Coal trimmer

Their efforts to control the fore-and-aft angle at which a ship floats is why they are called “trimmers”.

The role of trimmers starts with the bunkering of coal, distributing it evenly within the bunkers, and then providing a consistent delivery of coal to the stoker or fireman working the vessel’s boilers.

Working conditions were hard because they worked directly inside the coal bunkers which were poorly lit, full of coal dust, and very hot due to them being on top of or between the boilers.

They had to be extinguished with fire hoses and by removing the burning coal by feeding it into the furnace.

[2] Coal trimmers worked on various docks in the UK in the early part of the 20th century.