by the time Samuel and the crew arrived making for a cold entry into New York. If you…

While procuring salt in Barcelona, Samuel is treated with great hospitality from the inhabitants whose predominantly Catholic population and culture are often amusing to Samuel. From there, Samuel sails to America where most of his crew desert the ship leaving Samuel to find replacements. If you want to support this project and more like it, consid…

Samuel is forced to keep law and order aboard a ship whose captain becomes to familiar with the crew. After a leaky trip across the Atlantic with lazy sailors, the ship, along with many others, is frozen tight in the Thames river.Autor: Casey Bassett

Samuel begins the coastal trade in earnest when he sails to Marseilles and encounters different cultures and sights, not altogether pleasing to him. In Sicily, Samuel relates the crew's hesitation as the area had been decimated by the Plague. After strong weather, the ship finally departs for America.…

After leaving the packet service in Great Britain, Samuel spends time visiting his relatives. His cousin asks him to join as mate on a ship that's being built which Samuel accepts. After a perilous trek to Bristol, Samuel finds the ship not even half-completed. If you want to support this project and more like it, consider buying me a coffee! https…

Still in Florida, the misery of the weather and animosity with the Spaniards begins to take a toll. With the orders to return to Great Britain finally heard, the ship departs. But little food is set aside for the crew which causes tension between the crew and the captain, leading to a miserable trek across the Atlantic. If you want to support this …

In Florida, the heat, bugs and thieves leave Samuel and the crew little rest while the land is transitioned over to the Spanish. The threat of illness or being attacked by a wild bear or "tyger cat" is always looming over the men as they wait to return to Great Britain. This episode offers a glimpse into a unique time near St. Augustine, Florida, w…

Samuel and the crew receive orders to head to America and assist with the evacuation of New York after the conclusion of the American Revolutionary War. The evacuees consist of both soldiers and civilians still loyal to the British Crown. They are taken to Nova Scotia where the harsh climate and lack of proper shelter make life difficult for both t…

Having joined the Transport Service, Samuel and the crew head to the islands of Guernsey and Jersey to transport British troops back to Great Britain. Between disorderly crews, a baby born in the ships hold and a wind storm that nearly destroys the ship, Samuel quickly learns that the Transport Service is just as trying as the Packet Service. If yo…

After an dealing with abuse from the captain and a young man who managed to be saved after falling overboard, Samuel returns to Great Britain where they pass the HMS Royal George sunk at Spithead. Just days earlier, the ship had been heeled over to stop a leak but too much weight was put on one side and the ship quickly took water. Many were drowne…

Samuel Kelly lands at Portugal and has a frightening encounter with a Catholic funeral. Leaving Portugal for America, Samuel's ship is captured by an American frigate. Samuel manages to stay onboard and his vessel and his luck takes a turn for the better days later. Landing near Charlestown, Samuel is privy to the grim effects of the ongoing Americ…

One of Samuel's shipmates brings a baboon onboard which terrorizes the crew. Samuel leaves the service briefly to work with Mr. Byrne in Kingston, Jamaica selling and buying goods but things don't go according to plan. If you want to support this project and more like it, consider buying me a coffee! https://buymeacoffee.com/goodourfirstcatchofthed…

Samuel Kelly sets sail in the packet service fleet from Great Britain to the Leeward Islands and America. From a hurricane to poor treatment and no food, life at sea wasn't exactly a luxury in the 1700s. If you want to support this project and more like it, consider buying me a coffee! https://buymeacoffee.com/goodourfirstcatchoftheday The Journal …

Want to get a glimpse into history? Travel back in time with me as we plunge into the journal of Samuel Kelly, an 18th century sailor. In this episode I'll give a brief overview of who Samuel was and how his journal is arranged. Samuel's journal offers one of the most honest and detailed accounts of life at sea in the 18th century. If you want to s…