Chapter 6

Ted watched and smiled as Linnet and Cherry sailed Serendipity close-hauled, south towards the open sea. They seemed happy and, he thought, his boat was happy too. Linnet's instructions and explanations were clear and concise. 'She really ought to be an instructor, ' he thought. 'I must be a fool to be unable to commit to someone like that, but... '

They didn't go anywhere in particular, just sailed as Cherry learned more about managing a sailing yacht, then headed back once the tide had turned. By seven o'clock they were rowing ashore from a mooring at Pin Mill to eat at the Butt and Oyster; Cherry was wide eyed.

"This is really something! I've dreamed of doing this, you know, since I first read 'We Didn't Mean To Go To Sea'."

"You know," Ted said between strokes of the oars, "your father didn't say this trip was really for your birthday, or that it was because you were a Ransome enthusiast..."

They were at a table waiting for their meals before Cherry responded to the comment.

"It wasn't only for me, but that was the underlying reason. Mummy and Daddy have been ... not getting on very well. This was supposed to be time for them to spend together, but it looks as though Mummy's given up."

Linnet and Ted looked at each other, then Linnet said, "You don't seem, well, upset about it."

"I've had a while to think about it. I suppose I'm used to the idea and things might be less tense if they separate. I just hope I get to stay with Dad. Mummy would suffocate me."

Ted tried to get the conversation off her parents' difficulties, successfully as it turned out. "To get back to more pleasurable topics, is there anything in particular you'd like to do?"

"The main thing is the sailing. Seeing things at first hand and trying them out. Apart from that, I'd like to visit Lowestoft, like in 'Peter Duck', and perhaps cross to Flushing, like in 'We Didn't Mean To Go To Sea'. But I don't mind doing other things. I'm sure there's plenty to do and see around here."

"How would you like to stand a night watch with Linnet?"

The girl's eyes lit up with enthusiasm. "Could I? Really? Where would we go?"

The food arrived and they tucked in. After a few mouthfuls, Ted went on, "We could leave on the evening tide, about ten-thirty to eleven, sail up to Lowestoft, get there about mid-day all being well. Or we could use the last of the flood to get down river, anchor off Woodbridge Haven until half-flood, then sail up the Deben. We could get showers at the Ferry Sailing Club and have lunch in the café, make the passage to Lowestoft slowly to get there Tuesday morning. We need to be somewhere your father can meet us on Tuesday. That could be Yarmouth, Lowestoft, Woodbridge, Ipswich, Harwich. Or further south; Southend, Whitstable, Rochester. Later in the week, there's Southwold just a little way up the coast, but I'm not familiar with the harbour there. The Ore for Aldburgh is tricky, but we could try that..."

"Can we think about it back on Serendipity, with the charts there?"

And that is what they did, deciding on an early start in the morning and going to bed early. Ted took a Melatonin and slept almost immediately; Linnet and Cherry both lay awake, drifting off eventually to sleep only fitfully.

Linnet was aware when Ted's watch bleeped to wake him at 'oh dark thirty' – actually half-past three – and although she couldn't raise the energy to get out of bed straight away she did fight to stay awake, to fight her way to full consciousness. By the time she was dressed and on deck, Ted had got the riding light down, the mizzen raised, and was working on the mainsail. She joined in and together the sail went up quickly. The last few inches are the hardest because of the angle of the halyard to the masthead block and a little leverage is necessary. It can be done by a winch, of course, but a traditional way is to lightly secure the halyard then pull on it at right-angles to the mast, then taking up the slack thus produced at the cleat, a process known as 'swigging'. Ted smiled as Linnet did that automatically. Then she turned to him.

"I think Cherry would like it if you woke her up," she said.

"Would that be wise?"

She shrugged, "She's not going to rape you or scream rape, Ted. I'll make a start on the anchor."

"Well, alright, Lovely. Don't go and strain yourself, though." There was a hint of a smile on his face as he turned away.

She chuckled, "I'm a big girl, Ted, and the work I've been doing has built me up quite a bit." She belayed the main sheet and coiled the excess. "Go, Ted."

She headed forward as he went below, only to realise the reason for his smile; Serendipity was moored to a buoy, not anchored.

As she was deciding what to do, Ted was tapping on Cherry's cabin door and entering. He flicked on the cabin light; she'd kicked off the duvet and was sprawled in t-shirt and panties, the t-shirt rucked up exposing the underside of one perky breast. One hand was buried in her panties; there was damp spot there and a slight, pleasant, feminine odour. On impulse he stepped the small distance between door and bunk, bent and kissed her gently on the forehead. She smiled and hummed in her throat, her eyes slowly opening. It took several seconds for her to register who it was, then the smile of contentment was replaced by shock, then anxiety, then a tremulous smile.

"Morning, pretty sailor," Ted said, "we're just getting underway if you want to get up," and turned to leave the cabin.

"Ted?"

He turned, his hand on the door-handle. She was sitting up, her t-shirt pulled down, but with her shoulders back her breasts were pushing against the t-shirt, nipples showing, hard and erect. She was smiling. "Thank you, Ted."

Dry mouthed, he mumbled, "You're welcome," and fled to the cockpit.

Linnet saw his head appear and walked the buoy aft so Serendipity swung across the current. Ted switched the nav-lights on, she released the buoy and they were sailing. She made her way aft and arrived as Cherry appeared. She looked, correctly, as though she'd fallen out of bed and pulled on whatever clothes were nearest without bothering about her hair; she was a little dishevelled. Her eyes met Linnet's and they smiled at each other.

"Good morning, Mister Mate," she said.

"Good morning, Sailor," Linnet replied with a broader smile.

"Ready to gybe?" Ted asked from the wheel.

"Ready!" the girls chorused before bursting out with laughter. Ted shook his head, not understanding, but they hauled in the main-sheet.

"Gybe-oh!" he called as he spun the wheel and Serendipity obediently turned away from the wind to head down Long Reach on a broad reach. He noticed that it was Cherry who released the staysail furling line and sheeted it until it was setting correctly.

Half an hour later, they passed Suffolk Yacht Harbour and rounded Collimer Point; the girls sheeted in for the close reach without a word being said.

"Cherry ... take the wheel a moment, please." When she did so, he went on, "Do you notice anything?"

She frowned, looking round the boat in the half-light before dawn.

"Try letting go of the wheel..."

She did so and, almost imperceptibly at first, Serendipity veered towards the wind. She grabbed the wheel and got her back on course.

"She turns into the wind! I was holding the wheel to port to stop it. I didn't realise. Is there something wrong?"

"No, it's called 'weather helm'. You and Linnet have set the sails well, but the balance isn't quite perfect. Linnet?"

"Yes, Skipper?"

"Sheet out the mizzen a little, please." Then, after a pause, "Now try it again, Cherry."

"It's ... better, but not quite right."

"A little more, Linnet?"

Cherry took her hands off the wheel and Serendipity continued on her way.

"There you go. I don't usually bother with that, but ... it's a lesson, okay? Actually, a little weather helm is a good thing, and when we get out into open water the wind will pick up and Serendipity will heel, and the weather helm will increase again."

"Thanks, Skipper," the girl chirped.

They continued down river, passing Felixstowe Trinity Terminal container port, Shotley and Harwich; they cleared Landguard Point just as the first sliver of sun peeped over the horizon, red, orange and gold shading to aquamarine, blue and indigo.

"Oh... wow..." Cherry breathed as they watched the daily, spectacular light show, always different yet somehow the same.

"Worth getting up for?"

"Absolutely," Cherry agreed.

"Every time," Linnet added.

The Deben Estuary has a 'bar' across the mouth, a bank of sand and shingle that, even where it is not exposed, has only about half a metre of water over it at low tide. It is advisable to not try to enter the river before half-flood, so they carried on up the coast for an hour past the Haven buoy and turned back as they reached Orford Haven. It was necessary to beat back, and they entered the Deben at eight-thirty and were moored at the Ferry by nine. Breakfast in the Ferry Café was followed by showers at the sailing club.

"I'm going to get a couple of hours' sleep," announced Linnet.

"I think I'll take a walk," opined Ted, then looked at Cherry. "Your choice, Sailor. Catch up with your sleep, walk with me or wander round the Ferry."

"Oh, I won't sleep now," she answered. "I'd like to walk with you, if I may."

Linnet took the tender back to Serendipity, promising to meet them in the café at twelve-thirty for lunch and they set off ambling along the sea defences in a generally northerly direction. Neither of them said much, though Ted, from time to time, pointed out a feature of interest; a decaying boat half buried in the mud of the river or stranded on the saltings, a building, a boat on the river, a bird or small creature. But as they turned to walk back Cherry asked, "Do you really think I'm pretty?"

Ted looked at her, "Yes, I do. Very pretty, in fact."

"Does that mean you'd like to have sex with me?"

Ted sighed, "Yes, I would. Very much. But I won't."

"Oh!" They walked in silence for a while, "Why not?"

"For a whole list of reasons. One, I have a rule; one girlfriend at a time. Two, you're under age. Three, you're a customer. Four, I'm a lot older than you. Also, I ... well, I need to be sure a girl isn't expecting anything permanent."

They were silent again for some time.

"I'm sixteen in a couple of days," Cherry said.

"So I understand. We'll make sure we have something for a party for you."

After another long silence, Cherry said, "Linnet would like something permanent with you."

Ted didn't respond to that.

Linnet met them as they approached the café and they entered together and ordered fish (fresh caught and fried to perfection in batter) and chips. They were in no hurry to finish, and didn't get back to Serendipity until two in the afternoon. The ebb was well under way by that point and Ted, reluctantly, started the engine. He explained what he wanted to do and the girls agreed to get the sails up once they were under way under power. The current sweeps through the narrows between Bawdsey and Felixstowe Ferry at up to five knots and in order to be in control Ted had to have Serendipity moving through the water, so they shot through at well over seven knots over the ground. They all breathed a sigh of relief once the river widened out, though the water was still flowing fast. Cherry and Linnet, working together, got the mainsail up and drawing as they passed the old Martello Tower, but Ted kept the engine running until they were past the Haven buoy and on their way north-east towards Lowestoft.

Cherry was a little surprised at the feeling she had when he finally shut the engine down and all that was left was the sound of water under the forefoot and along the sides.

"Oh, wow ... this is ... freedom!"