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CHAPTER 16
Suddenly, after hope so often postponed that it seemed nearly dead, there was a strange uncanny sound in the air — at first a distant wailing as though a million people drew a half-sobbing breath — a sound growing momentarily louder, spreading on every side, becoming a cry, a song, a shout! Then there was no mistaking the throbbing joy as it burst upon us everywhere. It was the end of the War! Release! The end of the pent-up fear and misery of war. Peace. We were Free! I was free to go my ways — no longer trammelled at every turn; free to photograph what and where I liked! Free at last to realise my life's ambition — free to buy a boat and go sailing!
For I had suddenly realised that if I did not do that at once, it would be too late — sailing is not a job for an old man. And how I did want to get on the water and have room to move! There has been no room on the land for many years — never will be any room on the roads again. I wanted to sail right away from everything and everybody; out of sight of everything except sea and sky. That is what it means to be free.
So every week-end I diligently searched all the ship-yards within reasonable reach and at last I found what I wanted at Cowes, Isle of Wight. She had been laid up for four years, of course, but I couldn't wait for an expert examination. She had a two-cylinder, two-stroke engine which, as soon as I saw it, I decided to replace. She was a ketch of eleven tons and her name was Bluebird. She seemed sound and fairly complete and my heart went out to her. I bought her right away for £500.
The snug little village of Hamble on the river of that name, leading into Southampton Water, offered a convenient mooring, and then there arose the question of bringing Bluebird across the Solent to what was to be her home town. Kimberley said he would like to come and help (knowing even less about sailing than I did), and then his wife said she would like to come too. She was
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