Able Seaman

An able seaman is a sailor who can hand, reef and steer. He knows his ropes and can turn his hand to almost any job required aboard ship. He is generally one of the most knowledgeable and skilled of the sailors aboard and has served at sea for some time. He is able to go aloft in fair weather or foul. In the Royal Navy, the term Able Seaman (AB, or able-bodied seaman) was a rating given to a sailor who had spent not less than two years' at sea. While it is a rating, it is not a rank - an Able Seaman was not superior to an Ordinary Seaman or a Landsman except in the skills and knowledge he possessed. 
Landsman -> Ordinary Seaman -> able Seaman -> Petty Officer (a promotion) 
Able Seamen aboard HMS Terpsichore include Cob Chase, Sam Oxley and Chicken Dyer.
Category:Royal Navy
Category:Background Information
Category:Other Ranks