Zealand

45. Into the Shoals

As Zealand and Delfe continued down the river, the mud banks grew broader and higher, and their extent surprised me. Captain and I had always sailed Bessy to and from home with the tide either side of full, and I realised this was for the need of water above the crib in the creek both to depart and to return.

But now, with the tide lowering, the bottom reaches much further from the embankment. No, it does not reach further; it shows more. Aha! Captain's caution about the danger of land unseen beneath the water. The reason he told the helmsman to centre the river.

What if we meet a ship coming up the river, also following the centre? I shook my head at the folly of this. Why would they choose to sail against the increasing ebb? They would wait and ascend with the flood.

I returned my attention to the river ahead, and seeing an approaching bend, I assessed the wind and the sails to figure out what Master would call. And in this manner, I filled my time as we continued downriver.

At the pealing of seven bells, I thought about my dinner and fetching Captain's after I ate. He was still at the forward rail, engaged with the other officers, and I watched for a while. When I saw none talking, I approached and said, "Captain, sir."

"Yes, Boy?"

"Shall I take my dinner now, and then fetch yours at eight bells?"

"It might be better for you to remain up here until beyond the noon bells. In a few minutes, around the next bend, the river broadens and its nature changes. We will begin to see disturbed water as it flows over increasingly shallow shoals, and it is good for you to observe this."

I nodded. "And the undisturbed waters are the channels between them."

"Indeed, Boy. You may move closer to us, that you better hear as we discuss the safest way to follow."[1]

His words sent trembles through me, both from knowing he wants me to learn and from worrying that I say something daft. But he said to hear, not to discuss. I need say nothing.

We soon came around a bend into an area with embankments set farther and farther apart, and the more we sailed into it, the broader the water.

But the water looked different. Some of it lapped on patches of mud far from the embankments – some of them in the centre of the river. Aha! The shoals. But what are shoals? Like the little islands that grow in Deptford Creek while the tide falls toward low. But much bigger here.

I set my attention to what Captain and the officers were saying: "... through here six times – thrice heading out and thrice returning. But not ever did I observe from there, sir."

"And you, Mister Courtenay?"

"The same as Mister Peters, sir."

"Then, we three shall go up, and I will instruct in how to most safely direct a ship through here." Captain turned to me. "Come with us, Boy. This is too fine an opportunity for you to miss."

"Aye, sir. Go with you." Where are we going? I should have paid more attention, rather than gawking at the shoals and letting my mind wander.

I followed them down the ladder from the quarterdeck, then forward to the foremast shrouds. When Captain clambered atop the bulwarks, swung around onto the rattlings and began climbing, I thrilled. Aloft! Finally, aloft.

Mister Peters followed him, then Mister Courtenay with me close behind. Because of their long waistcoats and justicoats,[2] their climbing was more awkly than mine, being in only shirt, jerkin and breeches.

Captain disappeared through a hole in a platform where the shrouds attach to the mast. And I remembered the platform was called top[3] on the drawing because the name made no sense. It is far from the top – the topmast grows from it, and the topgallant mast grows from that.

After Mister Courtenay had wriggled his flowing coat through the hole, I followed to see Captain holding onto the port shrouds and the two others to the starboard ones, so I stood beside Captain as he began to speak, "As you can see, the distinction between the deeps and the shoals is far more obvious up here than it was from below. Also, with our longer view, we can easily identify blind channels to avoid."

"Beyond the mouth of the Medway, we always followed a course northeasterly, along the Essex coast, sir. Southwesterly returning."

"Aye, Mister Peters, the Swin Channels." Captain pointed. "But there, off the Kentish shore, lies a fine channel, obvious now with this tide. It is not so straight and direct as the Swin, but it is much shorter, and we will be clear of fouled waters sooner. But more the point, with the wind having backed toward the south, if we take bottom, it will blow us off when the tide rises." He swung his arm to the left. "While in the Swin, it will blow us onto a lee shore."[5]

"A wise choice, sir."

After Mister Peters had commented, Mister Courtenay repeated, then Captain swung his arm forward. "And there, we see now the Nore Sand, which marks the entrance to our route. We shall pass it down our starboard side."

Captain turned toward the quarterdeck and called, "Mister Angus."

"Aye, sir," came the reply.

"Come half a point to port."

"Aye, sir. Half a point to port. Steer east by north, half north."

"No need for sail adjustment." I slapped a hand to my mouth. "Sorry, sir."

Captain chuckled. "Shall we wait a minute or two to prove you correct, Boy?"

I smiled at him and shrugged. "And if I am wrong?"

"Then, I am, as well."

Notes:
[1] At the time this story is set, the Thames Estuary shoals were not accurately charted, nor were they beaconed or buoyed. They were also known to shift, so observation was worth more than memory.
[2] King Charles introduced a new fashion in the 1660s, a knee-length coat, called a justaucorps or casually, a justicoat, and it was worn over a long waistcoat that replaced the shorter doublet. Being ambitious young naval officers, they would have adopted the fashion.
[3] This is a wide platform at the top of the lower section of the mast, its purpose being to spread the shrouds of the topmast, which extends upward from here. While convenient for gaining a better view, it is not to be confused with the crow's nest, which is usually much higher on the mainmast.
[4] A lee shore is land downwind of a ship, and with a square-rigged ship's limited ability in sailing to windward, they were avoided whenever possible.
[5] At this time, the 360º compass was unknown. Instead, points were used; the four cardinals, N, E, S and W, were divided to make eight with NE, SE, SW and NW added. These were divided twice more to arrive at the thirty-two-point mariner's compass. Each point is 11.5º, so the alteration Captain called is less than six degrees.