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I believe the decks would have been oak for working vessels. Pine has too much pitch in it and would become sticky. Imagine if you were a sailor on one of those ships, you'd be tracking pitch all over the place - much to the ire of the first lieutenant. Oak, on the other hand, being a hardwood would be more durable over the course of years and certainly wouldn't be leaking pitch all over. <br /> <br />Of course, that applies to naval ships and to the more successful merchant lines. The decks would have been cleaned every morning with a holystone and plenty of seawater unti they were almost white. The caulking, or oakum, was usually fibers of old rope or other material, pounded into the seams with a caulking tool and hammer, then the whole thing was covered with hot tar to seal it. <br /> <br />
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