The making of a sailor 5/10

As the boat grounded, Fern and the other goblins jumped out and held her steady.

"Keep her afloat now boys or we'll never get her off with the load we're going to take. Fern come with me and meet Megan."

"Hello Megan," said Fern politely, "I used to work at the Wish Warehouse and I've often sent people to see you, but I never expected to meet you myself."

The big red dragon nodded pleasantly at Fern and then held out a large netting bag full of empty cat food tins. "This little lot tidies up Clarence and me both,” she said.

The 'little lot' nearly sank the long boat. Fern and the goblins rowed carefully back to the Black Cat and lay alongside. The remaining crew had rigged a tackle from the lower yardarm and soon heaved the net on deck. Then the long boat went back to the beach while the empty tins were being stowed in the hold.

Megan stepped into the water to load several bags of coal into the long boat. "Don't get it wet now, best Welsh nuts that is, seems a pity really to send it to the other world. Still Cyril likes it and he's a good boy. Looks after his Mum and Da right properly."

Megan had a happy smile and a smudge of coal dust round her mouth. Fern suspected she'd been sampling the cargo. Her suspicions were confirmed as the boat returned to the schooner in the growing darkness.

Little blue flames and a murmured, “Such a lovely taste” from the beach punctuated the rhythm of the row back.

Once the cargo was all aboard and stowed, Jonah gave the whole crew a rest. "We'll set sail tomorrow at first light, so have a good night's sleep everyone."

----O----

In the morning the Black Cat got under way as planned and sailed off on the next leg of her voyage. Fern had just finished her early morning job of hosing down the deck, when Jonah called to her.

"Norman told me you'd done some dinghy sailing, well how would you like to learn to steer the Black Cat?"

Fern couldn't believe her luck.

"It's a nice sailing breeze and we're not in any hurry to deliver the coal, so let's see how you get on."

He stood beside her at the wheel giving her advice now and again. Fern found it rather strange at first to use a steering wheel instead of a tiller.

"There's no feel to the steering," she complained but she got used to the idea quite quickly.

Jonah ordered the crew to stow the square topsails. "Now then young Fern, let's see you put her on the other tack, shouldn't be too hard with the tops'ls furled."

"Stand by to go about, lee ho!" called Fern, and with her heart in her mouth, spun the wheel.

The Black Cat turned into the wind and with a flap of the sails went round onto the other tack.

"Meet her," said Jonah.

Fern started turning the wheel to straighten the ship onto the new course, but the schooner continued turning for a few moments before responding to the rudder.

"Not at all bad," said Jonah, "you'll have to learn to meet her in time to stop her falling off like that. Easy enough in a dinghy but this ship carries her way and you have to learn to anticipate the next move."

Jonah allowed the Black Cat to settle on her new course and then told Fern to put her about once more. This time the manoeuvre was much more successful.

"Well done," said Jonah.

"I think I've got the feel of her now," said Fern happily and Jonah let her finish her watch at the wheel.