Posted by Andrew Craig-Bennett on December 10, 2007 at 15:00:52 from 81.144.214.226 user ACB.
In Reply to: Re: posted by andyb on December 10, 2007 at 12:32:16:
"Andrew swung the lead like a professional"
(HW Tilman - "Triumph and Tribulation" - 1976)
Finest backhanded compliment I have ever been paid, considering that Tilman was a military man!
I cite it just to make the point that using a lead line is a knack that can be picked up in a few minutes - Nancy would have had plenty of time to learn it. I am sure that others here will agree. Dick and Dot have alwasy been rather in awe of Nancy and Peggy who are, after all, quite a bit older.
The real problem with the story is the nesting season for Great Northern Divers not coinciding with school holidays (what about a late Easter?)
I always accepted it as "real" and was very surprised when I first read Christina Hardyment's book.
Ransome comes up with a convincing boat; not many boats have nine berths, but an Archer Redningskoite does...