<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> T H E B O S U N ' S C H R O N I C L E <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> + Chapter one of QUARTERDECK on the website + Great prizes and special offers this month + Reader survey - have your say! Welcome aboard the world of Thomas Kydd! VOL. 4, ISSUE 7, July 2004 1 NEWS & VIEWS 2 ASK JULIAN 3 BOOKSHELF 4 SALTY SAYINGS 5 FEATURE 6 ACCUL TO ZOLL 7 CONTEST 8 NAUTICALIA 9 NEW ON THE WEB ==================== 1 NEWS & VIEWS --- publishing happenings, Shipmates ahoy! --- + Survey time again We had such an excellent response to our last survey that we're conducting another one this year. It's an opportunity to have your say about the books, the website, the Chronicle, and anything else connected to the world of Tom Kydd! If you would like to participate, just email with SURVEY in the subject line.(Those of you who have already registered will automatically receive the survey.) Julian has donated a special thank-you prize for one lucky entrant, whose name will be drawn at random at the end of August. + BBC Audiobooks out this month is the unabridged edition of ARTEMIS, published by BBC Audiobooks. See FEATURE. + Shipmates Ahoy Portuguese Shipmate Paulo Meireles emailed with news of the sailing ship "Creoula", one of only two schooners still surviving from the famous White Fleet that sailed from Lisbon every year for Newfoundland. For centuries, the Portuguese fished off the Grand Banks, a tradition that continued right up until 1974. It was a hard life; the fishermen would go out from the mother ship day after day in small, one man dories, staying out until their boat was full of cod, and rowing up to twenty miles each way in search of fish. In 1998, the Creoula left Portugal for a sentimental journey back to Newfoundland. CBC Reporter Tom Kennedy recorded the event. http://www.tv.cbc.ca/national/pgminfo/creoula/creoula.html On May 20, this year, the Creoula, now a training ship, was an honoured visitor to Paulo Meireles' hometown, Viana do Castelo, when they hosted Navy Day celebrations. ===================== 2 ASK JULIAN --- a forum for Shipmates' questions --- Michael Voit of Dallas, Texas, asked: "Was the addition of vinegar to the drinking water to reduce the amount consumed?" Julian replies: "Yes, fresh water aboard ship was in very limited supply. It was made available from the scuttle butt, a barrel which had a square piece sawn out of the widest part of its curved side so that no more than half a butt full was available each day. In times of action, when the men worked up a sweat and got very thirsty, it was necessary to have some means of further restricting how much they could drink, and the addition of vinegar served this purpose. Vinegar had a number of other uses aboard ship in Kydd's day - from medicinal to culinary. It was kept in a gang-cask, holding 32 gallons. The chines of the cask were white - to distinguish casks of vinegar from casks of other things like lime juice, which had green chines. Burns were common injuries on the gun deck and compresses of vinegar were often used in treatment. The surgeon kept a gang-cask open at the ready when the ship went into action. A great killer, of course, was infection. This could be post-operative, after an amputation, or simply caused by a splinter or cut. Vinegar was used copiously as a local disinfectant on wounds. It was also used to swab down areas of the ship - deckhead beams were given particular attention if fever was detected. The connection between disease and insects and vermin had not really been established, but good captains knew that cleanliness fostered a healthy ship. A very effective method of fumigating against cockroaches was 'panning vinegar' - a dish of vinegar was flashed with gunpowder. In the galley, the addition of vinegar to foods provided a welcome change from the fairly bland food that was a seaman's lot. The mess cook shared a barricoe, a small portable keg, with other mess cooks. Cabbage, for example, was pickled in salt and water, boiled and then seasoned with vinegar." --- Following last month's ASK JULIAN, a number of Shipmates emailed us about the nautical mile, correctly pointing out that nautical miles have been around since early explorers began charting new waters, and that the choice of this unit stems from the fact that one nautical mile on the surface of the Earth subtends approximately one minute of angle at the centre. However, as some also mentioned, the earth is not a true sphere, but an oblate spheroid, so the length of one minute of arc varies from 6108 feet at the poles to 6046 feet at the equator. By international agreement, it was decided to adopt the British Admiralty definition of the standard nautical mile, which was the length of the varying nautical mile in the English Channel, and which was rounded off to 6080 feet. ==================== 3 BOOKSHELF --- books, magazines and journals about the sea --- +The Sea Chart. The Illustrated History of Nautical Maps and Navigational Charts by John Blake. Published by Conway Maritime. ISBN 085177945X This superbly presented book will appeal to serious students of navigation as well as those interested in the documentation of man's expansion across the globe. Blake discusses the development of the sea chart in both aesthetic and scientific terms. Each of the ten chapters examines the history of a particular region and showcases some of the major charts and views. Anecdotes like the story of junior hydrographer "Tubby" Lockyer add to the book's appeal. Serving under somewhat of a tartar of a captain, Alvin Corry, young lieutenant Lockyer got his revenge when he named four hills on a chart of Port Mudros that was printed and sold worldwide - "Yam"; "Yrroc"; "Eb"; and "Denmad". Just read each word backwards! For a chance to win a copy of this book see CONTESTS. Conway Maritime have offered to send a free illustrated catalogue to Shipmates on request. Conway Maritime Press, The Chrysalis Building, Bramley Road, London, W10 6SP. sales@chrysalisbooks.co.uk. www.conwaymaritime.com ==================== 4 SALTY SAYINGS --- what today's English owes to Jack Tar --- In the offing Today if we say something is in the offing, it is about to happen. The origins of this phrase are definitely salty. The offing is the distance a ship at sea keeps from the land because of navigational hazards etc. It is generally in waters too deep for anchoring. If inconvenient, or dangerous to approach a coast, a ship waited in the offing, or just out to sea, and was visible from the land. ==================== 5 FEATURE The spoken words The popularity of audiobooks continues to grow and Julian was delighted with the BBC's choice of Reader for the Kydd series, Christian Rodska. The BBC have just released ARTEMIS. SEAFLOWER and MUTINY will follow. (The UK edition of KYDD was recorded by Magna and the US editions of the audiobooks are available via Books on Tape.) Christian Rodska's twenty-year career in British theatre has included radio plays, West End performances and television as well as audiobooks. His passion for the sea (he sails a Nicholson 32) made him a perfect choice, and was a logical progression following his acclaimed work with Forester's Hornblower. Although Christian loves his work, the actual recording process for audiobooks can be gruelling: "You're in a recording booth from roughly 9:30 to 5:30 with a short stop for lunch and a couple of small breaks in between. Concentration and stamina are the key, especially after three or four days..." Christian has evolved ways of dealing with a large cast of characters and keeping all these different voices distinctive and consistent: "I've recorded about one hundred and thirty full-length novels and always make copious notes in the preparation stage. I'm able to do lots of accents, which helps with differentiation." What did he find the most difficult aspect of recording Julian's books? "I always find battles and storm scenes challenging. One has to cope with fast-moving drama combined with precise technical detail, and above all, the picture has to be clear for the reader." Long may the audiobook live! As Christian says, "There's little to beat a good story, well told. Something about the simplicity and intimacy of having a piece directed solely at you, the individual, makes it quite special." --- For a chance to win a copy of the BBC recording of ARTEMIS see this month's CONTESTS. ==================== 6 ACCUL TO ZOLL --- an 18th C sea glossary --- All the words we will bring you in this section were familiar aboard ship in the age of sail + Eating the wind out of a vessel With keen seamanship and close study of the vessel's capabilities, a ship could steal to windward of an opponent - a task that certainly challenged even the most experienced master! ==================== 7 CONTESTS + BBC AUDIOBOOK of ARTEMIS For a chance to win a copy of the BBC Audiobook of ARTEMIS, email the Bosun with your answer to the following question: Name the two stowaways found in Artemis. Deadline: July 25. Please include your postal address, and whether you would like the CD or tape format. --- + CONWAY MARITIME, THE SEA CHART Last month we announced a special relationship with Conway Maritime books, and we're delighted to bring you the first of regular contests to win prizes of their books. If you would like to enter this month's competition for a copy of "The Sea Chart" email the Bosun saying in not more than 50 words why you would love to have a copy of this book. Please include your postal address. The winner will be the entry judged to be the most apt and original. Deadline: July 25. --- Congratulations to the six winners of the Shipmate Reviewers Contest - Kevin McCoy, Peter Wilson, Evan Davis, Stephen Nicholas, David Porthouse and Doug Highstead. Read what they have to say about QUARTERDECK in the August issue! =================== 8 NAUTICALIA --- from courses to cruises --- + DISCOUNT BOOK OFFER Routledge publish "Who's Who in Naval History" this month - the lives and careers of over 600 men and women who have made their mark in the world's fighting navies, from the sixteenth century to the present day. Written by Alastair Wilson, a retired Commander of the Royal Navy, and Joseph F Callo, a retired US Naval Reserve Rear Admiral, the book will retail for GBP50, but Shipmates are offered a special discounted price of GBP30. But you'll have to get in fast, the offer expires at the end of July! To order a copy send a sterling cheque (payable to The Naval Review) or details of your Mastercard/Visa (Card number, date of expiry, card name), plus signature and date to: Alastair Wilson, Jolyon, Salthill Road, Fishbourne, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 3PY, UK. PRICE, including p&p, is GBP30 + GBP1.50 (UK), + GBP2.50 (Eur), + GBP6.50 (rest of world). The book will be sent direct from the publishers at the end of July. + THE YEAR OF NELSON In the run-up to the bicentenary of Trafalgar in October next year, there'll be a whole range of offerings connected with England's great hero. Here are several that caught our eye. # In the Wake of Nelson An 18-night cruise retracing Nelson's voyages in the Mediterranean. April 30 through May 18th 2005. Prices per person from GBP1399. Further details from Classic International Cruises. Phone: +44 845 603 1180. Www.classicintcruises.co.uk. Email: info@classicintcruises.co.uk # Geoff Hunt's "Fighting Sail" prints Art Marine has just announced they will publish a set of twelve limited edition prints by Geoff Hunt RSMA of naval ships in service between 1773 and 1815. The first set of four can be viewed and purchased at www.artmarine.co.uk. Collectors in the States can order through www.tallshipsbooks.com. # The Nelson Odyssey 2005 Part One - the West Indies. 12th to 27th February 2005. Prices per person from GBP3595. Part Two - the Mediterranean. 11th to 22 May 2005. Prices per person from GBP2595. Further details from Noble Caledonia Ltd. www.noble-caledonia.co.uk. Email - info@noble-caledonia.co.uk (The Kydd Collection, signed limited edition prints of Geoff's cover paintings for Julian's books, is available through the outlets above, and other nautical print retailers.) =================== 9 NEW ON THE WEB < www.JulianStockwin.com > + William Falconer's Dictionary of the Marine An invaluable reference resource of sea terms. -> Olla -> Links -> Sea glossary + We have also added a new page, SHOP, with details of where to buy special products associated with the series - and other nautical items of interest to Shipmates. =================== + SHIPMATE AMBASSADORS And for those Shipmates living in the UK who would like to become Shipmate Ambassadors to help spread the word about the Kydd series we still have some special Packs available. Just email the Bosun with your postal details, with Shipmate Ambassador in the subject line. (We plan to extend the Programme to other countries in the future.) + KYDD DISCUSSION GROUP Why not check out the Kydd Discussion group run by Australian Shipmate Donald Telfer? http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Tom_Kydd Yours aye, THE BOSUN ++ Back issues of the newsletter downloadable from the website ++