A sketch of sea and sky, looking towards an empty horizon from the deck of the 'Birkdale'. The sea is shown as a series of short diagonal brush strokes. Alternating between light and dark, they indicate the peaks and troughs of the waves. The sky is shown as layers of colour arranged loosely in bands. The colour of the paper support has been allowed to show through. Everett joined the barque, 'Birkdale', and sailed from Bristol to Sabine Pass, Texas, April to June 1920. It was his first journey after World War I. The 'Birkdale' was due to take sulphur from Texas to the Cape, but when she arrived in Texas the ship was re-chartered to Australia and so Everett reluctantly left her and came home by steamer. The 'Birkdale', built in 1892, was the last barque to fly the red ensign and spent nearly all her working life in the Chilean nitrate trade. For a short time after World War I she switched to taking sulphur from Texas to the Cape. The 'Birkdale' went back to the nitrate trade and was wrecked on the Chilean coast after catching fire in 1927. The painting is inscribed 'Birk' verso.