Question

The following are the meaning listed in the dictionary against the phrase `take on’. In which meaning is it used in the third paragraph of the account:

Take on sth:	to begin to have a particular quality or appearance; to assume sth
take sb on:	to employ sb; to engage sb to accept sb as one’s opponent in a game, contest or conflict
Take sb/sth on:	to decide to do sth; to allow sth/sb to enter e.g. a bus, plane or ship; to take sth/sb on board

Answer 1

In the third paragraph, in lines:

“… we took on two crewman to help us tackle … roughest seas…”, the word “took on” suggests to take somebody on i.e., to employ or engage somebody.