GHOST AND MRS MUIR THE TALL SHIPS ARRIVE
CHAPTER 1
It was a sunny warm fall day and as the captain looked out from his front deck. He could see the beautiful ocean for miles out. The sea he thought to himself, to go sailing once again in one of those wonderfully masterful clipper ships he had once captained that many years ago.
His first ship had been a lady, a large 120 foot clipper with a crew of twenty. His crew had been young and eager and had had many an adventure on the high seas. They had done most of their sailing up and down the east coast bringing goods and services to the growing nation.
He had fallen in love with the small community of Schooner Bay on one of his many visits to the Maine coast. It was there that he had built with his own two hands Gull cottage. The cottage stood on a hill overlooking a large bay with a large sandy beach.
Gull cottage had a large front porch that you could sit out at anytime and watch the sea and all the ships as they went by on their way in and out of the large harbor that was only two miles from town.
On the second floor was his master s bedroom. It was large and designed to look like a captain s cabin. To the front of the master s bedroom were doors that led to a balcony that the captain enjoyed standing on. He spent many hours overlooking the bay.
On the roof stood the widow walk where the captain had his best view. While his family slept he usually would spend the night keeping a keen eye out for their safety. How things have changed, he thought, since the Muirs had moved into his home. Two years had gone by and he appreciated every moment that he got to spend with them.
The family had consisted of a mother her two children, a housekeeper and a dog named Scruffy. The mother, Carolyn, was a beautiful widow who had moved to Schooner Bay from Philadelphia after her husband had died in a car accident.
The two children were young, Candy 8 and Jonathan 6. He had shown himself to Jonathan the first night that they had arrived. Candy who was the older of the two and a girl, he had not felt comfortable showing himself to her for over a year. They had both become very close to him as he thought of them as his own children.
The housekeepers name was Martha and as she was somewhat brash the captain had not introduced himself to her until almost a year and a half later.
Lastly was the dog, his name was Scruffy. He is a little terrier and a barker, but a good dog that spent many hours with the captain while the children were at school.
You see the captain wasn't like other people he was a ghost or spirit. He had died at Gull Cottage 100 years ago. The coroner had ruled his death a suicide and because his family had not met his wishes of turning Gull Cottage into a home for retired seamen o he had remained there. No one knew that he had accidentally kicked the gas heater with his foot , therefore killing him from the carbon monoxide. In 100 years no one had stayed more than a few days at his home until this family had moved in.
The house was beginning to stir and he could hear the children in the kitchen eating their breakfast. He enjoyed going down and joining in their lively conversations even though he rarely ate any meals. Food no longer had any taste and he felt no need for the nourishment.
"Good morning Captain Gregg" everyone at the table said almost In unison. "And what are you up to this morning may I ask?" The captain said with a smile.
Jonathan spoke up first and said quite excitedly; " We were just talking about what is happening in Portland next weekend. The paper is talking about the Tall Ships and how they will be in Portland for 3 days."
The tall ships, Captain Gregg thought to himself, oh how he d like to be on one of those. Perhaps he could for a short time. It would be most difficult as his powers lessened the further he was from Gull Cottage but it could be doable for a short period of three to four days. It would be such an experience, something he had missed for over 100 years. Yes, yes it would be possible he thought to himself.
"Hello, earth to captain? Are you there?" Mrs Muir asked with a smile and wink. Ah what a beauty she was. Sitting at the table in her pink bathrobe on she looked more elegant than most women do in their best attire.
"Sorry madame, it just occurred to me that I might enjoy the time on one of those ships. it has been many years since I ve had a chance to ride the seas in an old clipper ship." He said to her with almost a sad tone .
"How is that possible? I know that you can do some things, but will the men on the ship be able to see you ? Will you be able to join in on the actual sailing? How will this work?" Mrs Muir' s curiosity was getting the better of her.
" I will have to think about the best way to handle this, but I am sure that I can work something out. Good day madame." And with that the captain vanished.
"Mom, can we go?" Jonathan and Candy begged. "It would be so much fun to watch the captain and the ships. "I would love to go on one of those ships someday." Jonathan told her with those big puppy dog eyes that she found so hard to deny.
The captain was delighted to find out that although the clipper ships would not be stopping in Schooner Bay they would be passing by just one day before coming to Portland. He would join them as they sailed by Schooner Bay and keep invisible. Once in Portland he would appear as a person and see if he could get a job helping the mates out on the sea until they again passed Schooner Bay where he would disembark.
CHAPTER 2
Jonathan got up early even though it was Saturday and he could sleep a little later. He went right up to the widow s walk and called to the captain. He didn't find him there and so he went to the wheelhouse and called no answer. After checking every room in his home he knew the captain had left to go to the tall ships.
"Mom. Mom" Jonathan called. " Captain Gregg has gone. He must have left last night. I hope he found a good ship."
"The captain has been planning this trip for days now. I m sure that he is on his way to a good ship. He knows his ships and will find the best I am sure." his mother told him as she ruffled his blonde curls. "Have you packed everything that you will need for our trip?"
"Oh mom the captain gave me everything that I will need and yes I have packed my clothes." Jonathan said with a sigh. Geesh, he thought, I m not a baby. She needs to realize that I will be nine years old soon.
Candy was in her room that she shared with her brother packing. She wanted to bring a jacket in case it was chilly at night and some long pants for the same reason. Although, it was June it could be chilly at night in Maine. Her brother had just thrown a couple of outfits in and said he was done . She wanted to look good when she went out to a strange town. After all she was almost a teenager now.
Candy ran down the stairs and met her mom in the hall. "Are you all ready to go Candy?" Her mom asked.
"All packed and ready. What time are we leaving?" She asked her mom.
" We will be leaving in a few minutes. So go upstairs and get your bag, ok?" Her mom said with a smile.
Candy and Jonathan ran up the stairs and grabbed their bags. After a quick look around to make sure they hadn' t forgotten anything they headed to the car.
The ride took almost two hours and everyone was tired when they reached their hotel. Their room looked right over the ocean and had a perfect view for the incoming tall ships.
The tall ships were do to come into Portland around noon and the sign said that they were going to be on time. Carolyn looked out from her room wondering if the captain had made it to the ship and what he was doing while on board. She pictured the wind blowing his hair and his long slender body swaying to the roll of the waves. She knew he was having a good time no matter what, so she smiled to herself.
The captain had picked a schooner with a good solid crew that knew exactly what to do as the ship sailed across the ocean at a very fast rate. Ships in his day had gone slower, he thought to himself. The last thing he had ever thought of was the computer systems on these new ships. Nearly everything was run by the computer. In his days they didn t even have plumbing on his ships. 'This is a challenge' he thought to himself.
But still the sea felt and smelled the same and the sails were the sails. The captain could not be seen by the others, however, he was able to climb the mast and do some steering while no one was aware of it. He could not wait to appear to these men as a live human. It would be difficult for him but he knew it would be worth it in the end. He was having such a good time on the ship that nearly all other thoughts were removed from his mind.
The ships were arriving in Portland and he could now see the harbor. The men worked quickly to steer the ship into the harbor. The harbor was full of amateur boaters out to see the tall ships arrive. Because many of these boats were recreational vehicles the tall ships had to be very careful not to collide with any of them. If not for the quick thinking and movement of the captain an accident would have occurred when one of the smaller boats cut right in front of them.
The captain of the schooner did not miss the movement of the wheel without the appearance of human hands. It caught him off guard but he was a man of the sea and aware of the many spirits around him. He was pleased that such a skilled spirit had chosen his ship to rogue.
Captain Gregg watched as the crew got ready to disembark. This would give him a chance to roam the ship freely, as there would be but a few left onboard. He was unaware that the captain of the schooner had caught his actions and thought he would be unknown for now.
The captain of the schooner was named Davies and as he stood on his deck watching his crew working and getting ready to disembark he was aware of the presence of the spirit again. This was a strong spirit and a spirit that knew his boats, perhaps the spirit had once been a captain himself. He would wait until most of the crew left and then see if he could speak to the spirit in his cabin.
Captain Gregg looked out to the harbor knowing that his family was out there somewhere in the crowd. He so wanted to show them what he could do on a ship, but knew that would not be possible he was a spirit after all.
Captain Davies checked everything before he let his crew disembark for a two hour visit to the town of Portland. The crew was a good one and deserved the time off. Tourists would be arriving the next day so he needed to have his crew onboard for the show. This was the only part of the cruise that the captain did not look forward to. Tourists were sometimes rude and had been responsible for damage to his ship on more than one occasion.
Captain Davies went to his cabin and looked around. He didn t sense the spirit so he called to it. "Could the spirit who has chosen to come aboard my vessel please materialize?" he said in his captains tone. He looked around the room and to his surprise a man appeared in front of him. He had been right this was a sea captain from days of old. The captain was dressed as one would have dressed around 100 years ago.
"Good evening Captain Davies my name is Captain Daniel Gregg it is an honor to speak to you."
"It is an honor to meet such a man of the sea as you. My name is Captain Mark Davies. Thanks to your quick actions we were not involved in an accident that could have cost many lives. May I ask where you come from?"
"My home is in Schooner Bay Maine. That is where I took it upon myself to choose your ship to sail into Portland bay on. Your ship is the best of this fleet in my opinion and I was proud to sail with you. " Captain Gregg told him with a smile.
"I have so many questions of you and would love to hear some of your old sea stories" Captain Davies told Captain Gregg.
They talked for over an hour and Captain Gregg was very impressed with his new friends knowledge of the sea and the improvements which had been made on the ships in the last 100 years. Although, he had been on many other ships in the last years this was definitely the finest.
"What can I do for you special?" Captain Davies asked. "You have given me so many stories and ideas I could never repay you."
Captain Gregg thought for a few moments and thought about his family the Muirs. "It would honor me if you would allow my family to sail around the bay on your schooner kind sir." I have a young widow her housekeeper and two children who reside at my home that I would like to take sailing.
"Consider that done. You say that you are from Schooner Bay? We could meet there at the harbor and take a day trip out to sea." Captain Davies said with a smile.
"Thank you so much I will tell Carolyn. My family is here in Portland to see the tall ships and I am sure they will be very excited about the prospects of a short ride out to sea. " he said with a big smile. He wished that they could shake hands but that was not possible.
The Muir clan was walking on the dock when Captain Gregg joined them. It was hard to see him and have to be careful not to acknowledge him. They hadn t seen him in two days and he looked even handsomer than he did before. He stood so tall and strong Carolyn wanted to hug him with all her heart. Unfortunately no matter how much she and the captain wished for that time together it could never be. So she had to be happy with the longing looks they gave each other. They walked together and listened intently as the captain explained all about the ships .The way he carried himself and the obvious pride he had made them all feel good.
When the Muirs got to their room the captain sat them all down and told them the good news. "I have had the pleasure of making a friend while I sailed these last two days. His name is Captain Davies and he has invited everyone of the Muirs to sail on his vessel when it sails by Schooner Bay" Captain Gregg told them with a proud smile.
"That would be great. I have always wanted to sail with you Captain" Carolyn told him.
"Oh I can t wait. Do you think that they will let me help them with the sails Captain?" Jonathan asked.
"We will see .I will remain visible all day so we can work together I am sure " the Captain said with a smile.
"I hope they let me do something too." Candy said. "It is no longer a man s world only you know?" 'men sometimes she thought to herself.
The Captain looked at his family and smiled. He could hardly wait to take him on the ship with his friend Captain Davies. He spoke to Mrs Muir softly. "I hope you enjoy your time on the ship and I will show you all the beauty and freedom one can enjoy when one becomes one with the sea."
The rest of the day was busy, they all went on a tour of the ships and took lots of photos. They were beautiful and smelled so nice to Carolyn. She was proud to walk beside the captain and listen to all the information they gave at the tour and to listen to the captain go on and on with the things he knew.
When they arrived at Captain Davies ship Carolyn knew right away why the captain had chosen this ship The crew was well worn and knew their job well. Just watching the crew at work Carolyn and her family knew that they knew their job and enjoyed doing it.
The name on the side of the ship was the Mary Lou. Carolyn wondered how the ship had gotten her name. She hoped her Captain Gregg would have named his ship the Carolyn.
Captain Gregg introduced the family to Captain Davies. Captain Davies was a tall olive skinned man with jet black hair around thirty-five years old. He stood tall and straight at the wheel of his ship .You could see the pride in his face. Carolyn thought that was what Captain Gregg had looked like when he was on his own ship.
They marveled at the ship the controls the bridge the quarters the men slept in the general way of life. Jonathan impressed most of the crew with his knowledge of the ship. He had learned every knot every instrument and all the general ways of life of any seafaring man. Captain Davies smiled at the young lad knowing that Captain Gregg had taught the lad everything.
When the family got back to their hotel room everyone was exhausted. It had been a wonderful day, one that they would always remember. Once everyone had gone to bed Carolyn and Captain Gregg finally had a chance to spend some time alone.
"I had a great time with you and my family today. The ships are beautiful and I now understand why you loved the sea. It must have been a different adventure everyday. I can t wait to sail with you.
CHAPTER 3
The day of the sailing came quickly. Carolyn woke up to Candy and Jonathan running into her room all excited very early.
They bent over their sleepy eyed mom and gave her a big hug. With that she was up with a jump and a smile. 'This is the day' she thought to herself.
"Come on mom we need to get ready" Jonathan said as he walked over to the telescope so that he could look at the harbor. "There she is . The Mary Lou is at the harbor waiting for us." He said excitedly.
Candy climbed up to take a look through the telescope and looked if she could see the Captain up on her deck. "She s there mom we need to get ready."
"Good morning family." Captain Gregg said as he materialized in the kitchen. "Is everyone ready for a good day of sailing?"
Carolyn had chosen a comfortable pair of shorts with a scarf and a light jacket. She knew that it could get chilly on the ocean and she wanted to feel comfy all day. She made sure that her two children had proper clothing also. They would eat on the ship and she would have the Captain beside her and visible. She just couldn t wait to go on the trip with her extended family.
The family got ready quickly and drove to the harbor carrying all their items. They had just gotten out of their car when they saw Claymore running across the street . 'I wonder what he wants' she thought to herself.
"Mrs Muir Oh Mrs. Muir" The family looked up to see Claymore Gregg approaching them. Claymore owned Gull Cottage and knew of the Captain. He was a very skiddish fellow and just the mention of the Captain would make him nearly faint.
"Good morning Claymore." Mrs Muir said with a smile. "How can I help you?"
"I see one of the tall ships here in the harbor. Do you know anything about this?" Claymore asked her. "It is quite exciting to see such a ship here in Schooner Bay you know."
"Yes Claymore we will be sailing on her today." Jonathan told him excitedly. "The Captain will be sailing with us."
Claymore leaned down and whispered in Mrs Muir s ear. "Do you think that you will be safe? These ships have been known to sink you know."
"Oh Claymore we will be perfectly safe. We have all met the Captain of the Mary Lou and he is a very responsible captain. Besides we have Captain Gregg with us also." Mrs. Muir told him with a smile.
"What is this Claymore? Do you think that you could actually protect anyone? You jellyfish of a man. ?" The Captain shouted at Claymore. He detested the fact that this weak squirmish man held claim to the fact that he was the last of the Greggs. He was sure that he was adopted or something.
"But but Captain Claymore stammered" he looked up in desperation and said "I hope that you all have a fine day." And with that he bowed and left.
To Carolyn just getting onto the ship was an adventure. First they had to ride the dingy into the harbor to get onto the ship. As they drove closer to the ship the children were getting edgy and very excited while Carolyn and Martha looked at the great clipper ship in awe. Captain Gregg stood at the helm and watched every single thing that the crew did.
It seemed a little odd seeing the captain standing there in full view of everyone not just their famlly. This was to be an odd day after all. 'I hope no one tries to touch him' Carolyn thought to herself.
Because this was to be a day tour, Carolyn was surprised that they had made up two rooms for her family. The captain and Jonathan would use one room and the ladies shared the other. Each had a private bath.
"In my day even the Captains quarters didn t have indoor plumbing" Captain Gregg told them as they met to go out on deck.
"Are we going to go work with the crew?" Jonathan asked the Captain.
"We were quite fortunate Captain Davies has invited both you and Candy to come up on deck and he will give you each a job. I will work along side you if you don t mind." Captain Gregg said with a smile to the two children and wink to Mrs Muir and Martha. "You two ladies can go up on deck and enjoy the scenery unless you would like to participate in the work."
Carolyn looked over at Martha and gave her a knowing smile "No thanks we think we will enjoy observing everyone rather than participating. There is so much to see and we have only short day."
Martha and Mrs Muir settled on the deck and took out their books to read. The sun was warm and the smell of the ocean was very calming. She could see Jonathan working on some of the ropes while Candy had been given a mop and bucket. Captain Gregg was busy with his new friend Captain Davies watching over the ship.
Both men had a commanding appearance and their mutual regard for each other was the second mate William knew that he was out ranked by Captain Gregg. The captain had a way of carrying himself where he had command but you did not feel shorted. He still included William and this resulted in William forming a bond with Captain Gregg also.
The sails were full and the ship went quickly across the waves. Everyone was in awe as they sailed across the bay. Before they knew it it was time for lunch.
Lunch was not like that of the old day of Captain Greggs. It was full of fresh caught fish and fruit. The food was delicious and Captain Gregg seemed to enjoy the time and the company. The kids talked to everyone at the table and enjoyed everything.
After dinner all the Muirs went to their cabin for a little rest before the long afternoon. It was beautiful and they had a wonderful balcony from which they could watch the sea. There were two comfortable chairs out on the deck and Mrs. Muir took a seat. The captain appeared at her side and she smiled up at him.
"This is the nicest small trip that I have ever been on. The waves and the sea smell and look so nice. I could stay here on the balcony the rest of the day." Carolyn said to the Captain.
"Madame if I were alive we would take trips like this all the time in a ship very much like this one. We would travel wherever you wish and we would be side by side." The Captain said to her with whimsical eyes. How he wished that he could really do that.
"That is a wonderful thought and dream but, unfortunately, it can never be true. We are limited on what we can enjoy together, however, let us enjoy the many things we can." Mrs. Muir said to the Captain with a sad tone in her voice.
"Of course madame" the Captain said and together they watched the sea standing closely together enjoying their time together while the rest of the family took a nap. Carolyn was right the time they have together is precious and not to be taken lightly.
When everyone got up the kids wanted to go swimming. They had stopped the ship and while some of the crew were fishing some went swimming in the water. The water was cool as Maine waters usually were but Candy and Jonathan were used to it and wanted to go swimming badly.
"Oh mom we can swim" Candy had told her almost in unsion.
"Excuse me madam. I will be there swimming with some of the crew and happy to keep an eye on your children if you wish." William looked down at Mrs. Muir with a smile.
"Why thank you William. Candy Jonathan you do everything William tells you to do." Mrs Muir told them with a smile.
"Don t worry we will " both children tell her.
Martha went back to her deck chair and started to read. "You two go ahead and go about the ship. I will keep an ear out for the kids." She told Mrs. Muir and the Captain with a smile.
With that Carolyn and Captain Gregg went up on the bridge to stand with Captain Davies. He was at the helm and offered Captain Gregg a chance to take the wheel. Even though the ship was quite different from the ships he had once sailed he felt very comfortable and proud to stand at the helm of this fine ship and he gave Captain Davies and Carolyn a big smile.
Unfortunately it was getting time to return to harbor. Mrs. Muir could see that Captain Gregg was getting very tired from being visible all day and quite frankly she was getting tired too. 'How I wish we could stay out here a little longer' she said to herself.
The Captain and Mrs. Muir met Martha and the kids on deck with such excitement Carolyn and Martha were laughing whole heartedly.
When they arrived back in Schooner Bay it was dark and the harbor was lit beautifully. "How can I ever thank you for such a nice trip Captain Davies?" Carolyn asked. "We all had such a good time."
"Thank you." We had a great time " Jonathan and Candy told them as they disembarked.
Martha gave her thanks and took the two children to the car. "I ll be there in a minute" Carolyn told them and then turned again to both Captain Gregg and Captain Davies. "Of course anytime you are in the area you are welcome to come to our home gull cottage and thank you again." She told Captain Davies and she then disembarked.