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Cooke was in high spirits - This was the kind of sailing he was made for - Cracking on through the waves at nine knots two fathoms under every conceivable scrap of sail. The HMHV Athena was heeling over, and the frequent spray of sea water reached as far as her main mast each time she broke a wave. Cooke we driving her hard, just this side of reckless, and he loved it. So did the crew - After weeks of lying moored in King's Harbour, keeping harbour watch and working hard on shore, they were now back were they felt at home. Familiar duties, meals, and watches that to most landsmen would seem insufferable, was their way of life - and they loved it despite Cooke constantly calling for sail trimmers to get that extra half a knot. Currently, most of them had a respite. It was nearing noon, and Cooke was occupied with his sextant, measuring the angle of the sun at its highest, a daily ceremony that would mark the start of a new naval day and allow him to lay down his latitude with the utmost accuracy. A landsman might have remarked that with the coast of Cocovia clear on the starboard side, this was perfectly superfluous. One had simply to keep it there, and they would invariably reach Quinnsville, their destination, in due time. In fact, Montoya had done so, but surprisingly (to Montoya), Cooke had not attended to his arguments and instead suggested that he should retire to the main-top from where he might spot some curious birds. Right ahead, some wreckage had been spotted, and some of the crew where now exercising the chasers, running out the starboard nine pounder to fire at an empty barrel. This was a procedure they had done countless times, and they were already expert gunners, yet they never seemed to tire from the joy of the great guns firing and hitting true to their mark. On the fore top-gallant yard, a midshipman and a seamen were in the progress of shaking out the last reef in the top-gallant as the wind had dropped slightly, and Cooke believed she would carry it. The HMHV Athena is a snow-rigged sloop-of-war, formerly of the Royal Navy. Originally built in Oleon, but captured at the onset of the last war, she had been Cooke's first independent command and allowed him a small fortune in prize money, as well as several chances to distinguish himself as an enterprising commander, none of which he had passed over. However, during the peace, the Athena had been sold out of the service and Cooke set ashore on half pay. Recently, Montoya had inherited a considerable sum and purchased the Athena, and had now outfitted her for an expedition to the new world. The crown had caught news of this expedition and offered its support, assigning a contingent of Royal Marines, protection from impressment of its crew, and access to ports and supplies, in return for claim to any land discovered. Therefore, the Athena now carried the designation HMHV: Her Majesty's Hired Vessel. She is armed with four 18 pounder carronades per broadside and four long bronze nines for chasers. The long range chasers enable her to harass an enemy from afar with swift and accurate fire during a chase, often allowing her to take weaker enemies, or escape from stronger, without significant damage. And while the carronades are ineffective in long range engagements, they give her the punch of a much larger vessel, if she manages to close with the enemy. Cooke had recently received orders from the Crown, which was the reason for all this cracking on. Not only had his appointment as military governor of King's Harbour been confirmed, but he had also been appointed Military Commander for Cocovia. A rank in navy terms comparable to commodore, and only in very few cases bestowed upon a mere commander, not yet even of post-rank yet. It should be of no surprise that Cooke was both excited and nervous to do a good job. This might well be his best chance for a promotion to post-captain, and perhaps the command of a frigate he had always seen as the pinnacle of naval enterprise. Currently, this new command included only a few forts, a gunboatand the HMHV Athena, plus whatever the mayor of Quinnsville had at his disposition, but his orders had also told him that a mixed battalion of cavalry and infantry was despatched for Cocovia. Therefore, the Athena was stretching out towards the East-coast of Cocovia and Quinnsvilleto discuss military dispositions with Sir Thomas Smaugton, the mayor of the settlement, and to get at better insight in the tactical situation there. At the same time, he would circumnavigate Cocovia to survey all possible landing sites and vantage points, as they may prove to be of tactical importance at a later time. _____________________________________________ Thanks for looking and reading - I hope you enjoyed it - I am quite happy with how this vessel came out, but C&C is always welcome - I would like my next one to be even better. The pictures are a bit potato, but they were taken in the rush of pacing everything up and moving out. I would have preferred a better background and I struggled abit with the sunlight, but I hope you can still enjoy the moc. There are a few more detail and overview shots in flickr. While the landsman might take her for a brig, she is actually snow-rigged, due to the small trysail-mast just abaft the mainmast. I think the Athena is best fitting for a 4A, but thoughts on this is welcome too. I am not going to license her for quite some time, as I will be using her for story purposes, rather than risk losing her in the MRCA. Plus, having her sail around wouldn't fit with my story.
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Following builds: Pieces of a Puzzle (Ayrlego) Arriving at Mooreton Bay (Bregir) Undercover for the Final Piece (Bregir) In the cabin of the HMHV Athena, Montoya and Cooke are discussing the recent batch of mail. C: "Say, Doctor, do you remember Thomas Ferguson?" M: "An old shipmate of yours, if I am not mistaken? Some story with a fortress…" C: "Quite so - he has finally gotten a command, albeit a temporary one. With New Terra opening up, the Admiralty is recommissioning a number of old vessels, and Tom writes me that he has received orders to assume command of the horrible old Ironsides. Apparently she is being despatched for the colonies." M: "Horrible old Ironsides?" C: "Well, that's what she's known as in the service. You see, she is possibly the smallest, and most definitely the oldest, postship in the service." M: "Postship? Will she be delivering mail, you think?" C: "Now Doctor… A postship is a ship above twenty guns, but not quite frigate size, commanded by a POST-captain." M: "Hmm, I doubt anyone ever explained me that before…" C: "Not above a dozen times…" M: "Perhaps I should attend better…" C: "Perhaps… She is built like a brick wall, scantlings like a 74. Finest oak. Unfortunately, she handles like one too." M: "Scantlings?" C: "Her sides, Isaac. She started her career as a galleon, back before they razeed her in '04. She is clad in thick oaken timber, and when she was up against a Carnian 18-pounder privateer in '99, not a single shot pierced her! That's how she got her name." M: "18 pounds seems like very little for a privateer…" C shakes his head to himself. M: "Pray, what do you mean "razeed", my friend?" C: "Cutting down her upper works - the fore- and aft-castle. Brings down her centre of gravity, making her stiffer and more stable. Her rigging is rather old-fashioned, though." M: "Old-fashioned?" C: "No topgallants, lateen on the mizzen. Rather under-rigged, really. Slow in anything but a strong gale and useless on a bowline…" M: "Fascinating, I am sure. Will we have the pleasure of meeting him, you think?" C: "Only time will show…" __________________________________________________________________________________________ Just a small freebuild to propel the story and drop a few hints as to things to come. C&C welcome.
