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thirty passengers on an open deck. The shallow hold beneath the deck is big enough for a few sacks of mail, and a little light cargo. Newspapers for example!
Visually striking, it has a soft, gently ruffled magnolia band sitting above the waterline, topped with a narrower band of moody space grey which rises to the caprail. It’s a colour scheme which resembles a puffin. As the ferry crests and dips among the waves, the colourfully decorated bow, with interspersed chevrons of bright orange, dark grey, and soft yellow, appears to repeatedly peck at fish in the water.
Children are thrilled watching The Puffin come and go. One day, they hope that the bow will rise carrying a small brace of sardines. Just like the beak of a real puffin!
Slowly, cruising past the tiny barracks of the combined Constabulary and Garrison, and the stables with only six horses, The Puffin edges towards the far corner of the docks where SeaBird Logistics is based.
On their way back from their Saturday afternoon fishing trips, three or four pretty blue and white boats are berthing already. The boats’ bells sound from time to time, their crews bellow instructions to the dockhands, and the noisy, airborne mafia of seagulls anxiously circles awaiting an opportunity to seize some illicit dinner.
A smell of salty sea air mixes with the aroma of damp rope, wet sackcloth, and a hint of horse dung as KristalClear and NutJob cautiously pick their way through the dockside melee of impatient traders, dilapidated hand carts, Shire horses and heavy duty wagons.
The bustling activity of the docks gives way to the calm and friendly flurry of people going about their business in this pleasant market town. Passing beneath the archway on The Highway, KristalClear is leading NutJob to the prearranged meeting at the Dandy Highwayman Café.
EarlyBird made sure that she had arrived early, and settled down with HopAlong at a table next to the window. Occasionally watching the street, they’ve been trying to pick
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