Turnover of Ships
I was wondering if anyone knew whether the rate at which Aubrey gets through his various commands was typical of the Napoleonic era Royal Navy or was it much more normal for a Captain to be in the same ship for years on end?
I've just reached the Ionian Mission on my second circumnavigation and so far I think I'm right in saying Jack has commanded the following:
- Sophie
- Lively
- Surprise
- Polychrest
- Boadicea
- Leapord
- Worcester
- Ariel
(Apologies if I missed any).
This seems like a lot of ships for a not very great period of time when they often mention in the text ships with 3 or 4 year long commissions. I appreciate that for the sake of driving the plot POB had to dramatise a fair bit, but all the same I would be interested in knowing.