King, father survive storm that ripped up naval craft

ROSEWOOD – King Adam of Überstadt and his father, Michael von Friedeck, survived last Saturday’s strong storm that caused mayhem throughout the Puget Sound area. The royals were at sea with the entire Überstadti naval fleet when they were caught in the gale.

Adam and his father, who is a Vice Admiral in the Überstadti Navy and the kingdom’s High Chancellor, had spent the previous day studying military architecture at the 19th Century British garrison on San Juan Island, and had intended to make a day-long voyage back to port in Everett, Washington, over 60 nautical miles away. They were aboard HMNS Bert George, a 26-foot sailing patrol boat and flagship of His Majesty’s Navy, with the inflatable HMNS Bergstrom in tow as a tender.

As a result of imprecise weather information, the fleet set out into the midst of a gale. While in the Haro Strait between the San Juan Islands and Vancouver Island, the vessels were subjected to winds of over 50 miles per hour and waves up to eight feet in height. Vice Admiral von Friedeck remained at the helm for several hours while King Adam remained within the Bert George‘s cabin monitoring navigational instruments and charts.

After some time of being tossed and nearly rolled by the waves, the two decided to turn back northward and seek shelter in Roche Harbor, located near the last night’s anchorage. The fleet anchored in a small bay for over an hour until the worst of the storm passed, during which time tears were discovered in HMNS Bergstrom, deflating one of its two tubes. The craft was bound to Bert George so it would not continue to take on water.

At mid-afternoon, the fleet entered Roche Harbor. Von Friedeck was found to have been injured in his fight against the storm, and Adam was weak from severe motion sickness, an unusual condition for him. The monarch hailed his father’s efforts, which he credits with saving the fleet and most likely the lives of everyone on board.

“The radio was busy with distress messages,” Adam said. “The next day, we even saw a wreck grounded against some cliffs. I have no doubt that without my father’s fortitude and divine aid, we could have been lost at sea.”

The pair resumed their journey home the next day, but unfavorable winds and tides led them to moor the fleet in Oak Harbor rather than continue southward to Everett. They returned to the mainland by ferry and will return in fairer conditions to bring the Bert George and Bergstrom back to their home port.

Advertisement

Pacific Northwest nations battered by deadly storm

ROSEWOOD – A powerful storm tore through the Pacific Northwest on Saturday, killing two in the United States and causing extensive damage throughout the region.

The gale, with a peak gust of 87 miles per hour on the Washington coast, caused two deaths from falling trees or limbs. Several other people throughout the state were injured, and the Überstadti Navy monitored several distress calls made by mariners in the Salish Sea.

When the storm struck, the entire Überstadti fleet, with King Adam aboard flagship HMNS Bert George, was under way in the Haro Strait between Vancouver Island, Canada, and the San Juan archipelago in the United States. Vice Admiral Michael von Friedeck, the ruler’s father, prevented the Bert George from running aground, although the HMNS Bergstrom, which was in tow, was critically damaged.

In Überstadt itself, winds ripped multiple branches off trees in Rosewood. A large one, measuring nearly five inches in diameter, nearly struck the Independence Spire, while a smaller one landed in the plots of the embassies of Sandus and Tiana. The canopy covering George Naval Base was ripped up, and a motorbike kept there was blown onto its side. Creekbed Colony has not yet been surveyed for damage.

Hyacinth and Rhododendron, the populated Northwest territories of Doria, had several tree limbs fall. A large oak tree in Rhododendron was especially effected.

Electricity was lost in both Überstadt and Doria. Nearly half a million Americans were also left without power. In Rosewood, a generator was employed to keep perishable foods refrigerated. Neither Hyacinth nor Rhododendron had electric generators available. Both countries had power restored after nearly 24 hours.

Stormy weather continues to afflict the area, although with far less intensity compared to Saturday’s event.