Theodora's Dragon

Chapter 21 The Storm

The cook doused the cook fire then joined the other five men on deck. David climbed the main mast first to tie down the topsail as it was pulled down from below, then repeated the process on the mizzen then foremast. The first and second jibs were secured while others dropped the mainsail, then the mizzen sail and finally the foresail was shortened by three reefs and they continued under reefed foresail and stay-sail. The wind continued build in ferocity howling through the rigging. The gulf they sailed through was shallow and huge seas built quickly. The little ship pointed skyward for several seconds then appeared to be pointed toward the bottom of the sea for even longer seconds. Waves crashed over the bows the spray hitting even the steersman in the stern.

In spite of very short sails the wind was driving them too fast so the captain ordered all sails down. David struggled with the crew as the last of the sails were in. The stay-sail was ripped and shredded by the wind. "Let's ride her out under bare masts," Captain Harold shouted. They let a heavy cable out trailing three hundred feet from the stern and tying the wheel sought refuge in the cabin. The wind drove them south by south-east and the captain pored over his charts. "Where headed hear," he said pointing. "Most likely we'll simply get blown out and need days to sail back in."

"What about these?" David asked pointing to an area on the chart of broken lines.

"Those are the Minkees," the captain replied. "The area is filled with rock shoals and low lying islands. It has never been charted. Pray to the gods we miss those."

The night was pitch black so they ate some hardtack and drank a little beer and waited. The third hour of the day the wind slackened now gusting between twenty to twenty five knots. When the sun began to rise the men stirred on to the deck. All loose gear that had been on the deck was gone. The ships boat still hung on the davits but it was broken in two and smashed. The captain had the crew rig a small triangular storm sail from the stay-sails halyard's as they struggled to gain some steerage as the ship wallowed in the swells.

Buy the fifth hour a crew member shouted as he had spotted rocks ahead. "David, get up in the mast and look for a safe channel," the captain ordered. David had only minor difficulty as he ascended the narrow rope ladder. He had experienced worse storms on his voyages to the Grand Banks. He sat on the foremast cross tree and tied himself securely to the mast.

From his position he began guiding the ship as it slid past numerous shoals and rocks. They appeared to be going to elude tragedy when a fog bank slowly blew in. Just prior to the complete blindness of the fog David saw a huge low island ahead. "Island dead ahead captain."

"Any way we can miss it David?"

"No sir, we are going ashore."

"How long?"

"At this speed about twenty minutes."

"Come back down. Men lets run a stern anchor and try and slow us down." The crew moved the two hundred pound folding anchor to the stern and eased it overboard letting out about two hundred feet of cable then tied the cable off. Other crew members struck the storm sail. The anchor began to hold and the ship slowed. Then the ship shook and pointed up not coming down. A terrible grinding sound accompanied the shuddering of the ship. Then a loud boom followed by the sound of wood breaking and splintering as they struck and were carried onto the rocky beach. Two of the crew in a panic leapt from the ship.

"Stay with her men, she's a stout ship let her take the pounding!"