Quiberon Bay and Citoyen Camembert.

Fearless has defeated the Privateer Ship Sloop Brie, sinking the Frenchman after a swift exchange of fire .  Captain "Flash" Harry Farthingdale begins the repairs on the Brig.  As this is happening a sighting occurs in Hex 25.  

Afternoon watch: 1200 to 1600
Hex 25
The French blockade runner and smuggler sloop Neufchâtel out of Normandy. The Owner Captain is Pouligny-Saint-Pierre, rumoured to be a pirate.

Neufchâtel runs to the coast of Saint Pierre Quiberon and Isle Teviec.  My Biscay Pilot's notes point out the dangers of this part of the coast, but also highlight Fort Penthievre four cables to the South east.  

Biscay Pilot notes St Pierre Quiberon.

With damage to her rigging Fearless cannot catch the Neufchâtel before she anchors under the guns of the fort.
I consider a boat action but decide to run further into Quiberon.  I can turn around tonight and attempt to cut out the Frenchman if no better targets appear.

First dog watch: 1600 to 1800
Hex 31 
The floating wreck of the Chase Marie Babybel. She has crossed the Atlantic sustaining huge damage and now seeks to get into Nantes.  She carries rum and molasses from the West Indies and smells a bit.  Her Captain is the desperately loud and slightly mad Brian de Bresse.
Bresse also runs.  Chateau Turpault rises above the Cape de lande here, but this is "La Cote Suavage.  Babybell grounds on the shoals as Fearless approaches.  Farthingdale notes in the log that he doubts the cargo would be worth tuppence at the prize court.

Last dog watch: 1800 to 2000
Hex 36
Freak waves, 25ft freak rollers appear from the west

Fearless turns her stern to these and makes for the Passage Beniguet.  I pass three dice rolls as her stern lifts to the huge waves.  Biscay is prone to these but three waves of that size unsettles my crew.  I issue a tot to all hands, and a double tot for the lookout.
This forces Fearless into the Beniguet passage, away from the possible boat action further north.

First watch: 2000 to 0000
Hex 35 
Sea mist reduces visibility to three cables
Camembert, a French Privateer Cutter, with 150 men crammed aboard. It is named after Citizen Camenbert of the Paris directory.

With visibility at 600 yards Fearless sights the armed cutter Camenbert in the Passage de Beniguet.  Camembert turns south and runs among the Isle Houat shoals.   

Log entry

Damn these French.  They are playing with us.  Night is coming on.  Fearless presses a little further into Quiberon through the Passage de Beniguet.  Its only just over a cable wide, and is around 9 fathoms.  Fearless anchors and waits...

Mr Parker Swindlehorne to take the Middle Watch.  The Captain will take the Morning watch and beat to quarters at dawn (5am)
I have a feeling that the armed cutter which fled from us earlier will be back at dawn thinking we have left the Passage.

Morning watch: 0400 to 0800 Day Four
Hex 40 

Sea fog reduces visibility to one cable

Belle Isle Privateer Brig Valençay, under Alain Saint-Félicien, with a huge crew of 200 men appears heading due south.  Fearless has the weather gauge.

Fearless gives chase past the Basse rock, but after only ten cables Valençay puts about.  A new sighting  SE, is Camenmbert, coming to join the fight.  

In this Westerly wind Fearless has the weather gauge over the French brig, and both enemy ships have huge crews that will hamper their gunnery, but make them deadly in boarding.  This will not be an easy fight with shoals lining most of the exits from this tabletop.

I am short on Officers and men.  Midshipman "Lucky Jack Quilp," he of the strained expression, takes command of the port battery.
Masters mate Parker Swonglehulme takes command of the Starboard.  The marines crew the rear carronade on both sides.  I leave the gunner, Ancient Nell McTurk and his party of men on the 18pdr bowchasers.

The situation at 0530.  Camenmbert struggles to get into the action as the two Brigs engage.  The Frenchman commanding the Brig jumped the gun

Fearless Ancient Gunner fires the port bowchaser.  That 1 is a hit for two rigging boxes.  Its some really good shooting but we have come to expect it of him.

Some lucky sailing as Fearless wears around to the North East tack and unleashes the carronades.  Firing on the uproll the pair of 1's are good hits, and better yet the 9 is critcal.  (even if I had fired on the downroll that 12 would have been critical, proof that Fearless gunners are well trained. A roll on the critical table is 10 and the wheel is shot away on Valençay.

The French Captain assigns crew to the steering chains below.

Valençay manages to fire her 12pdrs in a return broadside.  The Frenchman has doubleshotted and that 2 is a hit.  The damage roll is an 8, and Corporal Sid Shout of the Marines falls, with four of his men.
Fearless fires again on the uproll and knocks a mast down on Valençay.  

Fearless ranges around the Frenchman.  The Bow rake hits with another critical.  I must check that red d12 dice!  Valençay's Captain falls.  It is immaterial since this would only lock her on course and without her rudder she is restricted to that anyway.

But as this is going on Camembert gets closer.  (I really like my scratch built topsail cutter model more used by the British than anyone else, but useful.  Camembert represents H.M Cutter Wenslydale, a captured vessel now in french hands.)  

Captained by Citoyen Camembert of the Brittany Naval Directory (and named after him) this is actually the French command ship, but carrying 150 crew the little cutter is overweight and cannot fire a proper broadside.  

Fearless ranges around the stricken French Brig.  Valençay is dismasted and rudderless but still hits back.  Now with hull damage the French First Officer send his men to the pumps.

Valençay is stern raked but still refuses to strike her colours, since Camembert is coming to her rescue.  Almost all of the 200 crew on Valença remain alive but she is in a poor state.

But in the confusion Camembert manages to close and come withing boarding distance. She fouls and breaks her jib boom.  The carronades smash her hull, but Captain Citoyen Camembert leads three deck parties onto Fearless.  This is not looking good.

Its a dice game now, as the Fearless crew attempt to throw back the French.  Both sides lose a crew party, but Fearless marines kill two of the enemies crew parties.  I lose my Bosun and his men.  Captain Farthingdale goes into action and that damn red dice rolls a 12 again injuring Citoyen Camembert who fall back to the cutter.  A desperate moment.

The Fearless cuts free.  Farthingdale sends his remaining crew parties to the carronades and firing on the down roll floods two more (red) hull boxes on the cutter.  

Unable to reply to this the Cutter attempts to get into boarding range again, but she has lost her jib boom and close haul.  Farthingdale now has the weather gauge and its all over.  

Camenbert flees, swearing revenge, and leaving the poor crew of the Valençay to drown.  It seems that we will meet the dastardly Citizen Camembert later in the mission. 

Goode news for fans of Kev Kosh, Bosun aboard Fearless, he recovers quickly.  Sadly Sid Shout of the Marines is no more.  Stevie Screamer is promoted to Corporal as his replacement. Its still only six o`clock on the morning here in Quiberon Bay and Once Fearless crew manage the repairs we will continue the cruise.