On 22 April 1920, Everett sailed from Bristol for Sabine, Texas, as third mate of the barque 'Birkdale'. This voyage resulted in many drawings and paintings. The 'Birkdale, built in 1892, was the last barque to fly the red ensign. She spent nearly all her working life in the Chilean nitrate trade and was wrecked on the Chilean coast after catching fire in 1927.

This small, intimate, impressionistic image shows Captain Walmsley and Mr McWatters, the mate of the barque, in the saloon. The figure on the right holds a pair of dividers as he pores over a chart. His presence has only been sketched in and his features omitted, and the only prominent elements are his flat cap and the dividers that he holds. A bottle and full glass are on the table beside him, together with his pipe, and he rests his left arm on the table. The figure on the left wears an officer's peaked cap and a blue jacket. The artist has created a more finished image of him as he is more solidly painted and his features more defined. He smokes a pipe that sits squarely in his mouth and his right arm rests on the table, a full glass of beer beside him. The bottle stands in the foreground on the table, which is covered in a green cloth. His status as captain is indicated by his uniform, the mahogany chair and the comparatively finished appearance of his portrait. Elements of the saloon are visible through the reflection in the bulkhead mirror in the background, which has a potted plant on a brass-railed shelf below it. The scene is dominated by a lamp that hangs over the table in the centre of the painting. This painterly response to the interior of a ship under sail demonstrates an insight into life on board, without detailed representation.

Everett did not sell his marine work during his lifetime but bequeathed all of it to the National Maritime Museum. It consists of oil paintings and a large number of drawings and engravings. He was a practical deep-water sailor, understood his subject and his work manifests the knowledge gleaned from living on board. He was also a fine draughtsman and saw sails, ropes and deck fittings in terms of rhythmic patterns. This enabled him to produce powerful and vigorous compositions.