AAR - Mar 2015 Scenario Duty and Daring by ShadowDragon

[ShadowDragon]

Duty and Daring

My version of the 2015 Campaign scenario, Duty and Daring, by Nightmoss:

https://sailsofglory.org/showthread....uty-and-Daring

Hal Sparrow could not believe his change of fortune. Not much more than a fortnight ago he was on a convict ship headed for New South Wales; and here he was the captain of the Dryade – formerly of the French navy but now a ship in a pirate fleet. The convict ship had been attacked by these same pirates and the captives liberated – to go their own way or to join their crews. Hal had experience at sea and gladly volunteered. There was something in his bones that spoke to him about the sea and the freebooting life of a pirate.

When the leaders of the pirate fleet, Gabriel and Anamaria, were looking the new volunteers up and down, they stopped at Hal.

“You have the look of someone with experience at sea,” said Anamaria.

“Aye, madam, that I have.”

“What’s your name?”

“Hal Sparrow.”

“Not any relation to the famous Jack….”

Hal interrupted, “Don’t say his name…but, yes, a great uncle….a distant great uncle.”

”I have this voodoo sense that you owe me something,” said Anamaria. “We need someone to captain one of our new ships, the Dryade. Think you’re up to it?”

“Now, Captain Hal Sparrow, that has a nice ring to it. Aye, it comes natural to the family.”

The mission had been to capture a French ship, the Orient, from the harbour of San Los Hope. While Gabriel and Anamaria led the Argonauta on the raid, the Dryade was to remain on the lookout for French or Spanish ships.

The raid had been a great success but the Orient was badly damaged. Gabriel had taken over the ship with a prize crew which had jury rigged sails and whatnot to make the Orient somewhat seaworthy. Hal and the Dryade joined the Orient and the Argonauta for the return voyage but a squall had come up and scattered their little fleet. The Dryade being faster, more agile than the Argonauta found the Orient first. Her jury-rigging had been damaged by the squall and she was rapidly drifting on to some shoals. There was not time to lose. Hal steered the Dryade on an intercept course.




Soon they were nearly within a cable of the Orient. “Ahoy, Orient. We’ll be coming along your port side. Make ready for a line.” Hal meant to tow the Orient to safety and until such time as the Orient’s crew repaired their jury-rigged sails.




A line was cast and fell short. Hal scowled. “I thought you said to make ready for a line,” shouted Gabriel who was casting wary glances at the shoals.




“Make this one count,” commanded Hal. If they missed this one, they’d be past the Orient and she would be on the shoals before they could come about for another chance.




Success! The Orient was in tow but there was trouble ahead. A French ship of the line – a 74, Le Berwick hove into sight. The Dryade’s strained to make way with the weight of the Orient.




They had the wind gauge on the Berwick but they’d have to get past her. Hal spied the Argonauta in the distance. If they could get within cannon shot of her, they’d be safe from the Berwick.




The Berwick smartly tacked and was on a parallel course to engage the Dryade. She easily outmatched the Dryade and even with the few guns that the Orient could get into action, the odds were with the Orient.




Soon the opposing ships where opposite each other, within a cable; thunderous broadsides belched fire and death on their foes. The pirate crews were well trained but so was the Berwick’s. The damage to the Dryade was severe. She could not take another such broadside. But aim of the pirates had been true and the Berwick suffered heavily from the fire of the Dryade and Orient.




The drew apart as the crews reloaded. “I hope this doesn’t lead to another boarding action,” thought Gabriel. He had a reputation for being a blood-thirsty, swarming aboard type of pirate, but the truth was it was more circumstances than planning. He would rather a nice, first-volley, close-range, raking shot but more often than not the ships got tangled and there was nothing for it but to swarm aboard their foe’s ship. As his mother had said when he was a lad, “If you’re walking through the valley of the Shadow of Death, don’t set up camp.”




Again all three ships fired. The distance was greater so the damage was less. The Dryade was fortunate as the Berwick turned on the Orient and was only able to fire with her port, stern battery.




They had some time now as the Berwick would need to come about, but when she did she’d have the wind gauge and would surely catch them.




However, the Argonauta had spotted them. She was making her way towards them but the wind was against her.




The Berwick had smartly turned about but the Argonauta was too close. The captain of the Berwick decided it was enough. The Berwick had taken a great deal of damage. Engaging the Argonauta was not an option. With that the Berwick broke off the fight and headed for its home port.




Hal smiled; he had done well in sight of the bosses, Gabriel and Anamaria. As if reading his thoughts, the first mate said, “Well done, Hal.” “That’s Captain Hal Sparrow!” replied Hal.


Notes: AI (by Dobbs) worked well. I went with the scenario rules