Chapter 4

By the time they'd finished eating and cleared up, it was seven thirty and Serendipity had lifted off the mud as the tide rose. Ted and Linnet busied themselves preparing the boat to sail. With a westerly wind, it was easy to release the shore-line and allow the wind to push Serendipity backwards into the fairway, though Ted had the engine running just for safety. As Linnet spun the wheel to bear away, Miss Thornton – her parents addressed her as 'Cherry' – sitting in the cockpit with them, was watching with a curious expression.

Linnet noticed when she glanced round. "Would you like to take the wheel for a bit?"

The girl's eyebrows rose in surprise. "May I, really?" She stepped forward, uncertainly. "What do I do?"

"The wheel works the same way as the steering-wheel of a car, except it's not as precise," Linnet stepped back a little, which allowed the girl to move behind the wheel and tentatively take hold of it. "Try turning the wheel a little each way and get the feel of it."

"It doesn't stop turning when you turn the wheel back."

"Well spotted! You turn the wheel past dead centre to stop the boat swinging. That's called 'meeting her'. A bit of port wheel, left, now. We're getting a bit close to the barges." Linnet just watched for a minute or two until they passed the end of the quay. The girl turned the wheel to head to port. "Good!" Linnet praised, "keep a bit to the right of the middle of the fairway. See the red and green buoys?" She sheeted out.

The girl nodded, but kept staring straight ahead.

"Red buoys are port, or left hand buoys, green ones starboard or right hand buoys. They mark the edge of the deeper water, the fairway."

"But they're the wrong way round..."

"That's because in Europe, the buoys mark upstream from seaward, so leaving harbour, red buoys are on the right. Look up at the masthead ... see the burgee?"

"Yes..."

"It's pointing straight ahead. That means..."

"That the wind is coming from straight behind."

"Exactly."

"Ah..." they were silent then as they sailed by the prom.

Ted, who had been coiling warps on the foredeck, came aft. "Miss Thornton..." the girl glanced at him, but immediately returned her attention to the heading of the yacht. "You're doing very well."

"Thanks..."

Linnet watched the statue at the end of the prom pass.

"See the red buoy over there?" she pointed, and the girl nodded, "We're going to cut the corner. There's enough water just now, so turn to starboard and head for it, so we pass just to the right of it."

"She's teaching you bad habits," Ted said, smiling as he sheeted in a little, "but she's quite right. You do need to be careful, though, passing outside the marked channel."

They passed the buoy and as Ted smiled at them, Linnet told the girl to turn further to starboard and to head for the next red buoy. With the wind now on the beam, Ted sheeted in more and the Serendipity speeded up quite a lot and heeled a little. There was a distinct chuckle from water building up under her forefoot, audible even in the cockpit.

"This is fun," the girl commented.

"It is," Linnet agreed. "In a minute, we're going to gybe. When we turn to pass Herrings Point – when we get to that buoy – the wind is going to be on the other side of the sail, and it will slam across quite hard."

"Do you want to take over?" She sounded a little nervous.

"Only if you want me to. I'll talk you through it and Ted will manage the sheets and control the sail. Want to try?"

"If you're sure it's okay... ?"

"It's safe and you'll be fine..." The buoy was getting closer. "Okay. Sing out, now, 'ready to gybe?' nice and clear."

"Ready to gybe?" It could have been louder, but Ted responded,

"Ready to gybe," as he released the main sheet from its cleat and began to sheet in.

"Now, 'gybe oh!' and turn the wheel to port."

The girl did as she was told and Serendipity turned; Ted sheeted in energetically and the boom swung over as the wind got behind the leech of the sail but couldn't slam over hard as Ted was well in control, feeding the sheet out smoothly until the sail was setting perfectly before dealing with the foresail.

The girl was making a reasonable job of keeping in the right-hand half of the fairway, but Linnet could see a small dinghy tacking towards them – a Lark, perhaps.

"We need to keep an eye on that dinghy," she said, "the rules are unclear about which of us has the right of way. We are 'free' so have more freedom of movement, but we need more depth and are less manoeuvrable. We're also on port tack, meaning the wind is on our left side. A sailing vessel on starboard tack has right of way. I would hope they'd keep out of our way, but we'll see."

"Sounds a bit complicated?"

Linnet chuckled. "Yes, and if there's a collision you'll hear all sorts of arguments why one vessel or the other should give way. On the whole..."

"Discretion is the better part of valour," Ted put in. "Better to avoid the bump even if you think you have right of way. It's not worth the delay and the hassle. Sorry, Linnet, for interrupting."

Linnet shrugged, "No problem. Of course, if avoiding the collision means bigger trouble elsewhere, you've got a decision to make very quickly."

The little dinghy changed course a little earlier than it might have done; obviously to keep out of the way. A little later, it was heading to pass close astern.

"Thanks!" Ted called to the two occupants as they passed, getting a wave in response from the helmsman; actually, obviously, a young woman.

At the end of the reach, they had to gybe again to round Hilly Pool Point before settling down to the two-plus mile fetch to Osea Island.

"Let me know if you're tired and want a break," Linnet said to the girl, who looked round at her really for the first time since taking the wheel.

"I think... " the girl said slowly, "could we go and have a chat? Just you and me?"

Surprised, Linnet took a few seconds to answer. "Why ... yes, of course. Ted? Could you take over?" Ted raised his eyebrows, but did so. "Anyone ready for a drink? Tea, coffee, cocoa? Wine, whiskey?" she looked round the cockpit, seeing shaking heads. As she followed the girl below she heard Ted asking the older couple if either of them wanted to try a trick at the wheel.

"Could I have some wine?"

Linnet looked at her, thinking. Then, "Okay, I think so. Let me look." There was an opened bottle in the little fridge; she poured some into a couple of the plastic 'wine glasses' Ted only bothered with when he thought his charter would object to drinking out of mugs and handed one to the girl ... who sipped and sat silent, frowning. Linnet was tempted to say, 'Well?' but managed to suppress the urge.

After what seemed like an age, the girl began, "I ... er... " swallowed hard and took a deep breath, "Thank you for this evening ... I ... I really enjoyed it," then, blushing, "I ... um ... I'm sorry ... about earlier ... when we met, I mean."