Re: General boat knowledge
Your request is far too broad. The earliest sail boats were mere rafts used by the Egyptians. Conscripts were used on many of the early sailing vessels so applying for a job was a non-issue. Carpenters and people that knew how to plug a leak were about the only maintenance crew on early sailing vessels. Sail boats ranged from very early exploration and naval vessels to freighters. Sailing vessels that primarily carried passengers were early versions of "ferries". Trans-atlantic travel became more common when the east coast of the U.S. was being settled. The current crop of sailing vessels are primarily private or race boats although there are some "cruise-type" operators that offer what are commonly called barefoot cruises which are simply relaxed, informal trips on an old but refurbished sailing vessel. What time period, what part of the world, and what aspect of sailing are you intersted in? The naval history area at your library would provide enough reading material to make your eyes bleed.
