Posted by John Wilson on September 19, 2008 at 10:31:35 user hugo.
Looking at the Red Fox edition of Peter Duck, the Viper is described as a “black schooner, bigger than the Wild Cat” (page 55) and the picture of Bill going overboard (page 36) has two masts visible. Page 117 of the first night at sea shows the Viper with her red and green lights as a two-masted schooner.
But at the end of Chapter 7 (page 104) there is a sketch of a full-rigged four-masted ship. Just an oversight I suppose, unless she is Peter Duck’s old ship? There are only five (excluding Bill) manning the Viper, so not enough crew for a full-rigged ship – and the sketch is a flight of fancy?
They are Black Jake, his brother George, Fighting Mogandy, Simeon Boon, and the chucker-outer/ bruiser with a scarred face from the Ketch as Ketch Can. The bruiser says that he and Boon couldn’t sail the ship if they were left on her while the others go ashore, and they don’t trust Black Jake so won't let him go ashore without them!