This excerpt is taken from John Wilson's stories "Entering Scarborough in a north east gale." from a series of articles by G Forrest Frank. This was printed in the Scarborough Post in 1920 and is in a file in the Scarborough History room at Scarborough library entitled "Sea Dogs".
The wind was then about north-east, dead out of the harbour, and blowing very heavily. This gave us a fair wind from the sea until we should turn and make the entrance, when we should have to steer north east to get in. That is the reason that so many vessels have been lost practically at the pier head. Failing to shoot in, they fall off, and are on the scar directly.
Of course, both my brother and I knew this, well enough, and we knew we would have to carry a lot of sail to get a shoot in; but the people ashore thought we were strangers, and they marvelled at the madness of a square rigged vessel rushing with such a sail before a north Easter. They thought we should certainly run ashore unless assisted, and six cobles put out, five stretching towards Ramsdale Scar and one close to the pier.
We had a good crew, and when the helm was put down, the yards were taken forward on the second, and the brig shot in as though she had been a smack. The coblemen must have gaped. Whilst, running up, we had prepared a spare anchor and hauser chain, and as I couldn't find a hauser chain, and as I couldn't find a shackle, had made a bend in the ring. With this, as soon as ever she shot in, I cock-billed the anchor and let go.
Isaac Mullins , Jack Fleming, and Geo. Raine, who were in the coble near the pier, jumped aboard, and seized a rope. My brother said: "What are you going to do with that?" "Make a rope fast," they replied. "For how much?" asked my brother. "We'll fifteen shillings won't hurt you, will it?" they queried, and my brother with inward jubilation, replied: "No, my lads, it won't." We had expected that we might have to pay £50 for a rope, and certainly should have had to do so if the sails had been caught aback owing to slackness on the part of the crew.
