I'm writing a book and need help with trading frigates crossing the Atlantic in 1650 to the West Indies and American colonies. How many men would be on a ship and were there stairs or ladders leading to the decks below?
The Mayflower was a small-ish merchant ship (Dutch Fluyt) of the early 17th Century ~100 tons burden. With a crew of ~25-30 men and boys.
Also all the models/diagrams seem to show stairs from the half deck to the upper deck and to the deck below that above the hold (and maybe down to the orlop deck or hold )