With the Wind at my Back
Day 1.
Location:Port of Belfast, Ireland
Weather:68.5 degrees, warm for the season.62% wind chill
Wind:5mph southwest, gusts-16mph south/southwest
Moon phase:28 crescent
29% humidity, clear, sunny, bright
Waves Cresting at 6-8in. in harbor.
The last of the provisions are being loaded. For such a small crew, it seems an overabundance of supplies; but i spent all the money in the grant, and I'm quite sure i got what i payed for. The Crew itself seems sturdy, though quite an eccentric bunch. The quartermaster is quite the diminutive fellow with the scent of frankincense hovering about him constantly. Not to come off complaining about such things, in these close quarters anomalies such as those are welcomed with open arms. The men on board were quite aghast at a female Capitan, not to remark on a partially female crew. superstitious bastards waste too much of their time on fallacy and not enough on decent work. The Galley maid is of an upbeat sort. almost too upbeat for comfort, but she will come useful at times. I have yet to learn all of the names of the crewmen. in honesty i have only remembered one, that of the first mate Robin. the surname escapes me, but she seems of sound mind and can hold her own against the men on the crew. I know little else about her.
our course follows the trade winds from the port of belfast, directly south past spain and the Mediterranean, where we head west. the Slavers have favorable winds year round, its been said they can cross the atlantic in nigh a week at least. we pause a moment in the west indies to replenish our supplies and trade with the settlements there, and drop a shipment of silk for a Mr. Cartier, some wealthy frenchmen, originally hailing from the channel islands. From there we sail down the coast of the america's, provided the winds favor us, and round the strait of Magellan. That wont be easy, but unfortunately our main purpose lies in the pacific, where the Spanish Armada lies in wait for her majesties privateers. They will be burned to a fiery grave and sunk to the bottom of the deep for the crimes King Ferdinand has committed against her majesty.
we were not commissioned by the government, to be quite honest i know not where the money comes from. Only that it is from an unlimited source, and that we have been told our main purpose is to return with enough spoils of ocean conquest to pay back our sponsor. we are told who are allies will be and who are enemies are. There are several non-commissioned ships already on the water. The ship scabrous dog, headed by a fearsome Capitan is supposedly in control of the waters from the west indies to the south pacific, and how she manages that, i do not know. yes she, the Capitan is a she, as well as the first mate. rumor has it the ship is crewed by only 5 members, and all of them are women. how peculiar! though they are said to make the best allies should we run into their crew. we were warned not to make enemies of them, for though they are independent of any nation, they are against the armada and spanish control of the strait of Magellan, and therefore favor her majesty more than His Highness of Spain.
the whistle has been blown for roll and i must to the quarterdeck. the winds are with us i am told, the first leg of our voyage should be pleasant enough. being late in the season, we have missed the majority of hurricanes, which were horrid this year. The temperature is warm for the month of november, and will grow steadily warmer as we head closer toward the equator. warm weather will do me some good methinks. more later.
~ Jennifer Scandone, Capitan of the H.M.S. Nereid
Location:Port of Belfast, Ireland
Weather:68.5 degrees, warm for the season.62% wind chill
Wind:5mph southwest, gusts-16mph south/southwest
Moon phase:28 crescent
29% humidity, clear, sunny, bright
Waves Cresting at 6-8in. in harbor.
The last of the provisions are being loaded. For such a small crew, it seems an overabundance of supplies; but i spent all the money in the grant, and I'm quite sure i got what i payed for. The Crew itself seems sturdy, though quite an eccentric bunch. The quartermaster is quite the diminutive fellow with the scent of frankincense hovering about him constantly. Not to come off complaining about such things, in these close quarters anomalies such as those are welcomed with open arms. The men on board were quite aghast at a female Capitan, not to remark on a partially female crew. superstitious bastards waste too much of their time on fallacy and not enough on decent work. The Galley maid is of an upbeat sort. almost too upbeat for comfort, but she will come useful at times. I have yet to learn all of the names of the crewmen. in honesty i have only remembered one, that of the first mate Robin. the surname escapes me, but she seems of sound mind and can hold her own against the men on the crew. I know little else about her.
our course follows the trade winds from the port of belfast, directly south past spain and the Mediterranean, where we head west. the Slavers have favorable winds year round, its been said they can cross the atlantic in nigh a week at least. we pause a moment in the west indies to replenish our supplies and trade with the settlements there, and drop a shipment of silk for a Mr. Cartier, some wealthy frenchmen, originally hailing from the channel islands. From there we sail down the coast of the america's, provided the winds favor us, and round the strait of Magellan. That wont be easy, but unfortunately our main purpose lies in the pacific, where the Spanish Armada lies in wait for her majesties privateers. They will be burned to a fiery grave and sunk to the bottom of the deep for the crimes King Ferdinand has committed against her majesty.
we were not commissioned by the government, to be quite honest i know not where the money comes from. Only that it is from an unlimited source, and that we have been told our main purpose is to return with enough spoils of ocean conquest to pay back our sponsor. we are told who are allies will be and who are enemies are. There are several non-commissioned ships already on the water. The ship scabrous dog, headed by a fearsome Capitan is supposedly in control of the waters from the west indies to the south pacific, and how she manages that, i do not know. yes she, the Capitan is a she, as well as the first mate. rumor has it the ship is crewed by only 5 members, and all of them are women. how peculiar! though they are said to make the best allies should we run into their crew. we were warned not to make enemies of them, for though they are independent of any nation, they are against the armada and spanish control of the strait of Magellan, and therefore favor her majesty more than His Highness of Spain.
the whistle has been blown for roll and i must to the quarterdeck. the winds are with us i am told, the first leg of our voyage should be pleasant enough. being late in the season, we have missed the majority of hurricanes, which were horrid this year. The temperature is warm for the month of november, and will grow steadily warmer as we head closer toward the equator. warm weather will do me some good methinks. more later.
~ Jennifer Scandone, Capitan of the H.M.S. Nereid