The Start of the Great Adventure
The crews of both boats assembled in the saloon of the guardship for
dinner. It was a convivial meal. The lads let their tongues go with a
will when they weren't eating. The two Scoutmasters were discussing
scouting and talking over old times--both had been in command of
M.L.'s during the war, but had been in widely different patrols--as
if they had known each other intimately for years.
The meal too was done to perfection. Hayes, the culinary expert of
the Southend Sea Scouts, had lived up to his reputation. The huge
sea-pie was pronounced excellent, while a plum-duff of immense size
was so light and appetizing that it disappeared altogether. And no
one felt any ill-effects after it, which was probably one of the best
tests of its good quality.
After dinner the two Scoutmasters went on board the _Ocean Bride_ to
acquaint Mr. Collinson with the alteration of plans, and to ask him
to send for Bedford or Coles whenever they might be of use.
At two o'clock the _Olivette's_ crew went on board their own craft in
order to start up the powerful engine. While this operation was in
progress Mr. Graham, Desmond, Findlay, and Hayes transferred their
travelling kit to the motor-boat, after the former had given final
instructions to the two caretakers of the guardship.
"If I were you, Graham," said Mr. Armitage, "I'd put your three
fellows into different watches during the trip. It would give them a
good chance to pick up landmarks when you bring the _Spindrift_ back.
My lads can put them up to a wheeze or two. As far as we are
concerned, we now work the craft in three watches instead of two,
when making long passages. I find it better for the lads in every
way--four hours on and eight off."
"Right-o!" agreed Mr. Graham. "It's quite a sound scheme."
"No need for that arrangement to-day, though," commented Mr.
Armitage. "It's only about an hour's run from here to Keyhaven,
especially as we carry our tide. On Monday we'll put one of your lads
into each watch. It will take us roughly about twelve hours to reach
Plymouth without running the engine all out. It's only a matter of
one hundred and twenty-one miles. --All ready, Flemming? Very well,
carry on. --I believe in letting my lads act as if I weren't on
board," he explained. "It gives them confidence and self-reliance."
"Let go aft!" shouted Flemming from the wheelhouse.
Promptly Bedford on the guardship cast off the _Olivette's_ after
warp. With the flood-tide boring against her starboard quarter, the
_Olivette_ swung quickly until her bows pointed almost down the
creek. "Let go for'ard!" ordered Flemming. "Touch ahead."
Putting the helm down the young navigator threw the motor-boat's
stern clear of the guardship. "Easy ahead!"
With cheerful adieux to the somewhat glum Bedford and Coles, the Sea
Scouts saw the last of the guardship for a good many days. They
expected to be back in ten days, but they had yet to learn the
futility of fixing a time limit as far as a sailing craft is
concerned. Even in the case of a powered-boat there was a fair
element of chance to be taken into account when making a coasting
trip.
The run down the Solent was only too short: at least the Southend Sea
Scouts were of that opinion. With the regular crew of the _Olivette_
it was a different matter. These waters were no stranger to them,
and, although they revelled in being afloat, they were a bit tired of
the enclosed channel between the Isle of Wight and the Hampshire
shore. Having acquired the taste for exploration, they were never so
happy as when navigating unfamiliar waters.
Nevertheless they were very attentive to their guests, pointing out
the various objects of interest and answering scores of questions
concerning the _Olivette_ and her adventures.
For Desmond and his chums there was no lack of excitement. They had a
distant view of Osborne House, they saw Cowes, with a crowd of yachts
anchored, and the strong tideway known as the Roads; Beaulieu and
Newton Rivers were pointed out to them--places where the _Olivette's_
crew had had strange experiences. They passed submarines, destroyers,
and light cruisers; a giant liner bound from Southampton to New York
overtook them, her wash throwing the _Olivette_ about like a cork.
Seaplanes and flying-boats from the R.A.F. station at Calshot glided
overhead. Altogether, it was a brief and exciting hour.
"Game for an early morning to-morrow, Graham?" asked Scoutmaster
Armitage abruptly.
"Certainly," was the reply. "What's the scheme?"
"The glass is high and steady," said Mr. Armitage. "It seems a pity
to miss the fine weather. What do you say to making a start at 4
a.m.? Barring accidents we ought to be at Plymouth by four or five in
the afternoon. That will mean a clear gain of twenty-four hours as
far as you are concerned."
"Isn't it upsetting your arrangements?" asked Mr. Graham.
"Not at all. We'll go into Keyhaven on the top of the first high
water. That will give us a good two hours alongside the wharf to take
in petrol and paraffin. At the second high water we can drop down to
our mooring for the night, and start with the first of the west-going
tide to-morrow morning."
"These double tides puzzle me," declared the East Coast Scoutmaster
frankly. "When a fellow has been used to two high tides a day, it
rather muddles him up when he's suddenly got four to deal with."
"Quite simple, really," was the response. "Here--from Hurst to
Wootton the second high tide is roughly two hours after the first,
Southampton Water has double tide of about the same interval. Now, at
Portsmouth there are only two high waters in the day; but the flood
makes for seven and a half hours and the ebb is only five and a half
hours. Again, at Poole there are double high tides, and roughly the
first high water occurs four hours after low tide, and the second
high water four hours after the first. It's interesting work studying
the tides. My lads are awfully keen on it. Only the other day I was
reading a magazine story to them. It described a person embarking on
a yacht at Plymouth. The moon was at the full, it was high water, and
the time twelve o'clock. Young Woodleigh pulled me up short. 'That
can't possibly be, sir', he asserted. I didn't twig it at the time,
but the boy was right. High water, full and change, anywhere between
the Lizard and Portland Bill, occurs between five o'clock and
six-thirty; eastward of Portland it is between ten and twelve
o'clock, right round as far as Margate. So high water at Plymouth at
the time stated and with the moon at the full is a physical
impossibility. Now, we're nearly off the entrance to Keyhaven. It's a
fairly tricky channel, but my lads know it. I don't have to bother
about anything. To all intents I'm a passenger."
The Southend Sea Scouts were watching the manoeuvres of Woodleigh
with ill-concealed wonder. The _Olivette_ was apparently heading for
a steep, pebbly beach. On the left part of the beach was a port with
a detached lighthouse, which they were told was Hurst Castle, one of
the places where King Charles I was imprisoned. Almost in the centre
of the shore were several coast-guard houses, direct for which the
boat appeared to be steering. South'ard of the point the sea, calm
everywhere else, was a wide patch of seething water, which Flemming
pointed out as Hurst Race.
Suddenly Woodleigh put the helm hard a-port. Round swung the
_Olivette_ until her head pointed towards two small beacons in line.
"Wherever is he making for?" whispered Jock. "There's nothing but mud
as far as I can make out."
But a little later on the helm was starboarded, and the Southend Sea
Scouts saw the entrance to the creek on their port hand--one of the
snuggest little anchorages imaginable, being sheltered by the long
stretch of shingle on which Hurst Fort is built.
"There are our moorings," said Woodleigh, indicating a roped barrel
bearing the word "_Olivette_".
"Aren't you going to slow down and pick it up?" inquired Hayes.
"No," was the reply. "Our Scoutmaster's orders are to carry on
alongside the wharf. I don't know why, but that's neither here nor
there. He generally lets us carry on, but when he does give an order
we've jolly well got to obey."
Without mishap the _Olivette_ was berthed alongside the dilapidated
wharf. Then Scoutmaster Armitage told his crew to form up, as he
wanted to tell them something.
"I suppose the motor is quite satisfactory, Flemming?" he inquired,
for one of the reasons for the _Olivette's_ run to Wootton was to
test the engine after an extensive overhaul.
"Yes, sir."
"That's good. Now, I want you and Woodleigh to fill up the tanks as
soon as possible. Warkworth and Hepburn, you'll undertake the
provisioning as usual. Make preparations for victualling twelve
persons for two days. Rayburn and Willis, get your bikes out of the
store and ride round and tell the various parents that we're sailing
at daybreak to-morrow, and that the crew are sleeping on board
to-night. That's the new arrangement. All right: dismiss."
"Can't we lend a hand with anything, sir?" asked Desmond.
"Oh, yes," replied Mr. Armitage. "Woodleigh and Flemming will be only
too glad if you'll help with the fuel."
The two Scoutmasters went ashore, Mr. Armitage having promised to
lend Mr. Graham a set of charts of the Cornish and Devon coasts, and
these, not being in general use, he kept at his house at Milford,
about a mile and a half from Keyhaven.
"Come along, you fellows," said Flemming with a cheerful grin.
"There's nothing like handling barrels of paraffin on a holiday to
keep you fit and healthy."
It certainly was hard work rolling two heavy and decidedly sticky
barrels from the store to the wharf, and when at length that part of
the task was completed there yet remained the filling up of the
tanks.
"I say," exclaimed Patrol Leader Desmond. "You are not going to take
that paraffin on board in buckets, are you?"
"There's no other way," declared Flemming. "We waste a little, I
admit, and it's a dirty job, but there you are."
"Do you happen to have a hose on board?" asked Desmond. "Not one you
use for water."
"There's one in the store," said Woodleigh. "It used to be for
watering the doctor's garden and washing down his car; but he bought
a new one and gave the old one to us. I can't see that it will be
much use, though. We haven't a tap for the barrel, and the bung's
much too large."
"And besides," added Flemming, in support of his chum, "the deck is
higher than the barrel, and paraffin won't run up-hill."
"This paraffin will, I think," rejoined Desmond quietly. "Let's get
the hose and try."
The hose was quickly forthcoming. It was about sixty feet in
length--much longer than Desmond required.
"Cut it," suggested Flemming. "It's only an old one."
Desmond shook his head.
"It would be a pity to do that," he said. "You might want it some
day. No; I think I can manage. Hold up that end, Jock."
Findlay did so. Desmond held up the other end, so that both ends were
an equal height from the ground on which the remainder of the hose
was resting.
Woodleigh was then directed to pour paraffin into the pipe until it
was quite full. Both ends were then nipped tightly so that none of
the oil could escape. Then Jock thrust the end he was holding into
the _Olivette's_ fuel tank, while Desmond, quickly releasing the
pressure, jammed the other end of the hose into the barrel.
Save for a faint quivering of the pipe there were no signs of
anything happening. Woodleigh looked inquiringly at the demonstrator.
"It's running all right," declared Desmond confidently. "You just
look at the gauge."
"Well I'm blessed!" exclaimed Woodleigh. "You're right. It does save
a lot of time, and there's no waste to speak of."
"We showed some fellows how to do it when we were at Canvey," said
Desmond. "The next time they tried it was high tide--a very high
tide--and the motor-boat's tank instead of being filled was emptied
of the little already there. Why? Because the tank was at a higher
level than the barrel, and the paraffin was siphoned in exactly the
opposite direction to which the crew wanted it to go-- Look out, the
tank's full!"
It had taken exactly ten minutes. The operation of filling up buckets
and pouring the oil through a funnel usually occupied the best part
of an hour; but when the "ration party" returned, hot and heavily
laden, they found the "paraffin merchants" having a long spell of
"stand easy".
"Lazy blighters!" exclaimed Rayburn. "You've been slacking. You'd
better hurry up before Mr. Armitage gets back."
"We're not going to do another stroke until he returns," declared
Woodleigh composedly. "We're going to spin yarns. If you want to be
particularly energetic you can fetch a barrel of paraffin from the
store."
Rayburn didn't think he would--and said so. Instead--he began to stow
the provisions on board, wondering why his usually energetic Patrol
Leader was "hanging on to the slack", and what excuse he would make
when the Scoutmaster returned.
When at length the two Scoutmasters arrived, Rayburn was considerably
surprised to hear Woodleigh report: "All correct, sir", and Mr.
Armitage was interested to hear how the operation of filling up the
tank was performed.
"It's never too late to learn," he remarked; "especially as far as
boats are concerned."