Assault on Zanzibar by E. C. Williams

Author:E. C. Williams [Williams, E. C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Unknown
Published: 2017-09-14T22:00:00+00:00

Twelve

When Sam emerged from the committee room, a Government House functionary handed him a message from Foch. It read: I think I’ve found a schooner to take you back north. You may also find it suitable for conversion to naval use. If interested please call and we can meet at the building yard. VR: A. Foch.

This made Sam forget all about fatigue, and he hurried to phone Foch.

“Is the schooner not yet complete?” he asked.

“She’s complete, but the would-be owner got so far behind in progress payments to the yard that he couldn’t take possession. He had to file for bankruptcy, and the schooner is now for sale by court order to satisfy his debts.”

“What’s her name?”

“Not yet christened.”

“I want to see her!”

Foch named the shipyard, and they arranged to meet there as soon as possible.

Sam, so excited by the prospect of a new schooner that he overcame his aversion to cabs, phoned for one.

The yard was Colquitt & Cie, a large, long-established builder of ocean-going vessels. Sam fell in love at first sight.

She was a two-master, with a fine entry and run. Her masts were set up, including topmasts, and there were yards on the fore for two square topsails, one on the fore topmast and another on the lower foremast. The masts were sharply raked, giving her an appearance of speed. Sam assumed that all this fair-weather rigging was in place for the benefit of prospective buyers, since the topmasts and all related sails and gear would have to be struck below to weather the Roaring Forties.

“That lower yard will be perfect for setting a drifter,” said Sam. “But I don’t understand – I’ve never seen a Kerg-built schooner with finer lines. She’s obviously built for speed, not carrying capacity. How did the owner expect to make money with her?”

“The yard people told me he built it to serve as a fast passenger-cargo packet for the inter-island trades in the IO.

“And her lines are not the only thing about her that’s unusual; she’s composite built, of course, but on aluminum, not steel, frames. Colquitt’s is the only yard prepared to build vessels like this – welding aluminum is tricky, so the frame is bolted together, not welded, as a steel frame would be.”

“Why aluminum?”

“Something about increasing cargo capacity. I didn’t really understand.”

Sam reflected, and then said, “Of course – lighter weight and smaller scantlings allow both more deadweight and cubic capacity. Makes sense. You’d have to be careful about dissimilar metals in contact, though.”

“Want to go aboard?”

“Bien sûr! Let’s go.”

As they approached, Sam noted that she was already coppered, and fitted with bilge keels. These would protect the hull when grounded, allow her to sit upright while aground, and lend directional stability.

“Is she classified yet?” Sam asked.

“Yes, I checked with Captain Lee: she’s KBS rated A-1 for ocean service.”

The gangway watch was alerted ahead of time that they were coming, so he waved them aboard.

She had a tidy little chart house abaft the helm. A twenty-foot boat sat in its cradle atop the single cargo hatch, between the masts.

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