As I walked past the small marina here in town, I saw an elderly couple preparing their boat after its winter rest. It was a charming little sailboat, and it made me think of the great elegant ships of history that once crossed the oceans for trade, exploration, and war.
During the 16th–19th centuries, when a sailor said farewell to their family before departure, everyone knew it might be the last time they would ever see each other. Harsh weather, injuries, accidents, and disease were all part of life at sea, each carrying the risk of a fatal outcome.
Despite the dangers, the open ocean held an almost magical pull. It was not merely a workplace — it was a second home.
For those who lost their lives at sea, it could also become their grave.
In this post, you can read more about what happened after a death aboard ship during the age of sailing vessels.
When Death Occurred Onboard
In the isolated daily life of a ship, practical necessity and survival existed side by side with religion and superstition. When someone died, established routines were followed and careful documentation was often kept.
When a member of the crew passed away, the captain — or the ship’s surgeon, if one was present — officially confirmed the death. The ship’s log recorded the date and position, the person’s name, rank, and cause of death.
The cause was sometimes an educated guess, depending on the circumstances. The most common causes included injuries from accidents in the rigging, drowning after falling overboard, wounds from battle or fights, illness such as fever and infection, onboard epidemics, or the dreaded scurvy.
An inventory was also made of the deceased sailor’s belongings, which were gathered to be sent home to the family. Wages were calculated, debts recorded, and matters of inheritance noted. A formal report was written and dispatched home.
Preparing for Burial
After death had been confirmed, the body was prepared either for storage until landfall or for burial at sea. Several factors determined whether the deceased would receive a church burial on land or a sea burial: distance to shore, weather conditions, rank aboard the ship, and cause of death.
If the ship was only a few days from port and the weather was cool enough, the body was washed and wrapped in a blanket, sailcloth, or the sailor’s own hammock. It was then stored in a dark, cool space until arrival in port.
If the deceased held a high rank, such as captain or first mate, the body might also be preserved with salt or alcohol. If death occurred under suspicious circumstances — such as crime or mutiny — the body could be kept as evidence.
If the ship was far from land, faced unfavorable conditions such as intense heat or storms, if the deceased held a lower rank, or if there was a risk of disease spreading onboard, burial at sea was instead carried out.
The Burial
Despite sailors’ deep connection to the ocean, burial in consecrated ground was generally considered the ideal final resting place.
In many major ports around the world where Swedish ships frequently docked, church representatives were sometimes ready to receive grieving crews, and certain burial grounds were designated specifically for seafarers.
After summoning a priest, the ship’s bell would toll, and the crew walked in procession to the cemetery where the deceased was laid to rest.
A burial at sea, however, often took place within 24 hours of death.
The deceased was sewn into sailcloth or their hammock, and by tradition the final stitch was passed through the nose or skin to ensure the person was truly dead.
Weights — tools, scrap iron, or even a cannonball — were placed at the feet.
The crew gathered on deck while the captain or first mate read from the Bible and the flag was lowered to half-mast. A plank was tilted over the railing, and the body slid into the water, disappearing into the depths of the sea.
For a time after returning the body to the ocean, the ship sailed on in silence before work resumed.
Once the body had been laid to rest — whether in consecrated soil or at sea — a death notice was sent to the family.
Days, weeks, or even months later, the news of loss reached loved ones back home in Sweden, where a parish priest could hold a memorial service.
In this way, sailors were sometimes given two farewells: one from their fellow crew members, and another from their families.
Do you have a seafarer in your family who rests far from home?
A short story with Quinley & Herrow
Who are Quinley and Herrow?
In Coffinfolk Café’s stand alone short stories, you’ll meet two most unlikely friends:
Quinley – Coffinfolk’s café host. A young woman who loves life just as much as she loves exploring the cultural heritage of death and sharing advice, information, and insights that can help people – whether they are facing their own encounter with Death or living with grief.
Herrow – Death himself. He may look frightening in his black cloak, but beneath the bones is a kind soul who enjoys a cup of coffee and sharing experiences gathered from every corner of time.
You can find a longer introduction + a short story about their first meeting HERE
“Returned and Rediscovered”
Narrated by Quinley
I had to squint to make sense of the ornate handwriting on the paper. The fact that the letter had been written sometime during the first half of the nineteenth century—and later photocopied in the late twentieth century—did little to help either deciphering or
understanding what it was actually trying to tell.
Alfred, one of our café regulars and an avid genealogist, had burst in with such energy you might have thought he’d grown thirty years younger after making this discovery.
While helping his elderly aunt clear out her attic, they had found her old, half-finished genealogy project—something she had once pursued enthusiastically, grown tired of, and eventually forgotten altogether.
The grainy black-and-white photocopy apparently told of the sender’s younger relative, Sigvard Nilsson, who had died and been buried at sea. A tragedy in its own time, yet now—almost two hundred years later—a source of great joy. Not because of what had happened to poor Sigvard, of course, but because it proved that he had existed, that his life had left a trace.
Alfred had been so eager to follow this new lead that he once again rushed off, leaving behind open binders and a half-finished cup of coffee.
I could only laugh and shake my head at the energetic gentleman and his absent-mindedness. Alfred himself had worked at sea for most of his life and often emphasized how essential order and discipline were for anyone choosing a maritime career.
Perhaps he lost some of his sharpness along with his sea legs after spending too long ashore?
Throughout the rest of my shift, I found myself glancing repeatedly at the stack of Alfred’s collected family history resting safely behind the counter. Being buried at sea sounded both beautiful and… lonely. The ocean feels endlessly vast, even though so many rest beneath its waves.
When it was time to close for the day, Herrow sat paging through the binder while I cleaned and prepared for tomorrow. We valued routines and order here at the café too—storage room excluded—so there was plenty of space for thoughts to wander while my hands arranged clean cups and saucers.
As if he could read my mind, Herrow began whistling an old sea shanty.
I peeked around the corner, and the Reaper was already turned toward me, as though waiting.
“Can we…?” I raised an eyebrow and gave Herrow my most charming smile.
“Of course we can!” He closed the binder and carefully returned it to Alfred’s collection. “You don’t get seasick? It can roll quite a bit.”
“Oh please, I love being on boats.” I switched off the last lights, felt my way toward him, and took a firm hold of his bony hands.
Herrow’s chuckle faded for a moment as what felt like a powerful gust struck my face, sending my thick braid dancing across my back. Reflexively, I squeezed my eyes shut.
I didn’t need to open them to know we were no longer inside the café.
The scent of coffee and muffins had been replaced by saltwater and the unmistakable smell of many people living closely together without the luxury of a proper wash.
A wave slammed against the ship, and for a heartbeat the planks beneath my feet seemed to vanish before I stumbled and regained my balance.
We stood in a narrow corridor below deck. I blinked several times before my eyes adjusted to the dim light of lamps swaying on hooks along the walls.
A man walked past us carrying something in his arms and disappeared through a doorway.
We heard him speaking to someone inside, followed by a heavy metallic thud.
Herrow placed a hand on my shoulder and guided me toward the room.
“They’re making the final preparations.”
I looked up at him questioningly. I didn’t know how—or of what—Sigvard had died, and I would have appreciated some warning about what awaited us inside.
“No worries. The body is intact. He was found dead only a few hours ago. An infection that led to sepsis.” Herrow’s calm words and steady hand felt, fittingly, like a safe harbor amid all the unfamiliarity.
We stepped into the room and watched as Sigvard was sewn into his hammock. He looked almost as if he were merely asleep upon the table. At his feet lay a cannonball and what appeared to be a few discarded old tools.
When the final stitch was pulled through Sigvard’s nose, I winced and pressed closer to Herrow’s side. Sigvard did not react, and I hoped they were right—that he truly was dead.
The two men carried the wrapped body out in silence. Herrow and I followed them onto the deck, where they laid the bundle beside the railing before returning to their evening duties.
The scene balanced strangely between dignity and practicality: the body resting beneath a star-filled sky, rocked gently by the waves while Sigvard’s shipmates worked only a few meters away.
We stood there for a while before Herrow raised his hand and snapped his fingers.
Dusk became dawn. Around us, the evening watch had been replaced by the morning crew.
Two men approached; Herrow explained that they were the captain and his first mate.
They exchanged a few words before the mate called out in a steady voice:
“Crew to burial!”
A solemn stillness fell, accompanied by the sound of boots striking the deck as the crew lined up along the railing. Those wearing caps removed them while the flag was lowered to half-mast. It almost felt as though even the wind showed respect, granting the men a pause from their labor. I found myself standing straighter too, though no one could see us.
Only the creaking of the ship and the shifting sails broke the silence before the captain cleared his throat, opened his Bible, and began to read aloud.
I didn’t recognize the passage from any funeral I had attended, but Herrow quietly explained that it was Psalm 107—the “Seafarers’ Psalm.”
Then came the familiar words: “Earth to earth” and the Lord’s Prayer.
Four men stepped forward to the plank where the body now rested. They lifted it and pushed it out over the railing. It lasted only seconds, yet it felt as though time slowed around them.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw several crew members cross themselves.
After a few minutes of silent farewell, the captain concluded in the same steady voice:
“We commit him to the sea and to God Almighty.”
The plank was raised, and the body slipped almost soundlessly into the water, followed by a splash.
I hurried to the railing and caught a final glimpse of pale cloth disappearing into the depths.
“You have finished your sailing, but your star shines bright. Rest in peace, Sigvard,” I whispered to myself.
“Back to work,” the captain ordered. Seconds later the flag was raised again, and the men returned to their posts.
A new wave erased the last trace of where the fresh grave lay. The surface of the sea looked untouched once more.
But the crew knew. And nearly two hundred years later, Sigvard’s relatives knew where he rested. Now we knew too. I exchanged a glance with Herrow.
While work continued around us, we stood silently at the railing.
Death was always present for those who worked at sea, yet daily life continued regardless.
I hoped they would also find moments to sit with their grief. Being able to work is not the same as not needing to feel, to miss, or to mourn.
I took Herrow’s hand again. We shared a brief nod—and were back in the quiet café.
The Reaper walked me home and found far too much amusement in my attempts to steady myself against waves that no longer rolled beneath my feet. I couldn’t help giggling too, excited to tell Alfred what my, ahem, “research” had taught me about sea burials in Sigvard’s time.
I looked up at the stars shining so brightly they were visible despite the city lights.
I wondered how many of them were sailors now guiding others home?