The second attempt 2/8

Half an hour later she paddled out of the fog into the Therdle. She could see no signs of life as she neared the harbour where Barnacle Bill kept his paddle steamer. She drifted slowly through the screen of trees and overhanging bushes but there was no one there. Perhaps he'd gone down river to the goblin boatyard. A short visit could be interesting. The last time she'd been there had been to give Fern her 'thankyou' dinghy. The partly built brig for the Davy Jones' fleet, that she'd seen then, would be worth another look. Fortunately the tide was on the ebb, so the distance to the yard was easily covered.

When she arrived, the paddle steamer was nowhere to be seen. She ran the canoe up the slipway and stepped ashore. Fern's dinghy was in the water. It looked much the same as the day it had been delivered, except that now a name had been added to the stern, 'Jayjay'. Norman came to greet her.

"I wonder if I could have a quick look at the new brig?"

"You'll have to be careful," Norman replied, "the decking isn't finished yet, so mind you don't fall down inside."

The brig looked huge as she approached and climbed up the ladder to the deck. She found Fern putting the finishing touches to the companionway, which lead down to where the cabins would be built eventually. Jennifer Jane watched quietly so as not to interrupt and waited until she was noticed.

Fern turned round at last and saw her waiting.

"Hello, come and have a look. All it needs now is a few coats of varnish and it'll be finished."

Jennifer Jane gazed round the boat with a rather surprised look on her face.

"Not the whole boat silly, just this companionway. How did you get here? Did you come in that nice little lugger of your Dad's?"

"No I came on my own, in my canoe."

Fern looked over at the moored boats in the creek.

"Half ebb," she said, "you'll have a bit of a job paddling back against that lot. I tell you what, I'm going on holiday today when I've finished here, I'll take you home in 'Jayjay', we can tow your canoe quite easily. Norman," she called, "come over here and check this job will you please and then Jennifer Jane and I will be off."

Norman passed her work, so Fern went ashore to have a shower and change into her holiday clothes. She soon returned wearing a roll necked sweater and jeans. Norman rowed them out to Jayjay, towing Drawrof by it's painter.

"I've already loaded up with all the food and camping gear," said Fern, "so if you make your canoe fast, I'll hoist the sails and we can be on our way."

Jennifer Jane kept out of the way while the dinghy was made ready for sea. She anticipated the next order and was ready to cast of the mooring buoy when Fern asked. Then she backed the jib until the dinghy's bows pointed south, while Fern hardened up the sheets until Jayjay gathered way and headed out towards the river.

She showed Jennifer Jane how to use the tackle to lower the iron centreboard and made sure the canoe was towing nicely.

"Board just halfway down until we reach the river and then we can have it up again completely for the run up to Attersea creek and the fog."

When they turned westwards into the river and settled down on the run home, Jennifer Jane asked why Fern had called the dinghy 'Jayjay'.

"Two reasons really," said Fern with a laugh, "it's to remind me that 'Jennifer Jane' gave me the boat, when I found her 'Jumping Jim' bracelet. The initials of both those names spell 'Jayjay'."