H.M.S Valor: Treachery And Triumph: A war time adventure on the high seas by Cal Clement (best contemporary novels txt) 📕

the East India Company, especially in those waters. There is however special instruction for all manner of King’s ships currently. These are secret instructions, so I expect you to keep these to yourself as You and I are the only officers aboard who know and it must remain that way unless one of us perishes at sea.” Grimes paused momentarily and then continued in a lower voice, “No ship of His Majesty’s Navy is to board any ship of The Company, we can approach to four cables, but under no circumstances any closer no matter the distress, not even if they hail us to. Do you understand William?” His tone had turned very grave and he made no eye contact with William.

“I understand, Sir. But if I may ask, why? Why would we be prevented from assisting a Company ship in distress?” William asked, genuinely perplexed by the intent and broad nature of the order.

“I do not know, nor do I understand fully the benefit to allowing a ship sharing our colors to perish. However, those are the special orders for all ships operating in the Caribbean. We will follow them.” Grimes stated, finally stepping off the rail and heading aft along the larboard side. The pair continued their walk along the deck toward the rear of the ship, stopping several times for Lieutenant Pike to address crew and have something corrected. Each time Captain Grimes would make comment or conversation with members of the crew, encouraging good handling or redirecting poor. Finally reaching the quarterdeck and completing their tour topside, Grimes turned to Lieutenant Pike, “I’ll leave you to it then, I’m going aloft, see to it we maintain our course out. Westward once we get into the channel rollers.”

“Aye Sir.” William replied, noting a disturbing change in the Captain’s demeanor.  Something seemed to be troubling the man, though Lieutenant Pike could not determine quite what it was. William thought it could have something to do with the state of affairs with France, maybe the number of inexperienced men through the crew or possibly the odd special order to the fleet.  Whatever it was, it certainly did not slow the man’s vigor up the ratlines and high aloft, William noted, watching the Captain through the rigging faster than any man he had ever seen.

High aloft and away from the crew, Captain Grimes mulled over his current state of affairs. Tasked with a Trans-Atlantic voyage, while the channel fleet has recently reported several French men o’ war slipping the blockade. He was short manned and many of the hands he had were quite inexperienced. The Valor could hold her own against just about anything and had in recent memory. But Captain Grimes had reservations about this cruise, with special orders from the Admiralty. For the life of him he could not work out in his mind why, why would they be ordered to keep clear of the Company? How was he, a Captain ordered to stop privateer interference in their trade, supposed to accomplish this if he had to stay at maximum cannon range at the very closest? Johnathan Grimes toiled over it in his mind, making some silent resolutions to himself and cursing the circumstances forcing him to make decisions such as these. The channel rollers were starting to pick up with England far astern and he could feel the Valor beginning to change course, just as he had ordered. “We have work to do, so let us quit this pathetic sulking and heave to, for God’s sake we are the pride of the fleet!” Grimes spoke aloud, to the ship and to himself. With that, he scurried down the ratlines as the ship’s movements became more and more pronounced by the big rolling waves in the channel.

The deck of the Valor was a swarm of activity when Captain Grimes rejoined the crew. Uninitiated sailors were not hard to spot and were typically pausing between tasks to be sick over the rail. The landsmen tripped over their own feet on the moving deck in the heaving swells, winds from the west and northwest blew hard and propelled them along at a rapid pace. But with seas this large, too much speed could be a disaster. Captain Grimes turned toward the quarterdeck, but as he was about to call out command, Lieutenant Pike summoned the officer of the watch over and spoke something to him. Then in a flash, the watch officer scurried off the quarterdeck issuing command, “Hands, make ready to reef royals! Quartermaster make your heading west by southwest. Below watch check all cargo and cannon are well secured, look lively men, come on!” Cobb the Second Lieutenant called out. This caused a flurry of secondary direction and commands from midshipmen, petty officers and the crew were instantly in action to set the ship condition to Lieutenant Pike’s orders.

“This bastard is going to blade himself off to the wind to avoid damaging masts and square rig as he reefs sail, then slug it out with the rollers with main, topsail and jib. Not what I would do, but, effective, I suppose.” Grimes said to himself. Rain was now pouring, soaking all on deck, then Pike beckoned Cobb back over and another condition change was ordered.

”Hands, reef royals and top gallants, come about westerly once that is done, double line those aft braces.” Cobb crowed out in his usual manner. It was a slight change, but Grimes was irritated by the half step. Crews must have confidence that the orders they are receiving are correct, the first time they receive them. Anything less than this erodes a crew’s confidence in their command and can lead to nightmarish problems. Grimes made a mental note to correct this with Pike. Even if he must delay the change of sail momentarily to be sure of his decision, he cannot appear to be second guessing himself. Despite his irritation, Grimes took notice of how well the Valor got along running before the wind