“Meet the Sunspot!” Sandy announced with a proud wave of her hand.
The boys stared, wide-eyed with admiration. From her tall masts to her graceful hull, gleaming with fresh paint and varnish, the ketch was a sailor’s dream.
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“But whose is it?” Tom asked.
“It’s ours!” Phyl cried. “That is, it belongs to both our families. It was just delivered Saturday.”
“And what’s more,” Sandy added, “we’re all going away on a long cruise in it as soon as Dad and Uncle Ned can leave here for a few weeks!”
Although Mr. Newton was not actually a relative, both Tom and Sandy were accustomed to calling him “Uncle Ned.” This was because of his long association with Mr. Swift and the close friendship between the two families.
“What a surprise!” Tom exclaimed. “The Sunspot’s a beauty!”
He and Bud were eager to examine the graceful craft. After scrambling down from the dock, they helped the girls aboard, then explored the ketch thoroughly from stem to stern.
“A real dreamboat!” Bud gasped, taking in every detail with a practiced seaman’s eye. At home in California sailing had always been one of his favorite sports.
Besides a powerful auxiliary engine and a trim little dinghy, the ketch was equipped with every possible accessory, including radio and radar. Its cabin was divided into twin compartments with comfortable bunks and a small galley.
The most amazing touch was twin gravitex machines, mounted one on each side of the hull to stabilize the craft, in place of ballast.
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