Partings are rarely simple in Blackmore’s world, and this chapter lingers on the emotions stirred by a farewell that stretches longer than expected. Words left unsaid, glances held too long, and the weight of uncertainty give this goodbye its poignancy.

In this chapter, David Llewellyn faces the harsh truth that fishing alone can no longer sustain him, and so he must sign up to go back to sea. His story reflects the real struggles of many South Wales men whose livelihoods depended on shifting tides and uncertain catches. Some became sailors under the stern stone captains, who commanded vessels trading limestone between the South Wales coast and North Devon. Blackmore also roots the tale in a very specific local setting — the Welcome to Town Inn, not the recently demolished Bridgend pub of t ...