Two virgin shipwreck survivors share a lifeboat and a few more discoveries in the Victorian-era
By Big galute. Listen to the ► Podcast at Steamy Stories.
We had been at sea for ten days when the storm hit, our splendid vessel battered and broken into no more than firewood, all the passengers and crew seemingly lost.
I came to, my legs dangling in the water and my arms and upper body atop some flotsam timbers. The sea around me was calm, with small pieces of wreckage everywhere. I tried to look around, the throbbing pain in my head and the low morning sun making it hard to focus; no one to be seen, just me.
I pulled myself up onto the driftwood, too tired to think, my mind too blurred to do anything other than curl up and sleep.
Davy, Davy Arthur that's me, eighteen years old and on my first ship. I'd grown up by the Thames, my father worked on the tugs but died when I was young. It was in my blood and I'd always dreamt of being at sea, then my mother died and I got a job as a stoker on the SS Cadwallader, sailing to the new world. In other words, I assisted in tending the boiler furnace for this steam ship named for a Welsh king from centuries ago.
The several months I spent shoveling coal into the furnace, reduced my once-stocky six foot frame by more than 2 inches around my waistline.
"Hello, Hello. Are you okay there, are you alive?"
I tried to follow the voice, a ladies voice, young and a bit wispy & screechy as she shouted out to me, "Hello, I'm over here, can you see me?" I slowly turned my head and body to the left, maybe 3 rods away from me was a small wooden life boat, a damsel frantically waving her arms at me. I managed to raise one arm to let her know I was alive and she started to paddle with one oar, the boat turning sideways rather than towards me, then I think I passed out again.
"Hello, are you alright, can you move?" The voice was much closer now, kind and posh, like the ladies I had sometimes overheard in coming out of tearooms in London. The boat was now less than a fathom from me but I felt hardly able to move, all my strength needed to perch up on one elbow.
"I'll hold out the oar, see if you can grab it." The wispy voice directed.
I used my free arm to grab it, then held on for dear life and found myself getting right up to the starboard, till a soft hand grasped my wrist. "You'll have to help me, I can't pull you in by myself. Can you get onto your knees?"
I did as she said, and rolled up over the rail, then plonked myself onto the small lifeboat, almost tipping us as I did so.
"Oh you poor thing, you're all cuts and bruises." As she said this she supported my head and offered water to my lips, "Drink slowly in case you get sick." Consciousness was a fleeting state, and I could not decipher reality from delirious dreams.
I looked up at her pale lips and beautiful green eyes and wondered if she were an angel and I was dead; my thoughts slipping as my eyes closed; the ripping of material and my angel saying "We must cover you from the sun." being the last sounds I heard.
I felt a wet cloth on my forehead and heard soothing words being spoken, the smiling face of my 'angel' looking down at me as I opened my eyes.
"Hello again." Came her pleasant greeting. I think I smiled back and then tried to sit up
"Take it easy, let me help you." She offered. I felt the wonderful softness of her body against mine as she set me upright.
The spinning in my head slowed as I tried to focus and clear the fog in my brain; shipwreck, lifeboat, angel. "Do you remember going overboard and the ship sinking?" My angel asked.
I shook my head, in the affirmative.
"I think you must have banged your head pretty badly'" she assessed. "You have a nasty bruise on the side of it."
I put my hand up and felt the tender area above my ear. "I think you have what Professor Gower refers to as a concussion, are you familiar with Professor Gower's work." I again shook my head in the negative.
"He's the eminent neurologist of our time. I think you should be okay in a day or two."
I nodded, then asked; "What's your name, and are you an angel?"
She looked taken-aback and then burst out laughing. "Oh my dear thing, no I'm not an angel and you are very much alive. My name's Jemima Fairweather but you may call me Jemi, all my friends do. What's your name?"
"Davy Arthur."
"Nice to meet you Davy Arthur; & may I call you Davy?"
I nodded to her. At that point I could care less what the skipper of the only lifeboat decided to call me.
"Now, how do we get out of this pickle." She asked, expecting me to be a seafaring expert.
I followed her gaze as she looked around, nothing but water and us in a small wooden boat, no more than fifteen feet long. I looked around our boat; there were three small wooden boxes, only one rowing oar and Jemi, her elaborate bustle dress torn with several parts missing, and what looked like some of the dress material tied around her head.
Seeing me stare, Jemi blushed slightly before explaining, "I lost my hat as I got into the boat and needed to cover my head from the sun, I used the rest of it to cover you."
I became aware that I was wearing a sort of cloak over my shoulders, my vest nowhere to be seen and my already threadbare britches now even more tattered as they clung to my legs. Another small square of the dress was by my side and I guessed that that had covered my head.
"Thank you for rescuing me."
"No need to thank me. Now tell me Davy, what did you do on board, do you know how to navigate?"
"I was a junior stoker, I don't know how to read charts and such but I know the tides on the Thames like the back of my hand."
Jemi smiled sweetly. If she wasn't an angel then she was the most beautiful lady I had ever seen, her cheeks reddening as she caught my stare. "Well I've read a few books on navigation and if we can work out which way we need to go then maybe we can make a sail. Do you want something to eat?"
I didn't know there was any food and must have looked confused, "I was put into the lifeboat first and then they handed down some boxes of provisions. As the other ladies went to get into the boat the ship listed badly and I broke away, soon after it sank." She looked as if she would cry.
"I'm very sorry for you if your husband or family were on board."
She smiled, "No husband and my family are all in England. Actually if you promise not to tell anyone." She smiled wider as she looked around at the vast, empty sea, "that's why I'm here. My father wanted me to marry the horrid Marcus but I wanted to continue my education and become a scientist. My grandfather had left me an endowment for when I was twenty one, so I bought a ticket and ran away. I plan to attend university when I reach America." The sad look returned as she said this.
Not wanting her to be sad I started telling her about myself, how I'd never been to school but enjoyed working on the tug and now wanted to see the world. How I'd courted Mary Deacy but when it had gotten serious I decided on the sea, before I settle down to marriage.
She smiled, "So we're both running away." I nodded and smiled back
"I think we have another few hours of sun before it gets dark. Cover your head and we'll eat something, then we'll see if we can make a sail." I hadn't a clue about how she planned on making a sail and was still a bit shook from the bang on the head. I knotted the dress material around my head and waited to see what food we had.
"If we ration ourselves I think we have enough food and water for three or four days, maybe more. It's mainly bread and some cured meat, also a little cheese which we should eat first." She opened one of the boxes and passed me some bread and cheese, trying to remember my manners I waited for her to start.
"Bon appétit." She declared, then took her first bite.
Gently smiling at my puzzled look, Jemi said, "It means enjoy your meal, in French."
"Bon appétit." I tried back.
Jemi spoke rapidly as she ate "Where do you think our closest land is? I think we might be closer to the West Indies than we are to America. We should head north westerly; also I think there'll be more trading vessels in that direction, more chance of being rescued."
I smiled at her enthusiasm and at her knowledge, "How are we going to make a sail?" I asked.
She pointed at one of the benches in the boat, "That one has a hole in it, we can stand the oar up in it and use your belt to lash it tightly, if that works we'll use some of my dress to make a sail. As the sun goes down we'll know which way is west."
She must have seen the worried look on my face, "Don't you think it'll work?" she asked.
"It's not that." I clarified.
"What then?" She said in a puzzled state.
I went bright red, "My britches will fall down without my belt."
Jemi tried but couldn't stop herself from laughing, "Oh Davy that's so funny, you'll still have your underpants on."
I went even redder and Jemi realized, her own cheeks flushing. "You haven't got any underpants on, have you?"
I shook my head, struggling to look at Jemi's smiling face, "Well we really need that belt, and I'll be down to my undergarments also."
We finished the food in silence, Jemi smiling the whole time and I beginning to see the funny side of it and realizing that in the grand scheme of being stranded at sea, me losing my britches didn't matter. Worryingly, I found my penis beginning to twitch at the thought of it.
"How shall we do this," Jemi implored; "Do you think we should fix the mast first or try and fashion a sail first?" As Jemi asked this she stood up and moved forward, the small boat instantly becoming unstable and beginning to rock "Well these ruddy boots will have to go for a start, I struggle to walk in them at the best of times, not alone balance on a small boat."
She sat down and hiked her garments to her knees, giving me a delectable view of her stocking covered calf as she went about unfastening her boots. I quickly looked away as she caught me staring "Oh Davy you are funny, I think we'll be seeing a lot more of each other before we get off this boat." There was a slight mocking tone in her voice that I didn't like.
Sensing my unease and embarrassment, Jemi continued in a softer tone "Davy, I want you to look at me." lifting my head I saw that her dress was still at her knees and Jemi was smiling at me, her beautiful face and eyes alive with merriment and mischief. She lifted her hem higher, parting her legs slightly as her fingers searched inside her chemise for the top of her stocking. I knew I should look away but couldn't, Jemi's fingers slowly rolling down her stocking and that first view of her gloriously soft, pale thighs. I think I may have stopped breathing, only Jemi's sigh bringing me back to life. Her cheeks had a high flush to them and her eyes appeared glazed as another deep breath escaped her soft lips, her legs parting once more as she felt for the other stocking.
As she removed her stocking and lowered her dress Jemi looked straight at me, "Did you enjoy that?"
I was in awe of her confidence and brazenness but found myself shocked, confused and upset at her forthrightness. "Miss, I may only be a stoker but please don't treat me as a fool."
She moved closer and sat down in front of me, taking both my hands Jemi said, "Oh Davy I'm not treating you as a fool. I'm sorry if I shocked you but I've always wanted to feel a man's eyes on me the way yours were, their desire almost burning my skin. We may die on this boat and there's so many things I want to experience before I die."
She paused as if thinking, "Have you ever kissed a girl?" before I could answer or even shake my head she leant in closer and kissed me, the sea saltiness of her lips soon replaced by the warmth and softness of her probing tongue.
I kissed her back and went to hold her tighter but Jemi broke the embrace, smiling and then blushing as she looked down at the bulge in my britches "Later, we haven't got much time before nightfall, sail or mast first?" I took a deep breath and tried to clear my head.
"I think it would be difficult to attach any sort of sail standing up, we'd probably fall overboard. We should attach it first, then pull it out when the mast is secured." Jemi agreed with my suggestion and retrieved a knife from the provisions box. She turned around and sat down between my legs, "Help me undo this dress."
Sensing my hesitancy Jemi spoke again, "Come on Davy, we need this dress if we're going to make a sail and beside I'll still have my chemise on."
Her voice faltered as she said this, as if suddenly remembering something, "What?" I asked.
"Nothing really, we'll address it later." I didn't know what it was but I could tell she was blushing, the back of her neck reddening also.
I was all fingers and thumbs as I undid her buttons, the situation not helped by Jemi animatedly deploring the gowns women were expected to wear and wondering why they shouldn't be allowed to wear britches and shirts also.
"I don't know, that's just the way it is." Was the best I could offer.
"Poppycock, that's no reason for anything." I smiled at her temper and spirit.
When all the buttons were undone, Jemi still struggled to get her arms out of the tight sleeves "Don't just sit there, help me," She ordered. This involved me leaning forward, putting my arms around her and pulling the sleeves as she pushed back, our bodies pressed tight together and my head wedged beside hers. I thought to kiss her cheek but dared not.
With the top of her dress now off Jemi sat upright and began to remove her petticoats, I took the liberty of staying where I was, with Jemi's dress covered bottom wedged firmly between my spread legs. As the last petticoat came off I saw the back of her corset, the gaps between the tight ties revealing her sleeveless chemise and the beautiful soft skin of her upper back. I had seen washer women stripped down to similar garments as they pummeled wet clothing in the street, but none of them seemed as alluring or forbidden as this fair damsel.
Jemi sat there waiting for me to move, "Come on Davy, undo this blasted corset."
"Yes ma'am." I said emphatically, and was delighted to hear Jemi giggle.
"Finally, I can now breath." Jemi shouted to the world. I knew what Jemi meant but if I was to be honest I didn't see much difference, her slim waist and shapely back looking the same to me. "We'll need some of those bones to keep the sail stiff." Jemi said as she laid the corset down.
I had no real idea of the time or how much daylight we had left, maybe 90 minutes or so. I was in no hurry, happy to admire Jemi's back, but I could tell she was restless and a little uncertain; eventually she turned and looked at me.
"How much do you know about ladies undergarments?" She could tell by my face that the answer was nothing.
"This is the latest chemise design, all in one piece," She explained. "The bloomers connected to the top, far less bulky than wearing multiple layers." I nodded, having no idea where this was going, watching Jemi's face as it went beetroot red, "As such it is open in the middle, when I take my dress off you'll be able to see everything,"
It was my turn to blush as the meaning of this dawned on me, Jemi's hand touched my reddened face gently, "Oh Davy, you're such a sweetie. Now you must promise not to laugh."
"Why would I laugh?"
"Well the garments look ridiculous and you'll see everything." She said with a painful expression on her face.
"I promise."
"Good, now lie back." She ordered, in a mock serious tone.
"Yes ma'am." Was my answer to Jemi's latest order, she pursed her lips and gave me an evil stare before smiling.
I lay down and Jemi turned again, lying down between my legs, her whole weight against my crotch as she set her feet and lifted her hips, using her hands to wiggle the dress down. I knew I shouldn't be looking but couldn't help myself, my eyes first drawn to her high bust and the hard little nubs that poked through her chemise, then to the little wisps of golden hair, clearly visible as she arched her pelvis upwards to get the dress off.
I was suddenly mortified, Jemi must undoubtedly be aware of my own hardness, rammed as it was between her shoulder blades. I was struck by a funny memory of some of the rather lewd terms I'd heard other sailors use for a penis. Words like rudder, maypole, tallywacker; to name but a few. My memories were interrupted by movement, rather than sitting upright and slapping my face as I'd expected, Jemi was pushing backwards, her body grinding against mine till our heads were level and never before felt sensations were pulsing through my rudder.
When she stopped she turned her head and kissed my cheek, "Thank you for the help with my dress." She sat upright, seemingly happy that she had left me with my mouth open and mute.
Jemi's crotch was covered lightly in strawberry blonde curly hair. Her full outer lips were a rich hew of pink. Her derrier was smooth & round, and as prominent as her swaying breasts, with two large and very pink nipples pointing slightly upward.
"Now for the sail." She said as she grabbed the knife.
At best it would be a rather simple sail, with one of us holding one side to help direct the boat. We saved half the dress to cover ourselves and used the other half to mimic a sail, small enough to handle, but hopefully big enough to be effective. Jemi was surprisingly proficient with the knife and had soon cut the materials and threaded the whale bone so that the sail was ready.
Being busy and working as a team temporarily took my mind off Jemi's state of undress, the situation only coming back to me as I secured the sail to the oar and Jemi told me to lash it upright using my belt. I did this from a sitting position and then Jemi sat smiling at me, her knees bent up and slightly apart, as she told me to stand and hold the sail stiff.
The little glimpse between her parted legs, the thought of soon being exposed to this woman and her whole confident, sexy demeanor had my eighteen year old maypole devilishly stiff as I stood up, my britches falling as I knew they would and Jemi staring wide eyed.
"Is that a normal size?"Jemi asked as she moved closer to study it as if it were an exhibit, I shrugged my shoulders not really knowing the answer, "It looks very big to go inside one's body." I again shrugged my shoulders, my maypole twitching involuntarily as I wondered if that was what she had in mind. Much to my surprise Jemi then started giggling, "What a funny thing, it seems to have a mind of its own. Do you think it could get that hard and large every hour, we could use it as a sun dial." She obviously thought this very amusing as her laughter increased, and I found myself laughing also and beginning to enjoy the close attention she was paying.
From out of nowhere I shocked myself by saying "Do you want to touch it?" "No not yet, maybe later." Jemi replied as if it was a normal conversation. "Do you have a name for it?" I didn't really but thought about it and decided on tallywacker, "Good description, from the Latin Talia, meaning large club or rod." For some reason I felt quite proud, even though I'd stolen the word.
"Do you have a name for your, umm, lady bits?"
"Oh yes, of course. I've always called mine my fuzzy wuzzy, although as you've already seen it's really more light and wispy." I was beginning to redden even more but Jemi just smiled and continued, "some of the girls I know have virtual forests that you could get lost in for hours." I shook my head and tried to concentrate on the sail.
I think we were both surprised by how effective the sail was, the boat jolting forward as I held it out tight, Jemi's comment that I was now at half-mast taking a while to sink in, and her finding it very amusing that just talking about it made it grow hard again. "What an amazing appendage, if we get out of here I think I'll make studying tallywackers my life's work." By the silly grin on her face I couldn't tell if she was serious or not.
It would soon be dark and we decided to let the sail down, drinking a little water before lying side by side and staring skywards, a large, bright moon rising from the east.
I couldn't hold it in any longer, "I need to pee." I told Jemi.
"So do I, it's a lot easier for you, you can just do it over the side, I don't want to pee in the boat." I thought about this for a moment and came up with an idea. "I'll go first and then support you so you can go over the side too." Jemi looked skeptical but I said I'd show her.
I knelt up and got ready to pee, surprised to see Jemi lean up on her elbow to watch me, her face less than two feet away from my ready to burst tallywacker, "What are you doing?" I insisted on knowing.
"Well if I'm going to study it I have to see everything it does." I was so desperate that I didn't care, a stream bursting forth into the ocean. I was aware of Jemi saying "wow that's a lot." But wasn't expecting her to put her hand out in the stream, the shock of her doing so causing me to pull my tallywacker up sharply, my pee spraying wildly, some of it, I'm sure, hitting Jemi.
"What are you doing?" I asked in shock
"Have you never put your hand into your stream of pee?"
"No." I said with conviction.
"Oh, well, I just wanted to see if it felt the same as mine."
"I think you got more than you were expecting." I observed.
"I know, it tasted bitterer than mine."
As I looked at her smiling face in the moonlight I really didn't know what to make of this shocking woman. "Now how are you going to help me?" she asked.
I explained that I would brace my legs against the side and then hold both her arms firmly so that she could hang her bottom over the side and do her business. We did this quite successfully, Jemi's only complaint being that it was quite painful on her arms, "Well you could hold onto my tallywacker instead." I suggested.
Jemi laughed at this, saying; "I think I'm a bad influence on you."
I was starting to feel more comfortable with this lass's semi-vulgar discussion of private body parts and functions. It was honest, and yet felt sorta crude and improper, like telling dirty jokes.
We laid back down, both of us lost in our own thoughts as we stared at the millions of stars above us, finally Jemi asking me, "Do you know anything about the stars?"
"No, do you?"
"No." she admitted with disappointment in her voice.
"Haven't you read a book about them?" This got me a playful dig in the ribs and I could see Jemi's beautiful smile in the moonlight, after a moment she said, "Davy, if we don't survive this, I'm ever so happy that I met you."
"And me that I met you ma'am."
She turned her body to face me, her breasts rubbing my arm and her smile widening, "You like calling me ma'am, don't you?"
"Yes ma'am." I answered, struggling to keep a straight face
"Will you do whatever I tell you to do?"
"Yes ma'am, immediately." Neither of us could keep it going, our laughter only halted by Jemi kissing me, my brain and body electrified by the feel of her lips.
Jemi broke the kiss and declared, "None of my books ever told me how good that feels."
"No ma'am."
"Will you stop with that blasted ma'am."
"Yes ma'am."
Jemi's exasperation made me smile but the truth was that I had been told what to do my whole life, nobody, and certainly not a lady, had ever asked my opinion.
"Davy, I'm beginning to feel cold, I want you to cuddle me." Jemi put her finger to my lip before I could say anything.
She turned her back and bent her legs up, signaling for me to cover us with the remaining dress material and to snuggle into her. I couldn't resist one last jape, "Ma'am, what shall I do with the tallywacker?"
I heard Jemi snigger before she replied, "Remember that I still have the knife."
I lay stiffly at first, not knowing what to do with my body or arms "Well I won't get very warm like that." Jemi said, "Put your right arm around me." As I did this, Jemi took my hand and placed it on her belly, her bottom shifting back at the same time and her soft, naked skin making contact with my own naked nether regions, my stiff tallywacker pointing northwards and becoming wedged between her generous buttocks as she wiggled her tail delightfully.
As Jemi pushed back, I pushed forward, the friction between us making my heart race and my breath shorten. As if sensing this, Jemi stopped pushing back and moved slightly to break our contact, instead taking my hand and guiding it around her body, squeezing it closed upon her breast and then gently rubbing it against her hardened nubs, an action that caused her own breath to falter.
"Let your hand roam wherever it may." Jemi whispered as she removed her hand from mine.
I closed my eyes and nervously moved my hand to her face, my fingers gently tracing it contours, Jemi's soft whimpers encouraging me further. I had a fond memory of my mother washing my hair, her strong fingers kneading my scalp as she did so. And I found my hand in Jemi's hair, gently at first and then more vigorously massaging her scalp.
"Oh that feels wonderful, don't stop." I didn't and found Jemi's body again pushing back into me as she oohed and aahed. I kept my own body still and continued to explore hers.
My hand moved down her arm, my finger tips gently caressing the soft bare skin, causing Jemi to giggle. "You may look like a brute but you're very gentle really." She said lightheartedly. I took this in good humor and continued my wanderings, letting my calloused hand slip onto her bare arse, eliciting moans from Jemi, moans that were amplified when I finally gave into temptation and kissed her neck.
"Keep kissing my neck and slap my bottom."
My mother had brought me up to respect women and had me swear that I would never hit one, unlike many of the brutes in my neighbouhood. Sensing my confusion and hesitancy Jemi turned her head and smiled at me.
"My friend, Imogen Farquar, recently got married, she says any time her husband thinks she's been naughty he puts her over his knee and gives her a good spanking. Now she tries to be naughty at least twice a day." She said this with such an impish look on her face that I couldn't help but smile and gave her delectable bottom a little tap of my hand.
"Oh come on, stoker, you can do better than that."
"Yes ma'am, whatever you say ma'am." Jemi started to say something but was interrupted as my palm landed with more force, "Ooh, that's better, keep going." She said as she turned her face away and bent her knees higher.
I larruped Jemi's arse five or six times, she encouraging me to go harder with each one, the small boat starting to rock as I delivered the last one. Jemi's hand came over and I was pleased she was going to stop me, instead she felt around for my tallywacker, her small hand struggling to encircle it as she started to pull and squeeze it.
"Keep spanking." She told me.
Each thwack of my hand was met with a harder pull and squeeze; the sensation of this and Jemi's increasingly vulgar encouragements making me lose my mind, my kisses on her neck becoming more vigorous and almost violent as my smacks got harder. I was in a delirious state as my loins exploded, I could no longer spank Jemi, I wasn't even sure I could breath.
Jemi's hand moved gently up my shaft, coating her fingers with the last vestiges of my seed. She let go and turned around, her smiling face only inches from mine in the bright moonlight. I went to speak but was stunned and not a little horrified when Jemi held a sticky, salty finger to my lip. Her smile widened at my shock, a shock amplified many fold when Jemi started to suck and lick her fingers.
"It tastes saltier than mine." My face must have been a picture because Jemi burst out laughing "Oh Davy you really are so sweet, I could love you." Before I could even think what this meant Jemi gently kissed me, thoughts of sticky fingers temporarily leaving my head until she broke the kiss and took my hand and moved it towards her lady bits, "Feel my cunny, I was diddling myself as you thrashed me and gushed twice." I pulled my hand away.
"Do you enjoy shocking and embarrassing me?" I asked.
"Yes and no." Jemi said smiling but then continued "we could die tomorrow or the next day or starve to death the day after that, why shouldn't we enjoy each other's bodies before we do?"
"Because the things we've been doing should only be done between a man and wife and some of the things you've been doing would not be done by anyone respectable."
I was shocked at my own words, but was glad I'd said them.
To be continued..
