Sailing through a storm

[Rabble Rousin' Robin]

Hello, I have surfed around through your waters and have found you to be a knowledgeable and helpful sort.

I'm trying to write a novel and am at a time where I need a good storm scene. I've got a Brigantine, set with 80-odd crew members sailing from New Orleans on their way to the Spanish Main. I need a hurricane, and I've got one, a nice historical fact acutally and it was quite a nasty one.

What I require of you brave souls is advice and information on what would happen.

Have any of you sailed through a hurricane? What happens? What would the crew do? How would the vessle handle? I mean to have the mainmast break and the whole lot to limp into a port for repair.

Thanking you in advance,

your most humble wench Robin

[the Royaliste]

Ahoy! I'm a bit weary from weathering a storm today on a tallship, but, been there done that. First big problem is that the course you plot isn't possible. The Carribean must be sailed in a clockwise direction, even today with a modern sailboat..Never counter-clockwise in a square rigged ship. So, You've gotta do all the little eastern islands, then accross the top of South America, Venezuela to Columbia, to Panama. ya folla? The other way beats you to shreds without bad weather to splinters in a few hundred miles. I keep recommending A young Seamans Sheet Anchor, by Darcy Lever. Has exactly what you want to know in the aft portion of the book. How to handle a ship of the line in heavy weather. I'll answer any personal questions later, I'm shot ,Lass, The Captain of the Tallship Royaliste..

[Rabble Rousin' Robin]

Thank you, I'll definitely look into the book you recommended. Pleasant dreams...

Robin

[the Royaliste]

:) Thank ye, I needed it. So, try to find the book(mine came with me from Canada,so it's possible), and ask away when you're stumped...Fair Winds and a Following Sea.