# The Alerte — The Cruise of the Alerte character guide

> The Alerte in The Cruise of the Alerte by E. F. Knight.

**Role:** major

**Also known as:** Alerte

**First appearance:** 0000-i-the-history-of-the-treasure

## Snapshot

A sixty-four-foot teak cutter built in 1864, sound as the day she left the stocks, carrying a crew of treasure-hunters toward Trinidad.

## Who they are

She is the expedition's home, its engine of survival, and its most reliable member — a seasoned old cutter converted to a yawl for the voyage. Her honest construction and comfortable, old-fashioned build stand in quiet contrast to the human schemes and uncertainties aboard her. Every mile of the cruise depends on her seaworthiness, making her the silent protagonist of the journey.

## Relationships

### [Arthur Cotton](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cruise_of_the_alerte_se/characters/arthur_cotton)

_psychological_

Arthur Cotton shares the narrator's deep attachment to the ship Alerte, viewing it as integral to their mission.

## In the story

### [II: The Alerte Is Fitted Out](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cruise_of_the_alerte_se/chapters/ii-the-alerte-is-fitted-out)

The cutter-yacht purchased and fitted out for the treasure expedition; converted to a yawl and equipped with new boats and a condensing apparatus.

### [III: The Ship’s Company](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cruise_of_the_alerte_se/chapters/iii-the-ship-s-company)

The vessel chosen for the expedition, described by the first mate as 'cranky' and 'too heavily sparred,' but ultimately proven seaworthy.

### [Our First Voyage](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cruise_of_the_alerte_se/chapters/v-our-first-voyage)

The yacht is fitted out and departs from Southampton, later anchoring at Calshot and Cowes before setting sail.

### [On the Salvages](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cruise_of_the_alerte_se/chapters/vi-on-the-salvages)

The yacht that brought the party to the Salvages; anchors off the bay.

### [Running Down the Trades](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cruise_of_the_alerte_se/chapters/vii-running-down-the-trades)

The yacht making the voyage; modifications made to spinnaker and boom during the journey.

### [IX: Treasure Island at Last](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cruise_of_the_alerte_se/chapters/ix-treasure-island-at-last)

The yacht anchored off the cascade; its safety and maneuverability are central to the chapter.

### [Homeward Bound](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cruise_of_the_alerte_se/chapters/xxii-homeward-bound)

The yacht is laid up in Port of Spain after the voyage; its draught causes it to sink into the mud.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cruise_of_the_alerte_se/characters/the_alerte
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cruise_of_the_alerte_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cruise_of_the_alerte_se/characters