HMS Spartan takes Harry and Ferghal, and the Powder Monkey Danny Gunn, on a voyage to Australia and then Java and India. Harry meets the Sultan of Oman and does his bit for diplomacy, and in the two and a half year voyage grows from an eager, but immature twelve year old to a self-confident and relaible fifteen year old. His 'enemy' the bullying Midshipman Barclay, also undergoes a change as they fight storms, insects, sharks and even jellyfish on their journey which leads them to Muscat in time to learn that the Peace of Amiens has broken down.
Captain Heron has to face a number of challenges in preparing his new ship for service, not least being the bureaucrats who persist in trying to "make savings" by compromising on safety and effectiveness. The Vanguard's people overcome these efforts by vigilance and determination, but it also reveals that there is another set of players in the background, with whom a reckoning will soon be required.
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