The Maris Stella

The lugger Maris Stella was a Castillan letter of marque, at least until Sextus 1669 when the peace was signed with Montaigne.  She is armed with six twelve-pounder cannons in each broadside.  Total complement: about 30 able seamen and 12 marines (boarding party), plus an unfortunate assortment of landlubbing waisters that seem to crop up everywhere ¹.  This means the vessel is very cramped, as are most vessels of the era.  You can read stories about some of the crew members in the Fiction, Funnies, and Songs section of this site.

A lugger was a sailing vessel with a lugsail rig, normally two-masted except when they were used for smuggling or as privateers, when a mizzen was stepped right aft (as is the case for the Maris Stella.)  There is some disagreement as to when the lugger came into use; however, a chart published as early as 1586 shows a two-masted vessel with what appears to be a lugsail forward equipped with vans and a bonnet, a bowsprit, a spritsail, and a lateen mizzen sheeted to an outrigger.  Lugsails are also mentioned by many writers of the 16th and 17th centuries.  The lugsail allows the vessel to get closer to the wind than a square-rigged ship, giving more manoeuvrability and speed under unfavourable wind conditions, which is why the lugger was favoured by smugglers and privateers.

The name "Maris Stella" means "sea star" in Théan.  It is also a play on the name "Maria of the stars", one of the names by which Santa Maria is invoked, particularly by sailors.

The Maris Stella was sunk by that evil seaweedy bitch Meryth in Septimus 1669.  Theus have mercy on the soul of her lost sailors, and may she sail on Beyond.

• Letter of marque and reprisal for the Maris Stella
• Recruitment bill for the Maris Stella.

Officers and Warrant Officers Master and Commander: doña Constanza Aldana y Orduño One First Mate, Telmo One Lieutenant, Agustín One Master, Raimon One Bosun, Onofre One Master Gunner, Segundo One Surgeon, Arnau de Barcino One Marine Sergeant, Johann Return to top   Able Seamen and Specialists One Master's Mate, Felip Two Bosun's Mates, Artaldo and Federico de Dionna Two Gunner's Mates, Mateu and Darcy One Master of the Tops, Zuanna One Sailmaker, Jemy One Sailmaker's Mate, Llora One Carpenter, Jürgen One Carpenter's Mate, Malena One Cook, Prejun One Captain's Steward, Louisa Volta Return to top   Marines Six Eisen marines from Wische: Rickert, Geroldt, Aidel, Hartwin, Wolfram, and Franka.  Six more marines from various ports: Luigi, Harry, Tomas, Frieder, Sven, and Bastian. Return to top

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