Being a headstrong master and believing his navigational ability not to be questioned, he decides to proceed against protest by mates and gunnery officer, who have safety of crew in mind. At this moment a deep ramble was heard forward and we were almost shaken off the bridge as she swayed from side to side. Men on the bow were thrown to the decks as she finally jumped to a distinct halt. Engines were put to full astern for some time but to no avail. Here we are high and dry with twelve feet forward instead of our usual twenty-four.
Tide is maximum.
Radio silence is broken, distress rockets are fired, colors are hoisted upside down, and ship's bell is being rung continuously. When sharks are reported swimming nearby, some wise guy reports vultures hovering overhead. Heavy oil slicks appear around the ship, giving evidence of punctured fuel tanks and bilges. As fog begins to lift, we realize that our distress signals have not been in vain, as the image of a man is spotted on top of the cliff. The charts reveal that this position is four miles off our course.