<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> T H E B O S U N ' S C H R O N I C L E <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> VOL. 4, ISSUE 9, September 2004 Welcome aboard the world of Thomas Kydd! - IN THIS ISSUE - * Countdown to Trafalgar Commemorations 2005 * Win a copy of "The Marine World of Geoff Hunt" * Julian talks about writing "Quarterdeck" 1 NEWS & VIEWS 2 ASK JULIAN 3 BOOKSHELF 4 SALTY SAYINGS 5 FEATURE 6 COUNTDOWN TO TRAFALGAR 7 CONTEST 8 NAUTICALIA 9 NEW ON THE WEB ==================== 1 NEWS & VIEWS --- publishing happenings, Stockwins on the water, Shipmates ahoy! --- + QUARTERDECK out in the UK next month Hodder & Stoughton Sales Director Lucy Hale told the Bosun: "We are really excited by the reception that QUARTERDECK has had, both with the high street bookshops in the UK, and internationally, particularly in Canada. Our advance sales are the biggest yet and Julian's fan base just grows and grows!" + Shipmate Survey Many thanks to all who participated in the Shipmate Survey 2004. Here's a short summary of what you said: * Coming through in all your responses was your appreciation of Julian's great story telling and the page-turning qualities of the books, plus the realism and historical accuracy really drawing readers into the world of those times. * Many of you also said you addictively devour each book and then later re-read them to absorb the finer details. * We've noted your excellent suggestions for new content for the website and the newsletter - you can look forward to some exciting additions in the New Year! Salty Sayings seemed to be especially popular - so this will definitely remain a feature, as will the contests and Ask Julian. Congratulations to Ian Fitzgerald whose name was first out of the hat for a special thank-you gift from Julian. + Stockwins on the water... Kathy and Julian spent time on two special - and very different - vessels recently. The first was a replica 100-ft topsail schooner that will become "HMS Pickle" for next year's Trafalgar celebrations in the UK. The original Pickle was called "Sting", and was purchased by the Admiralty early in the nineteenth century and renamed "Pickle". In 1803 she was attached to Admiral Cornwallis's Inshore Squadron and was used for reconnaissance of enemy harbours during various blockades. After the Battle of Trafalgar, Admiral Collingwood selected Pickle to carry the news of victory and Nelson's death back to Britain. She took nine days to reach Britain, enduring a gale on the way. Shortly after landing at Falmouth on November 4 her captain John Lapenotiere was on his way to London by coach. The journey normally took a week, but within 37 hours, after 19 horse changes, he arrived at the Admiralty at 1 am, on 6 November 1805. The journey of HMS Pickle is commemorated by Warrant Officers of the Royal Navy on November 5, known as Pickle Night, in a similar ceremony to that of Trafalgar Night held by commissioned officers. --- The second vessel Kathy and Julian enjoyed time aboard was "Vigilance", a restored 78-foot Brixham trawler, based in Devon. Julian jumped at the opportunity to sail along the coast to Plymouth to view and photograph the area from seaward, passing such important sea marks as Berry Head and Start Point. A self-confessed "foul weather sailor", Julian did have one regret about the voyage, however. Having learned how well Vigilance sailed in a Force 9 gale in the English Channel recently, he had to contend with wonderful sunny weather and fluky winds for much of the journey. For some reason Kathy did not wholly share in his disappointment... www.vigilanceofbrixham.co.uk + Shipmates Ahoy Canadian Shipmate Paul Schaef works in the family industrial hardware business and has been an 1812 and Napoleonic re-enactor for fourteen years. While on holiday at Niagara Falls he visited Fort George and seeing a group portraying War of 1812 soldiers thought it looked like a fun thing to do! When he returned home he discovered there was a local group forming to re-enact The Royal Scots (1st RoF). His "character" at present is part of the staff of the Crown Forces of North America. Paul is a major, with the title of Assistant Quartermaster General; he also functions as a battalion adjutant. His wife Wendy has become involved, too, and portrays a lady of the time. Paul has enjoyed sailing since his early teens and he now has a Tanzer 7.5 in Goderick on Lake Huron. --- We are planning an extended feature on re-enactors for the November issue. The Bosun would love to hear from other Shipmates who enjoy the pastime. ===================== 2 ASK JULIAN --- a forum for Shipmates' questions --- Shipmate Peter Mobley in Spain asks: "What is the origin of 'I have the conn'?" Julian replies: "The term is an ancient one, dating from 300 years before Chaucer. It comes from the Anglo Saxon word 'conne', which means to know or to be skilful. In Kydd's day it was the term for the actions of someone who directed the helmsman, i.e. the quartermaster, and is still used to this day at sea. When an officer announces that he has the conn, he or she is then legally responsible to give proper steering and engine orders for the safe navigation of the ship. In submarines the term used to refer to the conning tower, but now the conn is the submarine's control centre, located within the pressure hull." ==================== 3 BOOKSHELF --- books, magazines and journals about the sea --- The Marine Art of Geoff Hunt, published by Conway Maritime Press. Foreword by Julian Stockwin ISBN 0 85177 971 9 "I have always painted, as far back as I can remember, and always ships..." Geoff Hunt RSMA is deservedly recognised as possibly the premier marine artist of his generation. This magnificent book contains over 100 paintings and sketches, and is enriched by Geoff's personal discussion of techniques and artistic influences. Of particular interest to Shipmates will be his section "Illustrating the Naval Writers" in which he takes us behind the scenes of three of the covers of Julian's books. For a chance to win a copy see CONTESTS! ==================== 4 SALTY SAYINGS --- what today's English owes to Jack Tar --- To be at a stand The origins of this phrase are definitely salty. Today, if someone is at a stand, he is puzzled, unsure what to do next. In Kydd's day, "all standing" meant that a vessel was fully equipped, or all sails set; a vessel could be "brought up all standing" if she was forced to lose way suddenly because her sails had been put aback by a sudden change of the wind. This is the origin of our modern-day useage of "at a stand". ==================== 5 FEATURE Writing QUARTERDECK - The Bosun recently caught up with Julian over an issue of grog, and chatted to him about QUARTERDECK. Bosun: Has the writing become easier, now that you have written five books in the series, and are well into the sixth? Julian: Because of the wonderful feedback I have received from readers all over the world my confidence has increased that people really do want to share my passion about the age of fighting sail. However, until a manuscript is actually accepted by your editor, there is always a certain apprehension. Have I told a good story? Will it draw people in? Has it got the right balance? The waiting time until that phone call or email comes from your editor is always a bit nail-biting... Bosun: You told me earlier that this book is a watershed in the series? What did you mean by that? Julian: The first four books feature Kydd before the mast; in QUARTERDECK he is an officer and a great divide has been crossed. However I promise Kydd will never forget his roots! Bosun: When you first started writing I believe you plotted out, in general terms, the first eleven books in the series. Have things changed much as you went along? Julian. Yes and no. The general view of things is pretty much the same, that is, I'm telling one man's story from his early days of pressed man to his eventual elevation to Admiral. However what has changed is that the more I delve into the research, the richer I find this period for my writer's imagination. Those eleven books are now probably fifteen! Bosun: As always, you journeyed to the places you write about in QUARTERDECK. Can you tell us about the highlights of your location research. Julian: Kathy and I had the great pleasure of visiting Canada in 2002 to do location research for this book. We found Halifax fascinating, with so much maritime history - and even stayed at the "Lord Nelson" hotel! A special pleasure was meeting Shipmate Bob Squarebriggs and being presented with a half model of "Artemis" that he had made from scratch as a gift for me. Bosun: Did the research for QUARTERDECK pose any particular challenges? Julian: Yes, quite a few, but let me just tell you about one particular question. As a plot requirement I needed to find out which of the woods found in the area Kydd was in did not float. This was not as simple as it sounds. My ex-scientist father-in-law in Tasmania came back with mathematical formulae and details of specific gravity, and after a considerable time researching on the internet I felt I had a fairly intimate acquaintance with every tree in the States! But still I had not got the definitive answer; this was finally resolved by a very helpful member of the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Products Laboratory. Bosun: QUARTERDECK has a one-word title, like all the other books in the Kydd series. Is there a reason for that, or did it just happen? Julian: Kathy and I came up with all kinds of titles for the first book, but nothing seemed quite right. Then my wonderful mother-in-law Cressey Stackhouse suggested "Kydd" - simple, and spot on! Roland Philipps (who was my editor at Hodder at the time) and my current editor Carolyn Mays both liked the idea of having one-word titles throughout the series, so one-word titles it has become! I think QUARTERDECK is a particularly apt title for this fifth book as it is this book that sees Kydd's incredible transformation to officer and gentleman, although I can promise the latter is not without hurdles! Bosun: How much of your own personal background was relevant to the writing of this book? Julian: Each book has a part of me in it. In KYDD I drew on my own feelings when I first went to sea; in subsequent books there were special memories of a sailor's life that I called on - both pleasant and not so happy. I guess I'm fairly unusual in having been both a sailor and an officer and remembering my initial apprehensions as a new officer certainly gave me insights for QUARTERDECK. ==================== 6 COUNTDOWN TO TRAFALGAR It's still a few months till 2005 and the year-long commemorations of Nelson's great victory but so much will be happening that we've decided to highlight some of the upcoming events each month from now on. + Nelson and Napoleon at the National Maritime Museum This is a major historical exhibition exploring the lives of these two dominant leaders and adversaries. It will run from 7 July to 13 November 2005 at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. Tickets will go on sale from 21 October this year www.nmm.ac.uk/ Among the fascinating exhibits will be: the uniform in which Nelson was killed; the masthead from the L'Orient, the French flagship that exploded at the Battle of the Nile; and the sword used to proclaim Napoleon Emperor. ==================== 7 CONTEST For a chance to win a copy of "The Marine World of Geoff Hunt" email the Bosun with the answer to this question: On the site of which naval hero's former home is Geoff Hunt's studio situated? To find the answer, visit www.conwaymaritime.com Congratulations to last month's winner of "Trafalgar and the Spanish Navy", David Arstall. =================== 8 NAUTICALIA --- from courses to cruises --- + Shanties and forebitters In the merchant ships of Kydd's day, shanties were used to regulate the physically demanding work done by the crews, which were typically much smaller than those in His Majesty's vessels. UK-based Brewhouse Music has put together on CD several wonderful collections of these lusty work tunes, plus some of the more poignant "forebitters", (so-called because they were sung around the fore bitts on the fo'c'sle, the area where seamen gathered during their leisure time). www.brewhousemusic.co.uk =================== 9 NEW ON THE WEB www.JulianStockwin.com We've added three new Sea Heroes -> Olla -> Links Yours aye, THE BOSUN ++ Back issues of the newsletter downloadable from the website ++