I'm writing a sailing scene and need some expert eyes to check if the descriptions are accurate. "Invitation to Sailing" by Alan Brown and "Two Years Before the Mast" are my guides, but I'm not sure if I have the terminology correct, or if the actions make sense.
This is set in a fantasy world. Think 1400's. Ship has two masts with a square-rigged mainsail and a lateen on the mizzen.
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The waves at the edge of the horizon were dark. Bad weather was ahead.
In response, the captain ordered them to reef the mainsail. Up on the ropes, the crew pulled up the sail and tied it to the yard to reduce canvas. Wind was coming, and Zack did not want to be up the rigging when it came.
It wasn’t long after that the wind picked up and the waves became white horses. The already overcast sky turned drastically dark. The culprit, a mounting gray cumulonimbus cloud on their port bow.
The captain ordered the entire crew on deck. For a brief moment Zack looked into the oncoming storm, knowing the powerful gusts that awaited them beneath fierce waves.
“Heave to!” the captain yelled. “Clew up the mainsail!”
In a race to heave to before the storm hit, the crew quickly tightened the outhaul to flatten the sail before the order was given to sail closer to the wind and brace the main. The rain poured hard and sudden.
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I appreciate any constructive criticism! Thank you!
