#topmast

[autumnslance]

Since I moved the Photo Studio to Iyna's FC Room (Couerl, Goblet, W11, P4, Rm18), I revamped Dark's apartment using the base Iyna had and adjusting it.

Since taking these I moved the incense burner to the little Sil'dihn table and put a message book on the fireplace opposite the orchestrion.

Couerl, Mist, Ward 24, Topmast, Room 12. If Dark Autumn's friend, don't forget you can just use the friend list teleport to pop right to the building if on the world.

[sw5w]

Jedi High Council at Night

STAR WARS EPISODE I: The Phantom Menace 01:33:09

[asleepinawell]

if you did the omega: beyond the rift quests (the alpha quest chain you can do post endwalker in patch 6.15) how did you answer omega's question about which of the ancients was most justified in their actions?

[peregrine-rnendicant]

if you squint you can see the parts that are anatomically incorrect

[swimmingprincepizza]

След св.Валентинският следва мартенският дизайн, като си нарисувах пресукани червено-бели мартеници-панделки. Не личат много, но на мен ми харесват. И пак червена основа, този път, обаче в алено червено. За пръв път се лакирам я такова ярко червено. Като цяло, не харесвам червен маникюр, но, виж, за педикюрът е друго. Там предпочитам червената гама, с блясък, брокат, злато, сребро, но...в червено #я��ък мартенски маникюр#педикюр#маникюр#море#почивка#topmaster#nailmaster#hobbynailmaster#gelpolish#naildesignmaster#beautymails#beautynaildesign#красивиНокти#геллак#хобиНокти#красивыеНогти#топМастер#дизайнГелЛак https://www.instagram.com/p/CpdMcwQMaRR/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[ltwilliammowett]

Memorial Brooch to Rear Admiral McKerlie, Died 12th Septr 1848. Aged 74 years, 1848

Rear Admiral John McKerlie (1774-1848) entered the Royal Navy as a volunteer in April 1794 having been at sea in the Atlantic and Baltic merchant service from a young age. Rated Able Seaman, he was sent from the receiving ship Royal William to join the elite frigate force based at Falmouth that cruised the Channel countering the activities of French commerce raiders. McKerlie was assigned to the frigate Arethusa (38) commanded by one of the most successful frigate captains of the day, Captain Sir Edward Pellew. 

In early 1795 McKerlie followed Pellew into the 44-gun heavy frigate Indefatigable with the rate of Quarter-Gunner. Owing to a sound Scottish education and his knowledge of the sea McKerlie was soon acting as Indefatigable’s schoolmaster instructing the other eighteen ‘young gentleman’ of the gunroom in the specifics of their profession, having himself been appointed a midshipman.  Throughout 1795 and 1796 he participated in the capture of the numerous French prizes which brought further fame and glory to Sir Edward Pellew. It was however early the next year that Indefatigable fought what is generally regarded as one of the boldest frigate actions of the French Revolutionary War.

On the dark and stormy night of 13 January 1797 the French 74 Droits de l’Homme was sighted off the Brittany coast. Pellew, recognizing that he was heavily outclassed, saw that the waves prevented his opponent from opening the lower gun ports and that the severe weather had caused the loss of the enemy’s topmasts. Seizing the initiative, Indefatigable closed followed by the frigate Amazon and raked the French ship of the line at every opportunity. The enemy replied with 4,000 canon balls over the next few hours until finally driven in to Audierne Bay irreparably damaged by British gunfire and the unabated gale. The sight of distant breakers however threatened the destruction of all three ships. Indefatigable, though with masts damaged and with four feet of water in her hold, alone just had time to alter course and escape.

For Pellew the action was a triumph, Lord Spencer at the Admiralty acknowledging that for two frigates to destroy a ship of the line was ‘an exploit which has not I believe ever before graced our naval Annals’. For McKerlie the action was a trauma, costing him his right arm and a severe wound to the thigh. McKerlie's sacrifice was deeply felt Sir Edward Pellew whom he followed to his subsequent command, the mutinous ship of the line Impetueux. While serving aboard the Impetueux, McKerlie participated in numerous boat actions during the Quiberon expedition in 1800, and was present during the planning of a proposed attack on Belleisle. Marshall’s Royal Naval Biography relates how McKerlie ‘…not having heard how he was to be employed, went up to Sir Edward, interrupted him in a conversation with Major-General Maitland, and asking what part he was to act in the event of a debarkation taking place? The answer was “McKerlie you have lost one hand already, and if you loose the other you will not have anything to wipe your backside with; you will remain on board with the first lieutenant and fight the ship as she is to engage an 8-gun battery.”’

The loss of an arm did little to impede McKerlie’s career. He was regarded as a talented surveyor and draftsman, working at onetime with the celebrated civil engineer Thomas Telford. He was also considered a first class shot. He received his lieutenant’s commission in 1804 and served in H.M.S. Spartiate at the Battle of Trafalgar on 21 October 1805. He was present in the capture of Flushing and the Walcheren expedition, and commanded a squadron of ships stationed off Heligoland; oversaw the defence and retreat from Cuxhaven; and was responsible for destroying enemy shipping on the Braak. 

Unable to get a command after 1813, McKerlie returned to his native Galloway where he married, Harriet, daughter of James Stewart of Cairnsmuir, had one daughter, Lillias (1821-1915), to either or both of whom the present brooch no doubt belonged. In a post service career McKerlie served as a local magistrate and operated commercial vessels from the port of Garlieston. After almost twenty years ashore, he made an unlikely returned to the Royal Navy as captain of the experimental frigate Vernon between 1834 and 1837. He was awarded a Pension for Wounds on 8 May 1816.

Despite the ever growing kudos that was accorded to Trafalgar veterans in the early  Victorian age, it is perhaps with greater pride that Admiral McKerlie recalled his service under Pellew (or Lord Exmouth, as he became); and in 1847 was one of only eight surviving veterans who had lived long enough to apply for the Naval General Service Medal with a clasp for the Droits de L’Homme engagement.  The following year, in 1848, he died at Corvisel House, Newton Stewart, at the age of seventy-three.

[mobydyke]

nothing a november rain and a hot cup of chowder and a warm bed with a cute boy and running away to the ocean and drinking heavily and singing shanties with strangers and standing at the topmast for hours looking for whales and making buckets of money and sitting in a circle squeezing sperm with your closest friends and finding and engaging in a multi-day thrilling chase after the beast that ate your captains leg and surviving the wreck and floating orphaned on the ocean for a few days can't fix

[skepwith]

Yet More Parts of the Revenge for OFMD Fans

Part 3 of a series: Revenge Master Post.

Sail Names

The Revenge is a square-rigged ship with three masts: the foremast, the mainmast, and the mizzenmast. (The masts are further subdivided into three sections, each with its own name, but this shit is complicated enough already so we’re not going there.) The sails on each mast, from bottom to top, are:

Foremast: foresail, fore topsail, fore topgallant sail Mainmast: mainsail, main topsail, main topgallant sail Mizzenmast: spanker (yes, really), mizzen topsail Before the foremast: fore topmast staysail, jib

The spanker doesn’t follow the naming formula because rather than being square rigged, it’s fore-and-aft rigged, meaning it moves differently and is a different shape.

Sail Anatomy

Each square sail hangs from a horizontal spar (pole) called a yard. (This is what Roach jumps off during Jack’s game of “yardies.”) The ends of the yard are called the yardarms, as in “the sun’s over the yardarm” (time for a drink). The foot of the sail is secured with lines called sheets, as in “three sheets to the wind” (drunk).

Each yard has a specific name based on its location and function. So a sailor wouldn’t just say yard, they’d say main yard or fore topsail yard. This is true of every sail, line, and doohickey on a ship.

Unlike the square sails, the spanker doesn’t hang from a yard but from a gaff (specifically, the spanker gaff). Its foot is secured to another spar called a boom (the spanker boom).

The triangular sails at the bow of the vessel don’t have yards; they’re attached to lines called stays at the top (thus staysail) and to the bowsprit (or its extensions) at the front.

Fun With Sails

So now that we know what they’re called, what kinds of things can the crew do with them? Bearing in mind that the show’s canonical nautical orders are gibberish, here are some suggestions.

Setting Setting the sails means putting them into position to catch the wind and get the ship moving—that is, get it underway. Sailors climb up (go aloft) to the yards and spread out by standing on the footropes (though these ropes probably weren’t in use in the Revenge’s day). If the sail has been stowed (bundled up and tied to the yard), the crew needs to release the clewlines and buntlines to let the sail unfurl, after which they attach its bottom corners to the yard below by the sheets.

Furling The sails are usually furled (rolled or folded up) and stowed (tied to the yard) while the ship is moored, that is, tied to a wharf, quay, dock, or pier—in other words, not going anywhere.

Reefing Like furling, but only partway: to reef a sail is to fold up part of it to reduce the area exposed to the wind. This is done in strong winds to keep the ship stable. To shake out a reef is to release the sail to its full extent again.

Trimming When sailors trim a sail, they’re adjusting its angle to the wind for maximum efficiency. Yards can also be trimmed, by being moved horizontally around the mast or by tilting the yardarm up or down.

Heaving To To heave to is to stop the ship where it is, usually by backing some sails to counteract the rest. The past tense is hove to, as in “Upon seeing Blackbeard’s flag, the merchantman hove to and allowed itself to be boarded.”

Rigging

Ropes in storage are ropes; ropes in use are lines. Lines are tied into different knots for different uses—for example, a hitch is the knot used to tie a line to a fixed object, like a bollard (post).

The order to make [something] fast means to lash (tie) it securely. You can also lash something to something, as in “The hostages were lashed to the foremast.” The order to lash up and stow was a British Navy command to tie up the hammocks and stow them out of the way, usually in netting on the inside of the hull.

Each line has a specific name, like main sheet, fore shrouds, or mizzen topsail halyard. The number of different lines is truly staggering, so I’m only going to cover a few of them here. I’ve already mentioned the sails’ clewlines, buntlines, and sheets. To secure one of the lines after adjusting a sail is to belay the line. (Belay also means to disregard, as in “Belay that order!”)

A line that hoists (raises) something, like, say, a flag, is called a halyard. Cables are the thickest, heaviest lines—e.g., what the anchor is attached to—and may need to be moved using the capstan. (Though the anchor is never said to be hoisted; it’s weighed, despite what Frenchie says.)

Here, Jim is sanding in the shrouds. The shrouds are rows of vertical lines on either side of a mast. They serve to stabilize the mast, so they don’t move, which makes them standing rigging, as opposed to running rigging. Between the shrouds run horizontal lines called ratlines. Sailors use the ratlines as rungs to climb aloft.

Beyond the Revenge

When a ship’s not underway, it’s “parked” at an anchorage, which is any place a ship can anchor—usually a port or harbour, but it could be at sea or off an island.

When there’s a wharf, the ship can be moored, which usually means it’s tied to a short post (bollard) on the platform. Unmoored means untied, adrift—literally or metaphorically. Once the ship is moored, the gangplank is placed to allow the crew to walk ashore. If the ship needs major repairs, it is taken to the dockyard.

If the harbour’s too shallow for a ship to dock, its crew will make their way ashore in a smaller boat called a dinghy (or skiff or dory). These boats are kept on board the ship as lifeboats and to ferry supplies and people back and forth.

The dinghy’s rowers sit facing backwards (astern) to row their oars (not paddles), the flat part of which is called the blade. The benches they sit on are called thwarts, because they’re athwart (perpendicular to) the dinghy’s keel. When in use, the oars sit in notches in the gunwales called rowlocks (or oarlocks in Canada and the US).

If, let’s say, Fang decided to row out in a dinghy, he might take a break from rowing for a bit by resting on his oars. When he found a good fishing spot, he’d ship his oars—that is, take them out of the rowlocks and lay them inside the boat.

Zheng Yi Sao’s Red Flag is a type of ship called a junk. The junk is distinguished by its fully battened sails. Battens are strips of wood, usually bamboo, that were inserted into the sails as supports. These sails, whether fan-shaped or rectangular, were easier to handle in many ways, so a junk needed fewer crewpeople than a square-rigged ship like the Revenge.

Miscellaneous Sailing Lingo

Avast: Stede seems to use this to mean “Hey, I’m a pirate!,” but it’s actually an order to stop whatever you’re doing. I imagine Avast, ye! came to be associated with pirates because it’s what you’d say when boarding a ship: “Drop your weapons, everyone!” But that’s just my speculation.

Ahoy: word used to hail another vessel, as in “Boat ahoy!” or “Ahoy the Revenge!”

Fathom: how water depth was measured. A fathom is six feet down, or six feet of line. League: three nautical miles. A nautical mile was 6,080 feet. (For comparison, a regular mile is 5,280 feet.) Knot: a measure of speed equalling one nautical mile per hour. According to reddit, a ship that’s 150 feet long would have a top speed of about 16 knots.

Flotsam: debris or cargo left afloat after a shipwreck. Jetsam used to mean parts of a ship or its cargo that had been thrown overboard to lighten the load. The distinction was important for legal reasons to do with salvage rights; today they mean the same thing.

Lee: the side that is sheltered from the wind, whether speaking of a ship, land mass, or rock. Leeward and alee mean on or towards this side, away from the wind.

List: when a ship leans to one side, it’s listing Capsize: what a boat or ship does when it overturns in water Founder: to fill with water and sink (not to be confused with flounder, to flail around uselessly)

Pitch, Roll, and Yaw: these describe the motions of a ship. To pitch is to rock between bow and stern. To roll is to rock from side to side (starboard and port). To yaw is for the bow and stern to swivel back and forth.

That’s all, folks! Thanks to everyone who’s contributed to my knowledge by adding notes and comments to my posts. If you see any mistakes, please let me know!

Sources: Wikipedia, historicnavalfiction [dot] com, the OED

[atavist]

The Titanic of the Pacific: A tale of disaster, survival, and ghosts.

Issue no. 138 of The Atavist is now live:

Those onboard were stunned when none of the surviving women would get in the rafts. They believed that with ships in sight, rescue might be imminent. If it wasn’t, the women had little reason for hope. Many had watched their husbands and children die. They preferred to stay where they were. Some began to sing “Nearer, My God, to Thee,” a hymn that in just a few years would become famous for reportedly being the last song sung aboard the Titanic.

Men readied the rafts. The first group to leave consisted mainly of crew members, including chief cook Samuel Hancock. After clearing the ship around 10 a.m., the men rowed toward the distant vessel—only one seemed to remain—but then lost sight of it. Hancock knew there was a northerly current and told the men to keep the shoreline in sight.

Peter Peterson stood on the Valencia’s deck, watching as the topmast came crashing down and the hurricane deck finally caved in. It was now or never—the last raft needed to leave the ship. Captain Johnson tried to change the women’s minds. “This is the last chance,” he said. One replied, “We might just as well die on the ship as die on the raft.”

[armandposting]

hey pirate show friends! in honor of my boat graduation and because I'm procrastinating my work I thought I'd make a post about some super basic sail mechanics/terminology for all your writing-about-ships needs. this just covers the very broad strokes that you'd need to convincingly talk about what's happening on a ship while there's other stuff going on, or to insert some ship-based drama. I'm not an expert and I'm only practically familiar with one tallship that's much later in period than the Revenge. but here are some things I did not know before sail training that I think could be helpful or provide some fun jumping off points for writing! this is super long but I am super procrastinating. hopefully it's helpful to someone. if not, I at least wasted a fun hour thinking about things that aren't my day job.

1. what are the basic types of sails?

for a square-rigged ship like the Revenge, you will have both "square sails" and "fore-and-aft sails." square sails are set perpendicular to the masts and, obviously, are roughly square. they are "bent onto" (meaning connected to) the "yards," which are the horizontal pieces of wood that cross the mast. fore-and-aft sails are set going, well, fore and aft, meaning they follow the line of the ship. these can include staysails (triangular sails bent onto the "stays," or wires that support the masts, and therefore run down the middle of the ship), jibs (also triangular and bent onto stays or wires, but going out along the jibboom and bowsprit, which are the spars that extend forward of the ship's bow), spankers (a large trapezoidal-ish fore-and-aft sail bent onto booms (basically like a fore-and-aft yard) off the mizzen mast, which is towards the stern of the boat, and acts as a wind rudder), and more. some older ships also had spritsails, which were small square sails bent onto yards that hang off the bowsprit. they look very silly in my opinion but to each their own. these aren't all the kinds of sails but they'll cover your basics.

ships can also have any number of sails. full size square-rigged ships can have as few as two or as many as five square sails on each mast. the lowest and largest sail can be called either the mainsail or the course, and are further specified by saying which mast it's on (i.e., the fore course, main course, or mizzen course). going upwards and assuming a five-sail mast, you've next got the lower topsail, upper topsail, topgallant (pronounced t'gallant), and royal. the staysails are named for the mast they connect to. so the most forward might be the "fore topmast staysail," indicating a sail that is connected to the upper part of the foremast.

2. how are sails controlled?

the vast majority of sail control actually comes from the deck and does not require having people aloft, or in the rigging (I'll address the reasons to have people aloft in the next section).

each sail has a number of "lines" (ropes) connected to it at different points that control whether the sail is "set" (fully extended) or "doused" (pulled up towards the yard). more lines are connected to the yards and control how the sail is oriented. the yards can be pulled back and forth, some of them can be pulled up and down, and their angle relative to the horizon can also be adjusted. the square sails on a mast all work together as they are stacked on top of each other and often have interconnected rigging. the lines all come down to the deck and are "belayed" (a figure-eight shaped way of wrapping the rope) around a "pin." the pins may be on a rail that wraps around the ship (the "pinrail"), on a rail that makes a square shape around a mast (a "fiferail"), or on a metal band wrapped around a mast (a "spider rail.") (there are other rails also, especially on the headdeck, which is the most forward, and the quarterdeck, which is the most aft. don't worry about it.)

some things you might do with sails from deck:

set sails (pulling the foot of the sail all the way to the next lowest yard so that it is fully extended and can fill with wind)

douse sails (pulling the foot of the sail up to its yard so that it is no longer catching as much wind. you can leave the sail doused if you might need to set it again, or you can send people aloft to furl it if you do not need it or are in conditions where it is dangerous to have a loose sail)

conduct manuevers, i.e. turn the ship

the three basic manuevers are tacking, wearing, and boxhauling, but all of them are just ways to turn the ship and change course. you can look up the particulars of these manuevers if you're interested, but I think the most important part from a writing perspective is knowing the initial commands. there are a whole series of commands for each of these manuevers but the opening ones you might most need are:

for a tack, the captain or conn (person in charge of issuing manuevering orders), first calls "ready about!" one of the other orders that might be dramatic to have in a writing situation is "helms a'lee," which occurs after ready about and prompts the person at the helm to turn it.

for a wear (the most common and least work-intensive way to turn most large tallships, though it loses you more ground), the order is "prepare to wear ship!"

for a boxhaul (essentially a three-point turn for when you do not have a lot of space to manuever), the order is "stand by to boxhaul!"

you can also stop the ship by "heaving to" (past tense: "hove to"), where you rotate the yards in opposition to each other so that the sails form a right angle with each other, which loses you all of your wind power.

these might change by period or tradition, but are the most common I'm aware of.

the commands for setting and dousing sails are pretty straightforward- you're just going to say "on the [fore/main/mizzen], set/douse your [sail]!" someone lower in the chain of command might also say "hands to the [sail] gear." whatever needs to get done is then accomplished by hauling on, easing (letting go slowly and under control) or casting off the relevant lines.

4. so what do people do aloft?

going up into the rigging is referred to as "laying aloft." you do this by climbing the "shrouds," which are those things you always see people in Boat Media climbing on-- they look like big nets or ladders that extend from the rails of the ship up to the masts. the shrouds may go to "cranelines" (small footropes that allow you to access the middle of a mast between yards, which is often where staysails are stowed), to platforms/crow's nests, or to "footropes," which are strung under each yard. there is also the "headrig," which is a system of footropes and stays that form what looks like a net under and around the jibboom and bowsprit and allow those areas to be accessed. all of these need to be tarred and otherwise repaired, and if a line parts (breaks) a new one needs to be rigged. masts may also need to be tarred or painted and other hardware might need to be repaired, checked, or replaced, such as "blocks" (pulleys that help lines move), shackles, and hooks. you might also need to bend on sails, or even replace entire masts if you're doing heavy repairs in port. people doing these jobs might carry tools or materials tied off in canvas buckets, or ride on a "bosun's chair," which is a wooden swing that can be tied to a gantline and used to lift a person up into the rigging or down over the side of the ship (like stede during the lighthouse fuckery or lucius when he's supposed to clean barnacles).

for non-maintenance related activities, the only things that really need to be done aloft are loosing and furling the sails.

square sails are kept, when idle, rolled and tied to their yards (furled). fore and aft sails are also furled, which depending on the sail may also mean tying it to a mast, or it may mean bundling it down against a stay or spar.

before a ship gets underway, the sails therefore need to be loosed (untied). a captain might not order all sails to be loosed at once when first starting out. if there's heavy winds, you might only need a few sails to get the speed you're going for. in light winds, you might need all of them. the order of loosing on a ship with five square sails per mast is typically: lower topsail, upper topsail, t'gallant, royal, course. but this is ultimately up to the captain's discretion. the courses have a lot of power and you might not need or want that much power when the winds are high.

to loose a sail, sailors are ordered to lay aloft, where they range out along the yard of the sail they're loosing. they stand on the footropes and hold onto a metal rail called the "jackstay." on each side of the yard, there are 3-5 "gaskets" holding the sail tied to the yard. these are loosed as sailors lay out along the yard (the knot is called a butterfly and can be pulled out in one easy motion). then each person stops at their gasket and "gasket coils" it, which coils the gasket up nicely so that it sits right at the yard and doesn't flap around the sail. gasket coils can also be undone easily by flipping one part of the coil over and then just letting the rest fall. the sail can then be set from deck.

you might need to "sea stow" a sail if you have to furl them very hastily, for example if a storm is coming. in this case you'd lay aloft, loose a couple of gasket coils, and spiral them widely inboard (towards the mast) and tie them off. the goal is not to look pretty, just to be fast. the sail will be doused from deck, and the hardest part of this is gathering up the sail the rest of the way so that it can be tied down. you lean your hips against the yard, reach over, and gather up chunks of the sail, tucking them under your belly until you have all of it, and then tie your gaskets. it's hard to do because you are not working together as closely or as carefully in a sea stow situation, and also potentially because the conditions are garbage.

sails ideally are stored in a "harbor furl," particularly, as the name implies, in harbor, where you are not likely to quickly need them loose again, and you have the time to put them away nicely. also, ship people judge each other if these don't look nice. this is a much more synchronized manuever. the sail is doused from deck, then sailors lay aloft in the same way as they did for loosing. here, the people with the hardest jobs are the ones up first, who go out to the farthest points of the yard (the "yardarm"). everyone begins to gather up the sail in the same manner as a sea stow, leaning over the yard and tucking folds of the sail under your stomach. the people at the yardarm are also dealing with the blocks and gear at the lower outside corners ("clews") of the sails. their job is more technically complicated and so they control the rhythm of everyone's gathering. once the sail has been folded and furled nicely with the "sun skin" facing out (protecting the rest of the sail from the elements), the person on the weather (side the wind is coming from) yardarm calls, in rhythm, "roll-ing home," or something similar, which prompts everyone to roll the sail up on top of the yard in unison. then each person wraps their gasket around the sail and yard, ties it off, and heads back down. again, that command might vary by period and tradition.

5. what are some things I could throw in my story for drama?

here are just a few:

a line could part! this is actually not uncommon on buntlines, which are one of the lines that help set and douse sails. when one of these parts and there's any amount of wind, the whole ship is going to know about it very fast because the sail, out of control, will start to "flog." this means it flops around in the wind and makes a very ominous sound (like a huge towel being snapped). to fix it, crew needs to lay aloft immediately and sea stow the sail so the bosun or other skilled crewmember can rig a new buntline.

a note about lines parting: manila lines do not have the "snapback" effect that modern synthetic lines do. this means they part more easily, but also more safely. they also get VERY swollen and spongy when it's wet, because they absorb water, and may even start to unlay (where the strands start to untwist themselves). so they can be also very annoying to handle when wet.

you might have to execute a manuever while people are still aloft! this is not uncommon, particularly for people aloft performing routine maintenance, but not ideal in bad conditions, particularly if people are out on the yards. because manuevers involve the yards being pulled back and forth and therefore rotating on the mast, it can be pretty harrowing to ride one through a manuever (or fun, depending on what kind of person you are). there are also pinch points between the yards and the mast that anyone on the mast or shrouds needs to steer clear of so they don't get crushed by a moving yard. "avast!" is a real command used when there needs to be an immediate all-stop due to a safety issue.

you might have to sea stow in really heavy conditions! if you've seen the episode of black sails where flint sails the Walrus directly into a storm, you know how difficult this is. when a sail is full of wind, it's very hard to pull it up by hand, even when doused. dousing only pulls the sail about 3/4s of the way up to the yard, and a doused sail can still catch wind. in truly heavy winds it can be almost impossible to stow.

in high seas, the ship could roll so badly that people on the yardarms get dunked in the ocean! this has also happened on black sails, I think in that same episode. this has never happened to me but I think if it ever did I would just rather fall off in the ocean than get swung back up again, thanks (<-guy who is afraid of heights). this is not a death sentence though, sailors can and have held on enough that they get swung back up and can safely get down. if conditions are bad enough that this happens and you do lose grip and end up in the ocean, it's probably going to be pretty difficult to impossible to get rescued, at least in the 1700s.

someone inexperienced might belay a line that needs to be cast off in order for a manuever to work, or vice versa. this could be an easy fix or it could cause a very dangerous situation. if you lose control of one of the halyards that lifts the yards, for example, that's potentially tons of uncontrolled load that could fall and break any number of things on its way. or if a line is made fast when it needs to be loosed, you could have yards raised crookedly and/or lines breaking as the strain becomes too much.

rope burn! the lines on a ship are often controlling a lot of load and power. if you allow the rope to slip through your hands instead of moving hand-over-hand, or if you just lose control of it, you can get rope burn that can be pretty severe. it's a wound that almost looks like a burn from fire would, especially while healing.

[ainyan]

Seedy Back Room Bar: The Crossed Roads

Excalibur, The Mist, Ward 21, The Topmast Wing 2, Room #42

The Crossed Roads lays along the intersection of Gridania, Ala Mhigo, and Garlemald, a small, seedy bar found in the basement of an abandoned military warehouse. Run by an adventurous lalafell with a taste (some say literally) for blood and his silent, hulking Roegadyn partner (they're just roommates), it's known for being undiscriminating in its choice of patrons. If you can pay the gil for the rotgut, you're welcome - but keep your nose in your own tankard. The overly curious need not apply.

[goingtoweather]

Another little history essay about how death was handled on whale ships.

[humblemooncat]

Aether / Dynamis

I've decided I'm going to do these posts by Data Center as I finish running through them. So, I present to you, our first (two) data centers!

Seeing as both had a smaller amount of addresses, I've combined them!

@tristanneffxiv - Aether, Adamantoise | Goblet W19, P34

My first visit of the day was to the Allied Tribes Embassy, curated by @tristanneffxiv!

May I just say, this was a STUNNING homage to our beast tribe pals? The little displays in the basement were perfectly-made to reflect each one's vibe and location, and the BGM of the estate really tied it all together!

I highly recommend giving this place a visit! Especially if you've sunk time and energy into the beast tribes! It pays tribute to each down to even the paintings on the walls!

Just mind the back office. There's something... fishy going on in there.

@alkonosts - Dynamis, Halicarnassus | Lavender Beds W19, P19

My next visit was to @alkonosts' lovely home!

It was such a nice, vibrant cottage! Well-decorated and very cozy! The bed in the lower floor was beautifully framed by the windows, so I had to take a pose on it. <3

Also, amazing music choice! I had to stick around to see what it was that was playing when I first walked in! Needless to say I'll be getting my hands on that orchestrion roll real soon!

@crowdsourcedloner - Dynamis, Marilith | Mist W21, P59

I was absolutely FLOORED by the layout of this home. Not only is the yard very well-manicured and beautifully decorated, but the interior is like walking into a fairytale witch's cottage!

It was a very enchanting interior, and I adored how you decorated the space! It was small, but very cozy. And the BGM lends itself very well to round out the ambience!

Very much worth stopping in if you're in the area!

@kannedia - Dynamis, Seraph | Mist W2, Topmast Wing 1, Apt 58

I was told this apartment was decorated to emulate a staff room turned living space in the Great Gubal Library, and I feel they nailed it!

It has that feel of a transformed space, taking from the aesthetic of the Library, and adding a cozy, homely feeling to each room. The little study was one of my favorites, with the maps and other pages along the walls.

@rydiathesummoner - Dynamis, Seraph | Mist W19 P19

I swear, the number 19 is haunting me today...

This was a VERY cute beach home! Very bright, and very BLUE!

And hidden beneath the cute decor is a fun little game! Can you find all the hidden plushies?

I believe I found them all! Do mind the bedroom closet though, there's something lurking in the shadows...

The BGM was also very fun to listen to as I ran to and fro looking around! I also may have found the hidden Raha. We love to see it.

Cute, fun, and overall a lovely place to visit! <3

And with those posted, I'm off to Crystal! See you soon! o/

[rea-grimm]

 Proposal - Phoenix Ace

Ace loved you with all his heart and wanted to propose to you for a long time. However, he didn't want to do it just like that, because he wanted it to be something you wouldn't just forget and remember.

You were sailing the Grand Line and it was one of those rare calm days when there was a slight breeze, it was pleasantly warm and there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

Additionally, you docked at a new island that looked like it was cut out of some view. And all these circumstances gave rise to the fact that Ace decided to carry out his plan.

During the day, you noticed how the crew members disappeared from the ship one by one. All of them had something planned on the island. Even those who stayed on the ship at all times went for a walk.

After all, you were on a new island after a long time and it was nice to feel solid ground under your feet again. You went to explore the area by yourself in the morning.

The evening was slowly approaching when Ace invited you to fly around the island. Of course, you agreed to it. You loved when he took you in his arms and lifted you into the air. Feeling the wind in your face and being so close at the same time.

Ace took you into his arms tightly and you wrapped your arms around his neck. You knew he would never let you go, but more than once you encountered treacherous strong winds. The phoenix flapped its wings and soared into the air with you.

You flew high, above the topmast of the ship, and you still know. You headed over to the island enjoying the view and the warm weather.

You also missed a flock of colourful birds. You had an amazing view of meadows, forests, tiny villages and the river that divided the island into several parts.

As it slowly grew dark, fires began to appear on the ground. At first, they seemed entirely random, but the more they appeared, the more they began to resemble a symbol from a bird's eye view.

The fires formed the edges of a giant heart that could only be seen from your vantage point. That alone made you very happy, and you had no idea it was just the beginning.

Ace headed with you to a high hill, from where there was a view of almost the entire island and especially the fiery heart. He carefully landed with you and helped you to the ground.

On the hill stood a single-branched old tree that was just blooming and its slowly falling petals decorated the ground below you.

A blanket was spread out on the floor with the picnic basket you saw at Thatch's in the kitchen. In addition, torches were prepared around, which added to the atmosphere.

"What are we celebrating?" you asked him as you looked around enjoying the view.

"Nothing so far. I just wanted to show you how much I love you," he replied and shifted his wing a little. "Would you like a sandwich?" he asked and went over to the basket, from where he took out sandwiches, which were so full that the filling was coming out of them.

You got the impression Thatch didn't do these. You sat down next to him and took one.

"Did you do it yourself?" you asked him. Phoenix was taken aback by your question. His mouth was full and even though he swallowed it quickly, he only sheepishly nodded his head in agreement.

"Do you like it?" he asked nervously and you saw him lower his wings.

“They're delicious,” you smiled at him. You could see that he was relieved and how he puffed his wings with pride.

While you were eating, the sun had set almost below the horizon, providing minimal light. Also, you had those torches there, even though Ace could light up the whole hill with his feathers. You leaned closer to him and watched the sunset together.

Just before the golden disk fell over the horizon, the phoenix rose to its feet, its back to you, searching the pockets of its shorts before finally finding what it was looking for. With that, he turned to you and got down on one knee. He took your hand lightly and looked into your eyes.

“Y/N you are the wind in my sails that keeps me going and every day is an adventure with you. You are my greatest treasure and I love you with all my heart,” he said sincerely before pausing. "Would you do me the honour and marry me?" he asked you, taking out a small box with a ring in it.

The metal ring looked like it had plucked a feather from its wings and turned it into gold. You were at a loss for words. You had no idea that this was his plan and it touched you.

When you told him your answer, he put the ring on you, which fit like a glove, and kissed you.

However, this was not the final of all his efforts. He had one more surprise in store for you. He created a ball of fire in his hand, which he then threw into the air. The orb exploded in the sky, creating a floral motif for a moment before dissipating.

As if it was a sign of something bigger, he started shooting more and more fireworks from the fiery heart. Ace sat down next to you and pulled you close so you could watch the spectacle together.

Then when it got cold, he covered you with his wings to protect you from the cold.

Ace Masterlist

[scrollsfromarebornrealm]

Prompt #3: Tempest

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( guest-starring @saesama 's Klynt)

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Even with Klynt at the topmast and the storm-shielding in place, it took the ship another two hours to clear the sudden tempest. When they finally were free of the storm, Reinhardt carried Klynt back inside to the small area the Dominants were using for sleeping. Mathye was already there, armed and ready with his medical kit.

“Fucking hells, she looks like shite.” He breathed. Reinhardt set her down on the travel-mattress, taking the mana potion Halone’s Second Dominant was holding out. Without ceramony, he held it to the roe's lips.

“Drink.” He ordered. To his relief and anxiety, Klynt obeyed, not putting up a fight as how she normally would. Once the bottle was dry, Mathye handed over another one.

“What’s it like topside?” He asked.

“If you’re asking if the sailors are going to throw us in chains or overboard, the answer is no. They’re more concerned about their own and her.” Reinhardt watched as Klynt greedily downed the second mana potion. Her color had improved, and as he reached for a third bottle, she reached out for his wrist.

“I’m alright.” She rasped. “Susano is too. We’re just tired. Sleep’ll fix us.” Reinhardt looked at Mathye, who was checking Klynt’s pulse. The white mage looked back at him, nodding.

“Sleep and food.” He directed. “Ship’s cook has some stew going that’s not actually half-bad. Let’s get some—” He trailed off as Klynt’s free hand moved, Susano’s strength now gripping him. Reinhardt blinked as the same vice-like grip locked around his hand as well.

“Klynt?!"

“What the—” Klynt pulled, making both men loom over her. Her throat bobbed as she swallowed.

“That storm was not natural!” She whispered. “We heard a voice on the wind, commanding it!” Susano’s wine-dark tones crept into her last words, and she let go of the pair. Reinhardt and Mathye shared a shocked glance.

“Someone was commanding the storm?” Mathye was the first to recover, while Reinhardt rocked back on his heels and scanned the room. For the moment, they were the only ones present.

“A power like ours, behind it.” Klynt swallowed again. “Strong as us. Maybe stronger. It took everything we had to keep the worst at bay.”

A power like...wait a minute! “An Eikon?!” Reinhardt hissed. Zurvan immediately surged to the forefront of his mind, and he was certain Halone was doing the same.

“Don’t know.” Klynt replied. Mathye turned and poured a glass of water, holding it to the pirate queen’s lips. Klynt greedily drained it dry, and Mathye refilled the glass.

“Are you certain about what you two sensed?” He asked, his voice low. Klynt nodded.

“I don’t know if it was a primal, god, or Eikon, but that storm was not natural. It was summoned by someone, and being controlled by them.” Reinhardt shared a look with Mathye, and in the aether Zurvan and Halone were doing the same.

Wuk Lamat spoke of creatures called turaal vidraal that she likened to us. Halone ventured. Could this be one of them?

[ltwilliammowett]

The bowsprit and spritsail

The bowsprit of a sailing vessel is a spar extending forward from the vessel's prow.

Bowsprit of the Batavia (x)

The bowsprit is typically held down by a bobstay that counteracts the forces from the forestays.

(x)

The word bowsprit is thought to originate from the Middle Low German word bōchsprēt – bōch meaning "bow" and sprēt meaning "pole".

On large sailing ships a spritsail, a square-rigged sail, carried on a yard below the bowsprit and were commonly used on sailing vessels from the first carracks of the 14th century.

The Batavia flying a spritsail (lower right) and a sprit-topsail (x)

From the mid-17th century, most ships also flew a sprit-topsail from the short sprit topmast that rose vertically above the fore end of the bowsprit.