A seascape of an empty horizon from the 'Birkdale'. Through colour and form it concentrates on the visual effects of cloud shown as smudges of vivid colour. The sky on the right is shown as a flat wash of thickly applied lemon-yellow paint which turns orange as it meets the horizon. The sea has been loosely painted with small dashes of blue and white paint to indicate the waves. 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' and records the position of the ship at the time of the sketch as '37° N 54°' verso.