02.26.08
14: Out On A Limb
Getting aboard the ship required some thinking. The only obvious approach was the ship’s anchor chains, though that might be too obvious. Either one might leave him visible to somebody on the deck of another ship.
It was an open question whether that hypothetical somebody would care about the sight of somebody creeping aboard another ship. Some folks were more neighborly than others.
He considered briefly making a big splash and calling for help. He was fairly sure that would get him a line thrown down, but of course, once on board it would be obvious he wasn’t part of the crew and the best he could hope for would be being put ashore.
In the end, the anchor chains were the only way. He’d have to trust to fate to ensure that his only avenue of approach would not lead to disaster. This would have been easier to do if the ship had only had one anchor. If he failed, he would always wonder if it was because he’d picked the wrong one.
He swam around the ship a few times while he considered it. The ship was anchored at both bow and stern. The stern anchor would leave him more exposed to those outside the ship as he climbed, while coming over the bow might let anybody on deck see him the moment he mounted the rail.
In the end he went with the bow. He figured it was far more likely anybody on board the ship would be watching the harbor than staring out to sea. Surely somebody would be on alert for trickery from the governor or signs of their employer making a hasty return.
The chain was easier to climb than he’d expected; the chain had large links and he had small fingers and limber limbs. He’d been afraid it would make some noise, but the heavy chain held taut.
The line terminated in a small circular port below the level of the deck, which was out of reach… it had looked much closer to the railing, from sea level. He looked around. The bow of the ship was graced with a large figurehead, a wooden cat-eared, bewhiskered woman holding a sword. She was posed mid-charge, with the sword held out wide to the side. That gave him an idea.
Jace clung to the chain with one hand and leaned out into space, straining to reach the statue. It was too far.
He considered. Could he survive a fall from near-deck-height into the water? Probably. Most sailors who died going overboard did so because they couldn’t swim or couldn’t handle the sudden cold. Jace didn’t have those problems.
He pulled his body back towards the chain, then swung outwards as hard as he could, letting go and allowing his momentum to take him towards the wooden maiden. His hands caught on her sword. He was safe!
There was an ear-and-wood-splintering crack. The tip of the sword dropped several inches.
“Whassat?” somebody said from up above. The voice didn’t sound particularly close, at least.
“What’s what?” somebody else asked.
“Heard a noise. Like something breaking.”
“Just the timbers creaking and groaning,” the second voice said. “Like they do.”
“Nah, this was different.”
“What was it, then?”
A pause.
“Dunno.”
The broken sword continued to droop by degrees. Jace hated to risk making even more noise, but that seemed likely to happen one way or the other. He climbed hand-over-hand up the length of the wooden blade, hoping it wouldn’t snap clean off, and then he was able to get his feet on the knee of an upraised leg and his hands around the carved wooden arm. It seemed a bit sturdier. It was not a great perch; the gentle rocking of the ship hardly seemed gentle at the moment. His arms were starting to ache from all the climbing and clinging, but he stayed where he was and waited, listening for further signs of life.
When there was no further conversation, he pulled himself up onto the arm and shoulder. It was an even worse footing than the one he’d just left, and he had to catch hold of the bowsprit at once to avoid tumbling down into the water.
He was able to pull himself up onto deck, however, and that was the key. The question was, could he do it without being seen?
Alexandra Erin said,
February 26, 2008 at 7:48 pm
Now begins the actual nautical stuff!
Please note that surprisingly I have very little real experience with Age of Sail-style vessels, so this is also where now begins the actual serious creative liberties!
Nanyque said,
February 26, 2008 at 10:26 pm
Nautical stuff is always a good time. Thanks for the update. It’s nice to see something other than MU get updated (not that I’m against MU, I’m quite addicted actually). Especially considering I found MU through Tribe [which has been sadly neglected since your server problems…
*cry*]
S said,
February 26, 2008 at 10:49 pm
Eh, I’m sure she’ll get it sorted out.
Hmm, I’m not sure, the only “nautical” reference that comes to mind is those Pirates of Caribbean movies. I’m sure there’s BETTER sources out there, but those are probably the most fun.
Meidara said,
February 26, 2008 at 10:50 pm
I’m loving 3 seas, and glad that it got an update!! I’m typically very forgiving of artistic liberty… even when I actually know something about the subject (thinking of medical shows like House, now) but I know nothing about sailing the sea… so… please, feel free to exercise that “but this is a different world” liberty
Alexandra Erin said,
February 26, 2008 at 10:51 pm
@Meidara: I’ve got a brilliant solution in mind for when the truly nautical portion of the story gets underway, but for now, while Jace is sneaking aboard Montaldo’s ship, I’m painfully aware of how little I know.
Saryn said,
February 27, 2008 at 2:45 am
Getting aboard the ship required some thinking. The only obvious approach was the ship’s anchor chains, though that might be too obvious. Either one might leave him visible to somebody on the deck of another ship.
Took me a sec to figure out he was referring to their being two anchors.
Renshan said,
February 27, 2008 at 4:18 am
The ships in your fantasy world might be a little different from historical real-world ships. No worries.
Renshan said,
February 27, 2008 at 7:46 am
Most ancient ships used hemp cables rather than chains for their anchors, there are exeptions though, see http://nvo.com/baldtus/historyoftheanchor/
The slaver might use the chain as some kind of trademark and use it whenever possible.
Alexandra Erin said,
February 27, 2008 at 8:21 am
See above, in re: serious creative liberties.
alexander said,
February 27, 2008 at 1:35 pm
AE, ive sailed, and spent a decent amount of time studying classical sailing vessels, in particular, the boat from 2 years before the mast, as that vessel was found fully preserved, and thus is a MASSIVE source of info for sca period woodworkers such as myself.
ill dig you up some good refferences in regards to types of ships and such. one thing to remember, EVERYTHING is coated with waterproofing agents, such as tar and pitch, practically. and those coatings, burn nicely. Fire on a ship is a massive danger.
also, if it has a decorative bowsprit (the part sticking out the front) it is NOT a serious war vessel. THose were flat nosed, for ramming purposes.
Any direct questions, feel free to email.
Alexandra Erin said,
February 27, 2008 at 2:59 pm
alexander:
Short answer: No, thank you.
Long answer: See above, in re: serious creative liberties. This is meant to be a fluff fantasy piece, not a research paper. If I cared that much, I’m more than capable of looking stuff up on my own. My comment above is basically letting people know that I don’t feel it’s that important, for purposes of this story, to have everything 100% accurate.
Vercin said,
February 27, 2008 at 10:09 pm
Yes, I see the liberties bit, but I’m still disappointed that wooden structures in this universe behave like the ones in Hollywood’s, with ominous cracks and sporadic drooping to encourage the hero to get moving, rather than crack, droop, swift catastrophic failure.
Alexandra Erin said,
February 27, 2008 at 10:14 pm
Because nothing ever progressively weakens under strain before reaching a breaking point in real life?
I don’t see this as a case of “Hollywood version vs. reality” as just another case of the heroes catching the necessary breaks (or failing to, if the plot calls for the slapstick rather than the dramatic, at the moment).
Time Kitten said,
February 27, 2008 at 11:43 pm
I’d like to point out that it would be very likely for the ship to have some sort of ladder out, possibly even crudly projecting from the side. However it would be small, and without knowing what you are looking for, hard to spot in the dark. I doubt that Jace actually has any practical experience with ships, so he would likely only find the anchors. Then, as always, the possibility that there is no way up, and that if you fall overboard you have to wait til morning.
Alexandra Erin said,
February 27, 2008 at 11:46 pm
See above, in re: serious creative liberties.
Though in this case, the ship’s being security conscious.