Sea Witch (38 page)
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, you are invited to visit
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
Priority for appreciation must go to my family, husband Ron and daughter Kathy (otherwise known as Cutlass Kate) who dresses up as a superb pirate. To Mal for his unswerving support, and for his professional help to James L. Nelson, author of the
Brethren of the Coast
series and
Revolution At Sea
Saga – among other excellent maritime books. Unlike myself, Jim (also known as Black Jake) is an experienced sailor; he was so patient with answering my naive questions about sailing and ships. However, I must take full credit for any errors – they are all my own work!
My gratitude to Jo and Michaela for their copy-editing and proofreading skills and our ‘interesting’ telephone discussions, and to Kelly for being my ‘reader’; I appreciate your time and enthusiasm, thank you.
Thank you, also, to everyone who has helped me create
Sea Witch
Her initial launching sailed through a bit of a rough sea, but a firm hand on the tiller has now steered us to clear waters with Helen Hart and her team at SilverWood Books – based in Bristol, where everything nautical is ‘Shipshape and Bristol Fashion’.
My thanks, for this edition go to ‘crew’ old and new: to Jansy, Sue, Adrienne, Caz, Connie and members of the (now sadly in dry dock) P.O.C. Interactive. Also to Nathan for his humour, Yolanda, Fran and Merle for their aid with Dutch, French and German and to Karen who explored the Sebastian Inlet State Park on my behalf. I would have liked to have undertaken my own research here – but unfortunately the Florida Coast is a little too far for a day-trip excursion from London!
I am especially grateful to historical fiction authors Elizabeth Chadwick, Sharon Kay Penman and Bernard Cornwell for their support and friendship.
My appreciation also to the staff of the Whydah Exhibition Centre, the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, and those aboard the Cutty Sark and H.M.S. Victory – and to Google. Where would writers be without the Internet for those urgent and obscure research questions that must be immediately answered?
Finally, thank you to Johnny Depp for his wonderful role as Captain Jack Sparrow – without him the exciting world of pirates would not have been rekindled and my Jesamiah would never have been created.
Helen Hollick
2011
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