How often did crews work the bilge pumps?

How often did crews have to perform the ship's most unpopular maintenance jobs?

Bilge pumping was done daily and sometimes two or three times a day, while sails and stores also required daily inspection.

Working the bilge pumps was one of the ship's least popular duties. Crews performed it every day and might repeat it two or three times, with roughly thirty men involved in a pumping party. Sail and store inspections were another daily obligation because pests or damp could destroy critical material before it was needed. Readiness depended on repetitive preventive work as much as dramatic repairs after battle.