The Two Mariners
The self-taught sailor would have to begin his training as a simple boy, doing menial tasks like scrubbing the floors and delivering dishes to the captain.
Finally, in a year's time the boy would advance to standing as an ordinary seaman, and then under the rough watchful eye of the boatswain and while working alongside other seamen, he would in three year's time be eligible to take the exam to become an able-bodied seaman.
Once at the level of able-bodied seaman, a mariner could further progress by building his status on the ship to become one of three quartermasters, who were tasked with helping steer and navigate the ship. From this position a seaman could eventually ascend the ranks to captain's mate and perhaps even captain if they passed the licensing exam.
The schooled sailor:
There were many schools in both Great Britain and the United States, although schools in the US received government grants whereas Great Britain schools did not. The graduation rates from these schools were low compared to the admitted students. *more to be added
Contrast:
This contrast suggests that among the two routes to becoming sailors, the autodidact proved to fill the crew positions on board the ship more than the highly specialized and learned mariners who led ships at the time.