How many people do you need to sail a ship?

Answer 1

This depends on the size of the ship and the weather conditions you are sailing under.
It also depends on the type of ship.
In the old days, a semi-big

sail-ship

with real sails would need a skeleton crew of at least 15 men.

The problem is that only 15 men can not handle

the ship properly if entering rough weather. One always need enough people in order to set or lower all the sails quickly depending on weather conditions

.

With today's computer systems, it is possible for one person to sail a big tanker across the ocean, but for ongoing maintenance, you would need many more.

15-35 people is a much more realistic number.

For small ships, any number from 1-6 would be sufficient. but of course, it depends on the size and the weather you encounter.

Another factor to consider is the length of your trip.

One should take into consideration possible illness, maybe bring along a doctor.

One should have enough people and ability to interact and do something else but work. People need sleep. If entering stormy weather, then without enough people, the ship goes down because people simply can not work for many days without sleep.