Is the artist Henry T. Cariss aboard this cruising yacht with his fellow light-hearted mariners? At the least, he has put us firmly in the shoes of a seventh person onboard, watching the six compatriots enjoying a relaxing day's sail with the captain at the helm, a decanter with spirits, a burning cigar and at least one tall tale. Up close, on deck depictions from this era are extremely rare, and offer a pure, genre view of the American yachting tradition.

Each of the men wears a different hat and a array of unique facial hair fashions, shown with some of the dramatic flair of a thespian in their comedic and serious dispositions. The ocean of the title flows a wide natural wake behind the yacht, with darker troughs rising in swells as they speed along. An absolute simple joy of an early American yacht outing.