Rail – timber plank along the top of the gunwale above the sides of the vessel.
Rake – when a ship sweeps another with a broadside of cannon.
Ratlines – pronounced ratlins; ropes beneath the yards on which sailors would stand while adjusting the sails.
Reef – (1) an underwater obstruction of rock or coral. (2) to reduce the size of the sails by tying them partially up, either to slow the ship or to keep a strong wind from putting too much strain on the masts.
Rigging – the ropes which support the spars (standing rigging) and allow the sails to be controlled (running rigging).
Round shot – iron cannon balls.
Rudder – blade at the stern which is angled to steer the vessel.
Run – sail directly away from the wind.
Sails – in general each mast had three sails. See diagram at the front.
Sail ho! – ‘I see a ship!’ The sail is the first part visible over the horizon.
Scuppers – openings along the edges of a ship’s deck to allow water to drain back to the sea rather than collecting in the bilges.
Scuttle: 1 – a porthole or small hatch in the deck for lighting and ventilation, covered by the ‘scuttle hatch’. Can be used as a narrow entrance to the deck below.
Scuttle: 2 – or scupper – to deliberately sink a ship.
Sheet – a rope made fast to the lower corners of a sail to control its position.
Sheet home – to haul on a sheet until the foot of the sail is as straight and taut as possible.
Ship’s Biscuit – hard bread. Very dry, can be eaten a year after baked. Also called hard tack.
Ship of the Line – a war ship carrying at least 50 guns.
Shrouds – ropes forming part of the standing rigging and supporting the mast or topmast.
Sloop – a small, single masted vessel, ideal for shallow water.
Spanker – a square sail wide at bottom and narrow at top attached to a boom that projects straight back from the mizzenmast along the axis of the ship.
Spar – a stout wooden pole used as a mast or yard of a sailing vessel.
Spritsail – pronounced sprit’sl; a sail attached to a yard which hangs under the bowsprit.
Square-rigged – the principal sails set at right angles to the length of a ship and extended by horizontal yards slung to the mast.
Starboard – pronounced starb’d. The right side of a vessel when you are facing toward the bow.
Stay – strong rope supporting the masts. Stem – timber at very front of bow.
Stern – the back end of a ship.
Swab – a disrespectful term for a seaman, or to clean the decks.
Sweet Trade – see On the Account.
Sweeps – long oars used by large vessels.
Tack / tacking – to change the direction of a vessel’s course by turning her bows into the wind until the wind blows on her other side. When a ship is sailing into an oncoming wind she will have to tack, make a zigzag line, in order to make progress forward against the oncoming wind.
Tackle – (pronounced ‘taykle’) An arrangement of one or more ropes and pulley-blocks used to increase the power for raising or lowering heavy objects.
Taffrail – upper rail along the ship’s stern.
Tompions – muzzle-plugs to protect the bore from salt corrosion etc.
Transom – planking forming the stern.
Trim – a term used for adjusting the sails as the wind changes.
Waist – the middle part of the ship.
Wake – the line of passage directly behind as marked by a track of white foam.
Warp – to move a ship by hauling or pulling her along on warps (ropes); also the name of the ropes which secure a ship when moored (tied up) to a jetty or dock.
Weigh anchor – to haul the anchor up; more generally, to leave port.
Widow maker – term for the bowsprit.
Windward – the side towards the wind as opposed to leeward.
Yard – a long spar suspended from the mast of a vessel to extend the sails.
Yardarm – either end of the yard.
About the Author
Helen Hollick lives in London with her husband and adult daughter. In between researching the background information for her historical novels, and her pirate series about Jesamiah Acorne, she spends most of her time helping with her daughter’s horses as chief groom and general run-around. She has a university diploma in early medieval history – and a passion for pirates.
For up-to-date information visit Helen's website: www.helenhollick.net
Also by Helen Hollick
The Pendragon’s Banner Trilogy
The Kingmaking: Book One of the Pendragon’s Banner Trilogy
Pendragon’s Banner: Book Two of the Pendragon’s Banner Trilogy
Shadow of the King: Book Three of the Pendragon’s Banner Trilogy
The Saxon 1066 Series
A Hollow Crown (UK edition title)
The Forever Queen (US edition title)
Harold The King (UK edition title)
I Am The Chosen King (US edition title)
The Sea Witch Voyages
Sea Witch: The first voyage of pirate Cpt Jesamiah Acorne
Pirate Code: The second voyage of Cpt Jesamiah Acorne
Bring It Close: The third voyage of Cpt Jesamiah Acorne
Ripples In the Sand: The fourth Voyage of Cpt Jesamiah Acorne (published autumn 2011)
Find out more about Helen Hollick and her writing at www.helenhollick.net
Praise for Helen Hollick’s novels
Hollick’s enormous cast and meticulous research combine to create a convincing account of the destructive reign of the hapless Edward and the internecine warfare that weakens England as William prepares to invade. Thanks to Hollick’s masterful storytelling, Harold’s nobility and heroism enthrall to the point of engendering hope for a different ending to the famous battle of 1066.
Publisher’s Weekly
Don’t miss Helen Hollick’s colourful recreation of the events leading up to the Norman Conquest in Harold The King.
Daily Mail
An epic re-telling of the Norman Conquest
The Lady
If only all historical fiction could be this good
Historical Novels Review
Hollick joggles a cast of characters and a bloody, tangled plot with great skill
Publishers Weekly
Most impressive
The Lady
Acknowledgements
Thank you to Jo for her patience in editing Pirate Code, for patience she has by the shipload. Editing is important for no author can successfully critique their own work, and a good editor, when found, is treasured. Without Jo’s input and encouragement, Pirate Code very nearly foundered. Thank you to Michaela for helping with the Spanish and French, Yolanda in Holland for the Dutch, and to Kelly for being ‘my reader’. Also to James L. Nelson and to Vicki for help with the sailing scenes. All errors are my own landlubber blunders!
I am indebted to Mal for his support, to the team at SilverWood Books for their enthusiasm and to Cathy Helms of AvalonGraphics for the beautiful covers and sorting out the maps, the ship logo – and for being there for me as a good friend. Also, thank you to Ray, her husband, for posing as a pirate!
Finally, thank you to husband Ron and especially to my daughter, Kathy – otherwise known as Cutlass Kate; her enthusiasm for dressing up as a pirate, whenever needed, is much appreciated.
Helen Hollick
2011
Table of Contents
Title Page
To My Readers
Copyright
Map Image
Ship Diagram
September 1718
Part One
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Thirteen
Fourteen
Fifteen
Sixteen
Seventeen
Eighteen
Nineteen
Twenty
Twenty One
Twenty Two
Twenty Three
Twenty Four
Twenty Five
Twenty Six
Part Two
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Thirteen
Fourteen
Fifteen
Sixteen
Seventeen
Eighteen
Nineteen
Twenty
Twenty One
Twenty Two
Twenty Three
Twenty Four
Twenty Five
Twenty Six
Twenty Seven
Twenty Eight
Twenty Nine
Thirty
Thirty One
Thirty Two
Thirty Three
Thirty Four
Thirty Five
Thirty Six
Thirty Seven
Thirty Eight
Thirty Nine
Forty
Forty One
Forty Two
Forty Three
Author’s Note
Glossary
About the Author
Also by Helen Hollick
Praise for Helen Hollick’s novels
Acknowledgements
Table of Contents
Title Page
To My Readers
Copyright
Map Image
Ship Diagram
September 1718
Part One
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Thirteen
Fourteen
Fifteen
Sixteen
Seventeen
Nineteen
Twenty
Twenty One
Twenty Two
Twenty Three
Twenty Four
Twenty Five
Twenty Six
Part Two
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Thirteen
Fourteen
Fifteen
Sixteen
Seventeen
Eighteen
Nineteen
Twenty
Twenty One
Twenty Two
Twenty Three
Twenty Four
Twenty Five
Twenty Six
Twenty Seven
Twenty Eight
Twenty Nine
Thirty
Thirty One
Thirty Two
Thirty Three
Thirty Four
Thirty Five
Thirty Six
Thirty Seven
Thirty Eight
Thirty Nine
Forty
Forty One
Forty Two
Forty Three
Author’s Note
Glossary
About the Author
Also by Helen Hollick
Praise for Helen Hollick’s novels
Acknowledgements