Lucky Reef - Chapter 1

I had no plan for this, I just started writing for the heck of it. I might keep it going if it gets interesting.

“The sea was relatively calm on this day; she had not uttered a bad word.

The challenges ahead lay persistent and many. We shall rise above any tormenting swell, claiming our luck, our brains and spirit procured us. We will overcome as the ship is strong and the crew healthy.”

 

He returned his quill and then placed his journal down on top of a map of the sound. He checked to see if the candle on the table was far enough from harm’s way, then he left.

 

From the deck, he could see the reef; it was off to the North east about 6 nautical miles. He could just make out the whitecaps of the waves as they crashed and pommeled their way in.

 

“The tides making Sir” bellowed the mate on watch. The captain acknowledged.

As they were still another day from the port, the sails were extended and well bellied and the course they’d set was true. “Won’t be long now,” he pondered.

 

The Captains pending retirement seemed to be hanging like an uncertain cloud over him.

“I’m too young to retire,” he thought to himself, “What in heaven’s name will I do?”

 

It was just as he turned to go below he saw it, due east on the horizon, a huge storm. It looked to be crossing right across the path of his ship.

 

“Storm coming, trim down, baton down and make to starboard 265 degrees!” he commanded.

 

“Aye aye Sir,” said the coxswain as he wheels a full half turn. “We’re going to cop that Sir; it sure looks like it’s going to be big!”

 

“We need to be well away from that reef when this storm hits.”

 

It only took the men twenty minutes to clear the deck. The Captain ordered his men below just as the swell started pounding. At first it was a fast uncomfortable swell, eventually the constant driving wind massaged the waves into dangerous mountains of despair. The sea was so angry it was spraying itself indiscriminately everywhere and heaving and dropping the ship like a cork. The men were now all safely locked down in the galley and looking at each other with nervous apprehension.

 

The Coxswain Jago, was a very experienced helmsman. He had the utmost trust of his Captain and his men.

 

"Jago" said the Captain, "good luck."

"Thank you Sir, I'll do what I can for you and the men Sir." said Jago.

 

The Captain went below to check on the ship’s crew. The sea was now being very convincing of its power. It was a real challenge just to remain up right as the floor pitched and twisted with the elements.

 

The ship was being rolled and tossed and she and Jago were both performing admirably considering.  After relentless gale, the storm line anchors that were meant to hold the ship steady all snapped free. The Captain felt a sudden jerk as the last storm line snapped, it lunged the whole ship to port nearly capsizing her.

 

"Sorry Captain," yelled Jago, as he steals an instant to tighten the lanyards that bound him to his post.

 

The Captain wrestled the inertia to finally get to the door of his cabin, in his cabin there was a baroque styled hatch and ladder that rose directly into the wheelhouse above.

 

He unlocked his cabin, suddenly the door was thrown open by a wave of sea water up to his knees and he was nearly knocked off his feet as it poured out of the cabin. The Captain looked up and noticed the hatch had blown off and the sea was making a rapid claim.

 

“You could have warned me,” the Captain jested to Jago.

“Didn’t have time Sir sorry” he responded, never once taking his eyes off the oncoming carnage.

“Can you see the reef? Are we near the reef yet?,” the Captain bellowed.

“Aye, Aye Sir, she’s teasing us starboard a half league.”

“Let me know if we get too close, I will need to bring the men up on deck.”

 

The Captain locked the hatch below and exited the cabin closing his door firmly behind him. He clawed his way down to the crew in the galley to encourage them to be ready just in case they encounter the reef. As he opened the galley door the ship listed violently propelling him through the door and into the wall on the other side of the galley, then just as quick it rocked back again, angrily slamming closed just seconds before the Captain was flung heavily back into it.

 

The men were all sitting, tied off and silent, their eyes showed signs of the full terror of the ride.

 

“Is something wrong Captain?” asked the Cook desperately.

 

“Men we are only minutes from smashing her to pieces on the reef, I need you all up on deck on my command should we run aground. I need two men to volunteer, one to shout the order, another to watch for the reef.” He said.

 

Every crew member bar the cook volunteered. The Captain chose midshipman Casey for his large voice and chief lookout Dunney Donovan. “Come on, we need you, we all need you.”

 

The men in the galley all wished them well as they made their way gingerly out the galley door and down to the wheelhouse. “Casey you stay here so the men will hear you.” said the Captain.

 

Casey stopped and tied himself firmly to the ladder. The Captain and Dunney Donovan made their way up on deck and locked down the hatch from above. “What am I doing!” thought Casey as he listens to the latch click above.

 

Up on deck, Dunney made his way carefully up to the bow and tied himself on for the ride, getting belted by the sea with each plunge of the ship. “It’s bloody cold!” he muttered to himself before turning into the weather and starting to look for any signs of trouble.

 

The Captain had made his place beside Jago. No sooner had the Captain finished tying himself off when the ship suddenly lurched and a massive thud was heard from below. In that very instant, a huge mast stabbed right through the ship at the bow. The waves were still lifting up and down but the impaled ship just started to slip up and down the mast, it all seemed to make the ship steadier and the ships movements became less unpredictable.

 

By the time they had all realized what had happened, Casey threw open the hatch and cried out worryingly “We’re taking water Captain!”

 

“Quickly, get the men up top now!” yelled the Captain.

 

The men started to appear on the deck and one by one they would tie down to the ship and hang on. For another 15 minutes until the calm, the ship continued to ride this mast as it swung with the current and lifted with the heave of the sea.

 

“Now what is that going to look like in my Journal” offered the Captain, “A random mystery mast held the ship off the reef and saved her from sinking.”

 

The entire crew burst out with a nervous laughter at the Captain’s quick chort. 

 

Within an hour, the weather had calmed down and the crew were busily assessing the damage. Water was still coming in below but they had made a gasket of sorts, out of mattresses, so the ship continued to be held by the mast without the water gushing in. With four pumps in action to keep her dry inside, she was wounded but not done.

 

“There must be a wreck below us Captain,” said Jago, struggling to comprehend the weirdness of the situation. “At first I thought one of our masts had toppled Captain but ours are all still there, this one’s on the bottom for sure.”

 

“I suspect you’re right Jago, send the divers below to see if they can figure out what’s going on.” The Captain walked down the deck, a clean-up was in full swing.