Posted by John Lambert on January 08, 2009 at 22:53:50 user John.
A few years ago my wife and I visited the Windermere Steamboat Museum and spent a magical half hour on board the TSSY Esperance. This vessel is apparently the model for Captain Flint's houseboat. Yet, in WH the description of the houseboat's below deck area is far from the reality of the Esperance. For one thing, the main cabin is much too small. The illustration in Winter Holiday Jonathan Cape, 1949, p.189) shows a much larger cabin. Although I knew there really isn't much doubt that the Esperance was the model for the Houseboat (Fram in WH) I still find it hard to imagine that AR actually used it. Maybe he dished up a generous helping of poetic licence. Any comments on this?