mss142-vasilevShishmarev-i3-024

- 74 -

started blowing from the NE, gradually getting stronger so
that about three o'clock it turned into a storm. In the open
sea it blew NE, but here, tearing through the mountain gorges,
it assailed us from all sides, and sometimes suddenly from
several sides with such fury that the sloop started to drift.
The situation was not only very unpleasant, but dangerous.
We were no farther than 300 sazhens from the mentioned spit,
the sandy ground held the anchor badly, weakened even more by
the constant movement of the sloop from one side to the other.
We let out the cable to about 50 sazhens, but the drifting
continued; then we cast anchor 100 sazhens from the first on
a 50-sazhen cable. Then the sloop stopped. The sandspit
abaft the stern was very near, and if the anchors had not
held, we inevitably would have run aground, and though we
need not have feared a shipwreck, we would not have avoided
severe/damage.

Meanwhile, the gusts increased, the cables stretched like
strings, and the sloop moved again. We immediately lowered
the longboat, placed on it the third sheet anchor and towed
it 100 sazhens. Taking up the slack of the cable by means of
the capstan, we drew it even with the two others, and then
the sloop stopped completely. For greater safety, we lowered
the topmast and braced the yards. We were no farther than 50
sazhens from the sandspit and remained in this position the
whole evening of the 18th. At that time it started to quiet
down, and having raised two anchors, we remained in position