This morning I went on a little excursion, all to own.  One on the stops…. was to a place up the coast called The Wreck of the Ten Sail.  It was beautiful and quiet, and as I looked out at the water, I could only imagine what might have happened that day…. when those great ships went down.  The ocean on this day is calm, and still… as oceans go.  I am the only one out here, as far as my eye can see.  I like to be this way sometimes.

But out to sea.  I do know what happened.  Wreck of the Ten Sail is a historic shipwreck event.  It happened a long time ago here….  off the East End of Grand Cayman Island.  In fact, it was about this time of year….. on February 8, 1794.

Ten ships that were part of a convoy on its way from Jamaica to the United States and Britain.  The big-man on campus was Captain John Lawford, of the British Royal Navy.   You see, the Brit Navy had just captured a big French frigate.  They took charge of that French ship and named here the HMS Convert.  So Lawford was supposed to lead a convoy, with that new ship…. and go from Jamaica to Britain.

After sailing for nearly 24 hours, Lawford believed they had already passed Grand Cayman Island. So… sleepy John went to bed.  BUT…. before nighty-ight, he gave the direction to change course to the north.  But you know how impatient people can be at the back of traffic.  So six or seven merchantmen ships… that were way in back ….. moved ahead of the leading ship and without notice of the Convert’s watch.   And low and behold…. into the reef they crashed.  It became sort of a pile up.

And…. wouldn’t you know…???  It was a very  stormy night.    Once the ships crashed…..a bunch of local residents braved the stormy waters.  They made their way out to the reef.  I imagine by small boat.

So… those whacky locals  rescued the ships’ crew and passengers.  Of all of those, on all of the ships…. only eight from the convoy did not survive.   That’s some snappy-jack-good saving, I’ll tell you.

Of course, all the crew was very angry and upset when they had hit the coral barrier.  I guess you could say they had Reefer Madness.

And that’s pretty much the deal.  You can see the sight from shore… of some shipwreck out there.

At any rate, as I sat there this morning, I could almost imagine the all of it.  So many years ago.

Yep.  That’s how it all went down. Way back in 1794.