Arry, I've no idea how soon, exactly, the Gondorain ships will be spotted, but you are entirely correct to think that we will be seen long before we are close enough to start attacking. However, there is no way that the Corsairs will be able to get into battle array on their own ships to get a terribly great start. beyond that, they'll also have to take time leaving the bay that they're in, and heading down river. The Gondorian ships will already be well on their way and won't need extra time speeding up.
To you and Firefoot both. . . and everyone, I guess: If the ships behind the Cuivie is indeed the entire Gondorian fleet, I should imagine that there are at least ten ships, if not more. . . at
least. I'm not willing to give an exact number, because there might be others here who know more about the history of Gondor's fleet in that time. I've gotten the impression that it's fairly large. I don't know how to compare it to this world's number of ships, though, and even if I did, I can only draw information on the Brittish Navy during the Napoleanic Wars, at which time, it was the greatest fleet in the world. Gondor, as I understand, would, at his time, have the greatest navy, too. . .but I still don't know how many ships that would make.
Firefoot: Have no fears! I'm not taking Menelcar's thoughts too much too heart, nor too seriously, and I'm not offended, if that's what's worrying you. But you'd better mind that he doesn't voice those thoughts to the Captian himself. . .there might be some problems then.
Anyway, I hope that answers everythign sufficiently. If anyone has any other doubts or questions, I'll do my best to answer. (At least any questions that have to do with my ship or the other Gondorian ships.
)
-- Folwren