I’ve been watching the TV Show The Terror, and I was curious as to how ships in that era (1800s) were able to keep warm or at least insulated against extreme temperatures.
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In the 1880s sailors would wear several layers, typically wool clothes with a water resistant overcoat of oilcloth (canvas treated with linseed oil) or rubberized fabric after about 1834. Wool remains warm when damp and the water resistant outer covering could keep them relatively warm in bad condtions. While boats of the time weren’t perfect, they also offered some places you could get inside, out of the weather.
The interior of the ship was heated via iron stoves, while fire was carefully controlled for safety reasons these small heaters could do a lot to hold back the chill. They might be fed with wood, coal or, later in the 19th century, oil or kerosene.
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