By the first post on Saturday morning came a letter from the yacht chandlers at Bude, stating that the Spindrift would be launched forthwith and handed over whenever her new owners came for her.
The rest of that morning was a busy one. Not only had the usual routine of "clearing up and squaring off" to be carried out, but preparations had to be made for the commencement of the journey to Bude on the following Monday. In addition, Mr. Collinson had arranged to shift his quarters from the guardship to the Ocean Bride, and the yacht had to be moored securely astern.
It was quite a difficult operation to place the yacht on her new berth and keep her there. Owing to the narrowness of the channel at low water, and to the fact that a clear passage had to be left for other craft, the Ocean Bride had to be moored fore and aft close to the mud on the starboard hand of the creek. If she were allowed to swing she would obstruct the fairway, while to moor her fore and aft required tackle of sufficient strength to withstand the hardest wind likely to be encountered full on her beam.
Just below high-water mark the Sea Scouts drove in two sets of stout piles, each three in number, with one placed about four feet in the wake of the other two. Each set was ninety feet from the other. These comprised the shore moorings.
The yacht was then dropped astern of the guardship, her main anchor having been previously laid out in the stiff mud on the port side of the channel. To the mooring on the starboard side, corresponding with the anchor, a four-inch warp was run out from the yacht's bows, the end of the rope being wound round the three piles and "racked back", so that each of the piles bore approximately an equal strain.
As the tide was now ebbing the yacht rode to both the chain cable and the warp.
"Now, lads!" exclaimed the Scoutmaster. "That's done the trick as far as the ebb affects the yacht. All that remains is to make provision for the flood-tide, otherwise she'll swing, which is what she mustn't do." At Mr. Graham's direction a spare length of chain, about fifteen fathoms in length, was shackled to the kedge and the latter "run out" on the yacht's port quarter; while a three-inch warp led from the starboard quarter to the second group of piles. Stationing one Sea Scout at each of the chains and warps, the Scoutmaster gave the necessary directions until the yacht was moved into the desired position close to the edge of the channel.
"Now she cannot possibly shift more than two or three feet," he announced. "No matter the direction of the wind or tide, she'll be held securely. That's what is meant by mooring fore and aft. Now, can any of you fellows tell me if this particular job is finished off properly?"
Desmond and Findlay thought that it was and said so. Bedford, Hayes, and Coles thought so too, but made no audible comment.
"Look at those two chains," continued Mr. Graham. "They are stretching across the fairway. True, they sag under their own weight, but if the wind comes in at all hard from the east'ard they'll show above the surface. Even now I doubt whether they are more than three of four feet down. A vessel coming up to Wootton Bridge would be almost certain to foul them."