Alice by Elizabeth Eliot

Author:Elizabeth Eliot [Eliot, Elizabeth]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Publisher: Dean Street Press
Published: 2019-01-07T00:00:00+00:00

By the next week-end Runa was ready for sea. The Blythe shipyard had painted her hull white. They had re-rigged her, and her engine was, as far as possible, in working order. This engine had only one cylinder and one gear and no reverse and no neutral either. It was placed under the steps leading from the cockpit, but when it was running the steps had to be removed. So to go below at such times you had either to jump over the flywheel or use the forecastle hatch. To start it you had to swing a handle, and the handle was liable to fly off, which was dangerous, and twice during the summer Cassius had his lip cut open. When there was any sea at all water came in by way of the exhaust outlet.

The first Saturday so eagerly awaited was disappointing. We got stuck on the mud in the Blythe River and spent miserable hours sitting on the inclined deck watching other yachts sailing gaily up and down the Solent. Every now and again there was a crash of crockery as more and more things slid from their shelves. At last the tide turned and at about four o’clock we cooked our luncheon on a terrifying machine Cassius had had fixed in the forecastle. This machine burnt petrol under pressure and often went up in flames. We met a man once who showed us his yacht, and when we came to the stove (which was evidently the thing he liked best) he said that it was the finest little stove he had ever been shipmates with. Cassius’ machine wasn’t like that at all.

For her size Runa had quite good accommodation. There were two berths on either side of the engine. They were comfortable, but they were so close under the decks that it wasn’t possible to sit up in them, which was horrid for Cassius, who suffered from claustrophobia. Also, of course, the smell of engine oil was here particularly strong. Then there was a small saloon and forward of that was a combined pantry and lavatory and then the forecastle.

At six o’clock we were able to leave our involuntary mud berth. We motored back up the river, where we made fast to buoys belonging to the Blythe shipyard. It had been an inglorious maiden voyage.

We went ashore to have dinner and a drink at the Crown. In the bar as usual were Chief and Pogs. Pogs’ foot was much better. She and Chief both wore yachting caps with white covers and appeared to be hung all over with lanyards. They both had several knives stuck in their belts, which seemed a little ferocious, only I happened to know that they mostly used them for peeling different kinds of vegetables. When we came in, the Murrays had pint glasses in front of them.

‘Ah!’ said Captain Murray. ‘The Runas! What are we all drinking?’

We protested a little half-heartedly that this round was on us and the Murrays said would we mind if they changed to whisky?

‘Cheers!’ said the Captain.

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