Now that's a ship (Shipwright Training)

[Wilhelm Rochester]

First Cycle Cryxatum, Spring


Feet fumbled down the long winding wooden stairs as the first bell of the morning sounded. Faint smells of salt and sea air filled the nostrils of young men as they fell and moved quickly out of the various bunks. The rush of the sea filling there ears, as the faint calls of sea birds could be heard. A loaf of bread and some fish soup served as the quick salty meal to get the energy moving. One young headed red haired man made his way down the stairs while continued to finish off his breakfast.

He joined a series of Carpenters, Labroers and a few sea hands down by the docks as they all loomed over a large empty berth, the home of which might soon hold a gorgeous cutter, a true work of skill.

Tolan stood at the fore front, his eyes salted and worn by years, and granted untold wisdom, he smiled before the group,

"Now Wilhelm my apprentice, is going to be taking you lot under his wing for this task of building this cutter. I'll be there to guide him, but he's gonna be callin the line and tautin it when need be."

Tolan gestured Wilhelm up,

"All yours lad."

The red haired youth took center stage, perhaps a bit more confident then when he had first worn his tool belt. He had been helping Tolan around the yard a bit now, and the faces were as familiar to him as the ships of late,

"Alright you all know me, and you know we've got alot of work to do. I've already taken the liberty of writing down a lumber list, so the while the labroers are gathering it, the rest of us are going to be moving over to the warehouse. Make sure you have your tools, because we may not come back some time."

Wilhelm waved a hand over to one of the young runners, a boy barely above the age of schooling,

"Lato, you take this over to the lumber yard, run fast, and the laborers will soon be after you."

The list read as follows,

Hull: Mahgony and Oak Good measures
Deck: Cedar Good measure, firm cuts
Mast: Ash, long cuts, planks.
Cabin: Elm, curved cuts, solid.

Wilhelm nodded to the lot of them as they made there way over to the yard behind him. His eyes beaming with a mixture of excitment and eagerness to begin on a real ship.

"Let's get up our braces and when the wood comes over we will start chopping"

Tolan chimed in

"And soaking, don't forget the soaking"

Wilhelm nodded as his red hair flopped about,

"Yes and soaking, don't forget to soak."

His hands slide into the familiar grip of wood and steel as his tools and work began in earnest. He started discussing the details with the other workers, specifically the weight of the cabin compared to the hull, and how they were going to align it. Tolan offered his sage advice now and then.

Wilhelm had learned how to work his tools, though not a expert the motions had started to come natural, now the trick was regulating his managerial role of looking over the various workers aiding him, designing, and working on his ship all at the same time. It was trying work, but to Wilhelm the pay off was more then worth it.

[Wilhelm Rochester]

The early morning no longer held the brisk chill of winter, but it did not carry with it the warm heat of summer, rather it held the cool breeze of a spring day. Gentle breeze that lulled water into waves as it gusted along. Faint echoes of a few shop keepers out to make there early rounds bounced from building to building, stone to stone. The smells of bakery goods floated just above the shipyard, warm food ready for a early morning rush.

In the warehouse a series of young men frantically scurried about, cutting saws, and adze's in hand. This warehouse was far bit larger then the last, for a cutter was a fair deal longer then a cutter. The splash sounds of wood being soaked could be heard, and as one tree was hallowed, another began. An assembly line had been formed of sorts, some soaked the wood, others used the long adze to take the bark off the wood, and hollow it out as needed, and finally some were using the u-shaped Adze to fasten planks together to form part of the skeleton.

One red haired youth was seen chucking his adze firmly into the wood as he moved back slowly in a pattern, his apron floating about with each stroke. Muscles began to show as the labor continued, his voice called out as he continued with another firm chop,

"Soak it longer, we are on a schedule but we want it flexible, stiff wood is no good for the hull, and even worse when it comes time for the deck."

He took another firm chop of his adze, as Tolan's voice could be heard just above Wilhelm's various shoutings of soaking, chopping, and joining,

"Look lad, more gentle with your cuts, ye want the rounded parts to be right."

Wilhelm nodded as he brushed some of the red hair from his eyes as the Tolan grabbed a piece of wood lying about and showed Wilhelm, cut, then step, cut then step. Each movement matched the chop, and it showed Tolan's years of skill at using the Adze. Wilhelm nodded and matched as best someone with his experience level could, as he nodded to the others to follow his motions.

Much like the knots in a rope Wilhelm was the center of the task force to build the cutter. The other workers followed his lead, his sucesses carried through as did his mistakes. Now was the time when they could easily be fixed before the skeleton was in place, once they started moving it over to the dry docks, it would become more difficult. If they could get the skeleton though that would be a start. As the hours continued, so did the work.

[Wilhelm Rochester]

Faint calls of the sea lulled agianst the dockside. White foamy waters washed up on sandy shores, scattering shawl about. Small pebbles and rocks that rolled about almost playfully in the cool waters of the early morning. The only visitors to the dockyard a few seaguls that left there reminder in white spatterings upon the roof.

As the hours began to creep into the fullness of the day the morning had passed the small crew by. Laborers continued as they dragged wood from the lumberyard, singing little songs to get them through there day as they did. Carpenters hard at work at the yard, taking each long plank firmly in hand as they tended to it with care. The other handful of workers soaked the wood, making sure it had the time needed. Some buckets were left for over night, so the wood for the hull would be all the more ready the next day.

Noon seemed to approach quickly, work had a habbit of dragging time away. Minutes had begun to become hours, as the skeleton of the ship slowly took place, Tolan's green eyes looked over each piece as it was put up. When it was done right he approved, and when it was done wrong he sent it back to be redone. It would steal time from the start, but it would save them time in the end.

Wilhelm had left the adze to one of the other shipwright's he knew, and after a few words on angles that Tolan had told him, he went to hand the joining of the planks with the others.

To join wood would normally not be a challenging matter, it was actually quite simple if you were just joining two pieces of wood. When it came though to joining hundreds of pieces of wood, complications always seemed to arise. Sometimes the dado didn't align right, sometimes the wood didn't cojoin right, and sometimes both the tool and the wood were just to stiff.

Wilhelm nodded to one of the workers, and showed him how to place the wood properly to join it. How to fit the three sides of the dado, and how to slide the wood into place and then afix it to another peice of wood. His sapphire eyes watched carefully each worker, quick to point out early errors, and catch mistakes where he could.

Tolan continued to loom in the backround, like a shadowy spectre. He let Wilhelm give the orders, as Wilhelm held reigns of the project, but Tolan would always offer advice when asked or he thought it prudent. A demonstration here, a word of reassurance there, and his student seemed to be catching on quickly.

As the skeleton's bottom began to rise from the bottom, like a whale skeleton from a earthy grave, the cutter had begun to take shape.

[Wilhelm Rochester]

As noon was full upon them the faint sounds of grumbling stomaches had begun. A slow grumble the revirberated through each worker as the hard work of carrying lumber and shaping wood continued. A series of runners were quick to rush around the yard to answer the call, bright haired dock youths who did various errands. There hands dropped baskets of bread, and flasks of water about. A few moments later all were fed and hard back at the task ahead.

Wilhelm tipped his runner a extra crown, it ensured he got a better load of bread, and he could easily depart with one crown. Red hair brushed about as water splashed up against Wilhelm's face as he soaked a piece of wood that would later form the sheen of the deck. Careful pre thought had to go into each part of the ship.

Seeing someone with the hammer banging horribly against a particular piece of wood Wilhelm almost leaped out of his skin, as he quickly moved over to the worker. A stern blue glare and firm reprisal as Wilhelm hunched over the wood and pulled the boards apart. Grabbing another plank, he lurched over the worker as he showed him how to properly afix the wood together.

Tolan watched with a smile, not that Wilhelm was chiding a worker, though that was bound to happen, but rather that Wilhelm cared so much for the work.

The skeleton now rose a good bit into the air, a good length of it now done. The sweat continued to grow as did the work. Wilhelm rolled his neck as he continued to ease the into the work, it would be a long couple of days but well worth it. As day creapt into midday, the sunlight was fastly leaving them, they would have to double there efforts if they wanted the frame done by the day's end. Wilhelm quickly moved about to let the others know it'd be a long night.

[Wilhelm Rochester]

Sunlight continued to creep over it's midday peak. Faint glimmers of light that seemed to be waving for the workers to hurry as it scampered across the sky. Shade granted by a faint few fluffy clouds that lulled along peacefully in a azure landscape. Faint rush of the sea greeting the workers with comforting sounds.

As the peak of sunlight began to ebb the workers were pushed all the faster. They rushed about, feet scampered, hands moved with adzes, planks with speed, beams with focus, and even the jointers seemed to work all the harder.

Tolan gave a few pieces of advice to his apprentice as he ran by the sea green eyed man in a hurry. A flash of red hair and blue eyes, Wilhelm was but a blur as his boots carried him to opposite sides of the warehouse. The work had become more methodical and less errors had occured but there was still a great deal of watching to do.

Wilhelm patted one carpenter on the back with a firm nod,

"That's the way, dig the adze in along the flank of the plank and pull the wood back."

Tolan gave a smile and a nod as if his own advice was starting to flow into Wilhelm's. Although Wilhelm had a different view on some areas of the ship both men shared the same basic goal, a cutter of superb design that could cruise with a sizeable group of family and friends.

Wilhelm's arms lifted the plank into place, his shoulders aching a bit from the hours of labor, one eyes watching the drawing as the other made sure it was in place for the carpenters work. All the cutting and wood working was dangerous work, and Wilhelm made sure that when it actually began no one put a limb or a finger where they shouldn't. Nothing was more important to Wilhelm then the safety of his workers, ships could be rebuilt, people could not. That's how he saw it anyway.

As the skeleton rose a bit higher then before the sun now truly began it's decline. Flickering shadows clinging to the warehouse, growing stronger as the workers continued there fast but careful pace to finish the whale skeleton of a ship.

[Wilhelm Rochester]

The next morning dawned all the earlier. Rushing winds and faint bells whistled the men of the shipyard to rise. A few faint grumbles of tired muscles and sore backs were quickly dispersed by the smell of breakfast. As the men each stuffed the usual loaf of bread in there mouth they made there way out the door.

This morning prime was covered in a thick fog. So thick that several of the men had to use candles just to find the warehouse where they were supposed to work. A swift splash sounded as one of the men lost his footing and tumbled in the waters of the sore. There was no danger, but just embarassment. A red haired shipwright just sighed as he opened the door to the warehouse. Happy to be rid of the dreadful fog and ready for the work ahead of him.

Nolan was already in the ship yard, his aged old eyes loomed upon the massive heap of wooden frame that lay before him. It was a bit over half way done, the lower hull frame, and the outter skeleton had been laid at foundation. Another day of hard labor would finish it up.

With Tolan's nod Wilhelm got to work. Sending half the men to soaking and half the men to joining. Wilhelm's own hand took to the Adze to finish hollowing the wood for the next day's work.

Planning was a essential part of ship trade, without it one would quickly find themselves loosing days, and then weeks and the wood just wouldn't hold. It was nature after all, and bending nature to man's will was never a easy task. Yet as Tolan watched Wilhelm work it seemed the young man was up to the challenge.

[Wilhelm Rochester]

Sails glimmered through the fog of the shoreline. Small figures high on crown's nest peered out to find the viel between illusion and reality. Many men still believed in the old legends, and many captains still held that a boy must stand to tell between what is real and what is fake. The thick grey swirling mist at times seemed to hold a almost magical quality, but it was nothing more then a natural phenomenon, but to many of the sea it was more then that. To some a omen, to others a sign, and to some it was just the weather.

The sounds of heavy adze's, and thick voices was heard in the heavy warehouse. Murmurs of wood against steel sounded as dust and water splashed about swirling on the wooden floor beneath them. The skeleton of the cutter had begun to grow once more, reaching out it's boney planks as it rose towards the roof.

As the fog began to drift away the light allowed less candle work, and more day work to be done.

Tolan continued to administer his sage advice. Commenting to Wilhelm about keeping a firm join on the starboard side, balance was a important part of ships, and measurements had to be just right.

Wilhelm took to making various marks, looking to his mentor for a swift nod or quick reprisal here or there. As the day continued to rise, and the sun chased away the fog, so Wilhelm chased away the tired eyes of a early morning.

[Wilhelm Rochester]

The work continued on as the mists of cloud were chased by sqawks of seaguls and bells of incoming ships. Large sails came into view, before they swiveled themselves over to the trade port. Crates of goods lined there decks and crew men called out to the various port and dock workers as they towed in the line. A bright spring sun whirled out of a heavy cloud to cast it's bright rays of the morning down upon the large city. It granted light a bit to late to the warehouse.

Working by candle light was difficult and all the precision in the world. Couldn't seem to help as one man hit himself fairly hard with the wooden side of the adze, luckily it was not the bladed or he may have lost a toe or perhaps more. A few of the larboers were quick to tend to him, and Wilhelm gestured for them to take the man back to his bunk. Exhausting and bruises were of no use to the warehouse. As much as Wilhelm needed every man, sometimes sacrifices had to be made.

He cast aside his red hair as put his own muscles to the task of doubling up the work. Even Tolan, who normally took a advisory role grabbed a adze to aid Wilhelm's burden slightly. Sapphire eyes gazed on as he chopped into the wood again, and again just above the noises of splashes of wood being soaked for the next day.

He shouted out to the workers as he worked,

"Now don't get lazy, we are all tired but if you get tired go sit down. Your no good to me wounded, and your even less use to me dead."

It was hard words, but Tolan seemed to give his solemn nod of approval. Sometimes hard words had to be given. It was a business after all, after the commerderie, the fellowship, and the pride in the job there was always finance. The dread coin that ruled the sea as well as the yard, and it was a master who had to be obeyed above all at times.

Wilhelm's hands which at first had blistered had now faded into harder worked hands of labor. A few splinters and cuts were feelings he had become accustomed to. Gloves helped some, but even they weren't complete safe guards. As the day broke into noon the runners came rushing down with bright eyes and baskets of bread. The skeleton continued to rise a little more, it was close to being done, but not quite there.

[Wilhelm Rochester]

The noon day brought with it a heat that was slightly unexpected. Perhaps the humid nature of the fog had been a bit much, but regardless the workers soon found there eyes full of sweat. Clothes became damp with the day's labor, as browns grew heavy. Eyes began to lull at the sound of the distant people outside, hustling about to more comfortable surroundings.

The gusts of the breeze were the only true relief. The gust of sea air that rushed into greet them with each bright crecsent wave that came crashing down upon the shore. As water mist rose up to greet them. Cold ocean water chased the sweat of there bodies away, and was enough to push them through the next hour.

With enough wood soaked the men all now focused on either cutting or joining the wood together. Wilhelm moved a series of men to work on wood cuts for a few of the later parts of the ship, to make sure they were at least marked properly. He himself took to measuring, moving about from frame, to plank, to flank. He made small marks as he did, his sapphire eyes gazed upon the skeleton of what would soon be his greatest work.

The skeleton was at last at the height he wanted it, as Tolan glanced over from a finished cut of wood he nodded his approval. Wilhelm moved over to help join the last few pieces of wood together, as the evening would soon dawn upon them. Another day of labor behind them, and many more days of labor to come.

[Wilhelm Rochester]

The fire few glimmers of darkness cast itself down on the murky waters below. Bright blue waters heavy with shadows of fish, ships and the faint clouds that had chased the sun from it's bright peak of midday. Evening hours had crept upon the city, the voices of citizens rushing about could no longer be heard.

A thick shadow clung to the large warehouse where the workers made there vessel. Each of the small shapes began to move the large frame over to the dry dock. Hauling it on ropes as they led it to the planks. The longboat had been relatively light and small in comparison, but with a ship as large as a cutter it had to be on planks in the dry dock during hull work. Only then could it be lowered and the deck and cabin be worked upon.

The men each looked at the skeleton of a ship that lay before them. Faint candle light glimmers that floated off the wooden sheen that lined the planks of long wood. Rippling waters reflected a beautiful shape, it was still a frame, but it was a frame well done.

Wilhelm smiled around as he brushed back his red hair,

"We did good gentlemen, the night and the next day are yours. Return the next though we still got some work to do."

Tolan nodded,

"Ye free to go on your ways, but aye ye best be here come the next work day or they'll be a sea dragon of hells to pay fer it."

The men chuckled and nodded, a faint belch amongst the ranks broke the silence with some laughter. A few of the men thanked Wilhelm before they went off, some asked him if he wanted a drink. He thanked them but declined, he spent the night just watching his ship until the late hours. Admiring something that was truly, his own.

[Gossamer]

Approved + 1 Shipwrighting.