“Do you have time to take me on an inspection of the ship?” Harry asked.
“Certainly, sir. Where would you like to begin?”
Harry pointed upwards, meaning he wanted to start with the masts and then work his way down.
“Shall we start with the bowsprit, then?” Chisholm asked.
Harry nodded and followed Chisholm onto the rigging that supported the bowsprit and made it possible to set the jibs and the bowsprit sails. Chisholm pointed out all of the design changes that had gone into the Runner Class frigate, and Harry found the information fascinating. Next, they climbed the foremast and stood on the fighting top – the platform just above the lowest sail where watches were placed and where Marines would sweep enemy ships with musket fire during battle. They then climbed the mainmast and stood on top of the highest yard, which provided an unobstructed view of the horizon in all directions. They climbed down after a few minutes and then climbed the mizzenmast to complete the inspection of the masts, sails, and rigging.
Chisholm pointed out everything on the weather deck and quarterdeck once they had climbed down from the mizzenmast. He showed Harry where the gunnery implements were stored when not in use and how the winches worked to raise the boats and hoist supplies for loading.
Harry noticed something between the foremast and the mainmast that seemed unfamiliar. On most frigates, there was a removable hatch in that location that covered the opening leading to the holds below decks. Materials were usually loaded and unloaded through that opening. Instead of a hatch, Harry saw a large platform in its place. On top of the platform, a tarp covered something quite large.
When Harry commented on it, Chisholm made a strange face. “It was a late addition to the design, sir. It was just installed about a week ago, and it hasn’t been tested yet.”
“What is it?” Harry asked.
Chisholm walked up to the tarp, untied one of the corners, and lifted it so Harry could see for himself. Underneath the tarp, on a carriage that looked like it could rotate starboard and larboard, was a mortar.
“A mortar?” Harry exclaimed with a sense of wonder.
Chisholm nodded. “Yes, sir. I was told to mount it here, but I don’t know how it works.”
“A mortar is just a short cannon,” Harry said, moving the tarp further back to get a good look at the mortar. “It’s used to fire exploding projectiles high in the air so they come down on top of something or behind something – usually fortification walls. The French have been using them on warships for years, but they can damage a ship badly if they’re not reinforced properly.”
“How’s that?” Chisholm asked, concerned.
“With a normal cannon like that one,” Harry said, pointing to one of the cannons alongside the gunwales, “the recoil from the shot is backwards, which is why the cannon carriage is on wheels. With a mortar, the recoil is down since the shot is fired high into the air. The timbers supporting the mortar have to be very strong to handle the pressure of the recoil. Mortars placed on un-reinforced decks can go through the deck and potentially the hull itself.”
“I didn’t know that mortars could go through the decks or the hull,” Chisholm said as he tied the tarp down again. “I’ll need to make sure we’ve reinforced the platform properly.”
“How is it reinforced now?” Harry asked.
“I’ll show you.” Chisholm motioned for Harry to follow him through the hatch just behind the mortar. From underneath, he showed Harry the structure built below the platform to support the weight of the mortar and to absorb the force the mortar would produce without damaging the weather deck or the lower decks.
Harry wondered if he even had a mortar gunner onboard as he continued the inspection with Chisholm.
“Here’s the berth deck,” Chisholm said as they walked toward the rear of the ship. They looked at the crewmember areas, including the sick bay, before descending to the orlop deck, which was also called the “platform deck” and was the deck above the holds at the bottom of the ship. Harry saw the cables, replacement timbers, and other equipment stored neatly around the deck.
As they approached the stairs leading down into the holds, Harry heard the familiar sounds of livestock. Animals were usually brought onboard alive and butchered as needed during the voyage to ensure the meat would be as fresh as possible. Munitions were kept in the center of the holds where enemy fire would have the hardest time reaching. Barrels of fresh water were also stored in the center of the holds to balance the weight and to protect the only drinking water the crew would have for weeks as it made the crossing from England to the Americas.
Harry examined everything closely. He paid attention to the way the pegs held the deck timbers together, the way the decks were supported and structured to support weight, and the way the hull was pitched and sealed against the sea. He even studied the way the bilge pumps worked to prevent too much water from sitting above the keel of the ship and potentially flooding the holds. He listened to the creaking of the ship as she sailed, working out the differences in the sounds between this ship and his previous ship so he’d know what the ship itself was trying to tell him. “All ships talk if you know how to listen,” Harry remembered his first captain telling him years earlier. “The creaking of the masts, the deck timbers, the rigging… all can tell you how the ship is performing and how it’s handling the demands being placed upon it.”
Harry’s questions both surprised and pleased Chisholm. The sailing master had never worked with a captain so intent on understanding every inch of the ship. In his experience, too many captains delegated the understanding of their ships the same way they delegated the work details to the crew. They knew how to command men, but they didn’t know how to handle their own ships. Chisholm quickly saw that Harry was different, and even though they were on a risky and dangerous mission, Chisholm felt more at ease knowing he served a captain who understood the importance of knowing his ship completely.
“She’s a fine ship, Mr. Chisholm,” Harry said as they climbed the stairs back to the weather deck.
“Thank you, Captain,” Chisholm said. “I’ll show you to your cabin now.”
Chisholm led Harry to the half-deck, which was the area underneath the quarterdeck. Since a frigate has only one gun deck, the two cannon batteries continued from the weather deck to the half-deck. Nestled between the cannons were the cabins and quarters of the warrant officers, the galley where the cook prepared meals for the warrant officers, and the great cabin at the stern, which served as the captain’s quarters.
Chisholm held open the door to Harry’s cabin. Harry saw that it was separated into a sleeping space with the captain’s bed on one side, a working space where the maps and other charts were kept on the other side, and a dining or meeting space in the middle.
“I’m guessing the wall panels are removable,” Harry commented as he stepped inside.
“Yes, sir,” Chisholm answered. “The great cabin’s part of the gun deck, which is why you’re sharing your cabin with the two stern 6-pounders.”
Harry nodded. The great cabin was at least as big as the cabin on his previous ship, and even the two cannons below the stern windows didn’t occupy too much of the space. The removable panels were painted white, but the rest of the room was unpainted oak. Next to his bed, Harry saw his sea chest, the packages from Leicester, and his other personal items. His desk and the chart rack were well-positioned so everything was within easy reach. The inclinometers, brass devices showing the angle that the ship tilted as it rolled and pitched on the waves, were gleaming in the morning sun, which shone brightly through the windows.
Harry turned around and smiled as he tried out the chair by his desk. He then motioned for Chisholm to sit down. They talked for quite a while about how the ship had been designed