The Isle of Hispaniola

"Plot a course toward the mainland of Hispaniola," you order. "We should be able to follow the coast and make our way toward Santo Domingo. How long should it take us?" The navigator, a man with tawny brown skin, unfurls the map the crew had just purchased. He scratches his scruffy beard and hums under his breath as he contemplates the chart.

"Going around the island hugging the northern coast...if we sail 'round 11 or 12 knots the whole way...I'd reckon 3 days at most." Satisfied, you leave him to find the helmsman and begin the journey.

The next several hours seem to pass in a blur. Keeping a ship running requires even more work than you had thought. You spent most of the time coordinating the crew and becoming familiar with the new ship, investigating every nook and cranny. You take note of the two cannons tucked away in the cargo hold that Captain Blood had pointed out. Two cannons wouldn't be much help in a confrontation with a warship or a large pirate brig, but it was still two cannons more than most merchant ships of this size would typically have. Definitely smugglers. You wonder how the former owners of the ship would have even operated the cannons with such a tiny crew. They give you sour looks when you try to get a peek at the cargo they were smuggling, so you let them be and move on with your inspection of the ship.

Before you know it, it is nightfall. After checking in with the helmsman and the captain, you make your way to the First Mate's quarters, where you slide into bed and fall asleep nearly instantly.