The slave ships

The slave ships always had special equipment on board, such as slave shackles and extra guns. In order to ship slave cargo across the sea they also needed large quantities of water and provisions. Three cylindrical canvas tubes made of sailcloth, to lead fresh air down to the slaves, were a characteristic feature of the Danish-Norwegian slave ships.

To protect the crew in the event of a riot, they built a fortification in front of the main mast with cannons aiming at the main deck. Along the sides of the ship there was a net to keep the slaves from jumping overboard.
Fredensborg is the best-documented wreck of a slave ship from the transatlantic slave trade found to date. Remains of the cargo and artefacts that were rescued, and preserved archive material, provide an outstanding picture of life aboard a European slave ship engaged in the Atlantic triangular trade.

The slave ship Fredensborg was typical of the ships that plied the triangular trade. On the first leg they left Europe with cargoes of a broad assortment of goods considered suitable for the slave trade. Once anchored in the roads of the forts, the interiors of the ships were rebuilt to accommodate enslaved Africans. It could take several months to get a sufficiently large slave cargo on board, and often the slave ship visited several slave "ports" along the Guinea coast. Long delays increased the death toll among slaves and crew alike.