Sailing Boats

John Brett's second cruise in his 210-ton schooner Viking, acquired in 1883, began at Portland, where he spent the last ten days of July 1884. The Channel Fleet was anchored there, and Brett's Viking Log records going to a dance on HMS Northumberland on 24 July. The next day he "painted a sketch of HMS Northumberland, bearing NE" from a deck-house he had had constructed to serve as a studio. On the 31st Lieut Henderson of the Northumberland came to dinner on the Viking, and on August 1, as Brett set off for Torquay, "HMS Northumberland dipped her ensign to our salute, and all our friends on the bridge waved to us". After spending Race week at Cowes, Brett crossed the Channel to Cherbourg, and then proceeded to Guernsey, arriving at St Peter Port on Aug 13. On the 19th the Log records "sketch of Castle Cornet", also clearly made from the Viking. Brett then sketched on Guernsey and Sark, and all went well until Sep 6, when the crew of the Viking got drunk and mutinied.