Having escaped the pirates and evaded them, Jarvis must now decide whether his damaged ship can safely cross the Atlantic to England. Is it too much for the limited rig and the small crew? Should he put into a port up the coast? Or will his haste to...
When I had finished addressing the crew, I instructed the officers, and with that done, I turned to find Gillian. She stood with Judith, facing astern, and as I approached, I asked, "What is your assessment of her?"
"She appears to be no larger than Atlantica, but her tilt is much more than ours, as is her rolling."
"Indeed, lightly laden, the brisk breeze abeam gives her a heavy heel. This is why we chose this course – not only is it uncomfortable for her, it also renders her main guns useless."
"Main guns. Like the ones Jupiter fired at us?"
"Yes." I pointed. "Heeled such as she is, they would point into the sea."
Gillian nodded. "And ours would point skyward."
"Ah, but because we are deeply laden, our heel is much less, causing our guns to point up into her rigging, which is ideal for disabling her. But with the conditions and the approach she has chosen, I do not think we will need them."
"The approach?"
"As we expected her to do, she has chosen to approach from windward. In an engagement, the ship on that side has the advantage of being far better able to manoeuvre, making it the natural choice of the aggressor. In the King's Navy, it is called the weather gauge, and all ships' captains are commanded to use it."
"But here, it renders her guns useless, as you had said."
"Aye, but she would have swivels with which to challenge us."
"Swivels?"
I pointed toward the three hands lugging a gun across the quarterdeck. "Such as that. The shaft fits into a hole atop the bulwarks, allowing it to swivel, and the lateral trunnion mounts allow easy elevation and depression adjustments."
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We watched as they hefted it and inserted the shaft, then with lines looped around the muzzle and the aiming lever and secured to cleats, they headed forward to fetch another gun. "With their mounting, they are far easier to aim than the main guns."
"So, we will not use the main guns."
"I hope not. But we will load and prime them in case. We have forty-eight swivel gun placements along the bulwarks, twenty-four on each side. Firing grape and chain into her rigging from the ones on this side should disable her, causing her to fast fall behind us."
"So, why load the mains?"
"In case she is still able to manoeuvre, and she alters northward across our stern, trying to bring her guns to bear."
"Guns to bear?"
"Unlike with the swivels, the main guns are aimed by turning the ship." I pointed toward the wheel. "The helmsman uses aiming marks to place the target directly in line with the gun barrels."
"So, if they alter, you will as well."
"Indeed, and with what damage we hope to inflict to their rigging, we will be faster and more able than they to bring the target to bear. Besides, we have only a few degrees to turn, while they have about ninety."
