Friday 20 February 1662/63

Up and by water with Commissioner Pett to Deptford, and there looked over the yard, and had a call, wherein I am very highly pleased with our new manner of call-books, being my invention. Thence thinking to have gone down to Woolwich in the Charles pleasure boat, but she run aground, it being almost low water, and so by oars to the town, and there dined, and then to the yard at Mr. Ackworth’s, discoursing with the officers of the yard about their stores of masts, which was our chief business, and having done something therein, took boat and to the pleasure boat, which was come down to fetch us back, and I could have been sick if I would in going, the wind being very fresh, but very pleasant it was, and the first time I have sailed in any one of them. It carried us to Cuckold’s Point, and so by oars to the Temple, it raining hard, where missed speaking with my cosen Roger, and so walked home and to my office; there spent the night till bed time, and so home to supper and to bed.

21 Annotations

First Reading

yar  •  Link

what does that word mean?

Robert Gertz  •  Link

Wonder if the significance of the name of that charming point will be bothering Sam's dreams over the next few?

The Pepys' bedroom...

"Why did she want Ferrers for her Valentine? Creed saying they visited every day at Brampton? Soooo attentive...Bastard!!"

"Sam'l? Sam?"

Hmmn...Ummn...?

"Wake up, sweetheart. You've been having another nightmare."

"Wha...?"

"Aye, Pepys." Ferrers, holding Bess in his arms on the bed beside Sam, looks over to him with a smile. "Try and hold it down, will ye? The lady and I are busy here."

Creed standing by the bed, leering...

Arrggh!...Uh! Sudden sitting up in bed...

Phew...Bess looks at the still serenely sleeping Sam.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

Oops...Forgot to mention that the King and Jamie were dancing at the foot of the bed, singing "Cuckolds all arow.."

Terry F  •  Link

Sorry no lyrics, but instructions by the dance master.

in Aqua Scripto  •  Link

"...had a call, wherein I am very highly pleased with our new manner of call-books, being my invention..." now Samuell can see if those named on the book, be real or they be someones figment of imagination [he remembers his little trip to sea and the call for padding, i.e. his extra help] or be missing, off helping someone in their garden and their cutting the grass with scythe, when he they should be seeing that the Mast Wood be kept dry and not be a termite restaurant.
He is trying to find those pesky lost fa[r]things.

Terry F  •  Link

"to Deptford, and there...had a call"

To have a call ~ apparently have a muster of all hands at the yard, or call out the yard (cf. the info on "call-books").

in Aqua Scripto  •  Link

"...Charles pleasure boat, but she run aground, it being almost low water,..." Boss says "take the 'Roller ' for test drive, but DON'T bend it, do ye hear"

Terry F  •  Link

"Have a call" - sc. have a roll-call

celtcahill  •  Link

Cuckold = A man whose woman is sexually involved with another without his khnowledge.

I believe the masts were soaked in brine or creosote to prevent rot.

Terry F  •  Link

No domestic dramas today

No mention of Bess's "termes," her fear of Sam's bringing Pall back in favor of Mary Ashwell, etc.

Funny how there are entries like today's after several when his domestic concerns play a far larger role; but life's like that.

A. Hamilton  •  Link

A Restoration frolic

Sailing to Cuckold's Point in the Charles pleasure boat. What's a Puritan lad doing in these waters?

JohnT  •  Link

Do we presume the " Charles " is a reference to the King ? Is there not a slight element of lese-majeste about this simple adjective with no connotation of royalty, divine right, his majesty's ship or whatever ?

in Aqua Scripto  •  Link

” Charles ” 'Tis a reference to his fast boat [jatcht]that he and Jimmy [no 2] run around in sometimes, 'til they tire of playing games and go back chaseing hinds. Then the Navy use it for many jobs running errands. The Dutch had these fast boats to supply their Cod* fearing Busses or was it red herring fearing buss trade. To day it appears tired of running up and down the Tems winning his furlongs on sea.

Bradford  •  Link

Make sure, pleasure-seekers, that you click on the link to find Terry F.'s estimate of today's location of Cuckold's Point.

Second Reading

StanB  •  Link

The United Kingdom has had 83 royal yachts since the restoration previous to this the Vikings produced royal vessels. They followed the pattern of longships although highly decorated and fitted with purple sails In England, Henry V sold off the royal yachts to clear the Crown's debts. The next royal vessels in England were built in the Tudor period with Henry VIII using a vessel in 1520 that was depicted as having cloth of gold sails. Moving forward James I had the Disdain, a ship in miniature (she was later recorded as being able to carry about 30 tons), built for his son Prince Henry. The Disdain was significant in that she allowed for pleasure cruising and as a result can be seen as an early move away from royal ships as warships. Charles II himself had 25 royal yachts. The first ships to unquestionably qualify as royal yachts The first was gift to Charles from the Dutch but later yachts were commissioned and built in England. This established a tradition of royal yachts in Britain that was later copied by other royal families of Europe Since the decommissioning of Britannia in 1997 the English Royal Family no longer has a royal yacht however MV Hebridean Princess has been chartered by the Windsors on a couple of occasions

Carol  •  Link

Not quite a royal yacht, but we do have Gloriana, the royal row-barge commissioned for Queen Elizabeth II's diamond jubilee.
http://www.glorianaqrb.org.uk/glo…

Early on the first morning of the London Olympics 2012 I watched Gloriana emerge through the mist on the Thames as it was rowed from Hampton Court to the Olympic stadium in east London. A truly memorable sight, the latest in the great tradition of river pageants on the Thames.

Chris Squire UK  •  Link

Not everyone is a fan of Gloriana: https://orleansgardensblog.wordpr….

HM has never actually traveled on it - she accepted the gift graciously - and promptly graciously gave it to an independent trust, clearly recognising it as a white elephant. Its looks very fine from a distance, as Carol says, but close up it is an over-painted and over-gilded piece of kitsch.

It is based on the designs of the royal row-boats of Georgian times, which may be seen at Greenwich. No doubt the overdecoration is authentic.

jimmigee  •  Link

American presidents have had their presidential yachts and I'm sure that gold sails mentioned by StanB would interest our current White House resident.

Third Reading

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