Most sailing ships take what they call trainees, who pay to be part of the crew. The Picton Castle takes people who are absolutely raw recruits. But you can't just ride along. You're learning to steer the ship, navigation; you're pulling lines, keeping a lookout; in the galley you're cooking.
“As long as the world shall last there will be wrongs, and if no man objected and no man rebelled, those wrongs would last forever.”