It entailed considerable responsibilities for crewing and maintaining a galley as well as great expenses, which made it increasingly the province of the wealthier patricians.
[2] The responsibility of recruiting a crew was in the hands of the sopracomito, who with his paymaster set up a bench on the Molo in front of the Doges' Palace to attract crewmen (galeotti).
[2] In order to recruit a good crew, a sopracomito eager to distinguish himself often had to provide bonuses from his own pocket, hoping to be reimbursed by the government later.
A monthly stipend (sovenzion)[c] was provided by the government, but often this could only be claimed at the end of the campaign season, after the galley had returned to its home port to be demobilized.
[13] On the return, the sopracomito had to report to the board of the Provveditori all'Armar, officials responsible for the supply of the fleet, to account for the number of his crew, and claim the sovenzione due; if he failed to do this within fifteen days, he was barred from participating in the deliberations of the Great Council.