By Maid of Kent’s fifth trip, Smith had the procedure working like a machine. They loaded the cargo at Kingsgate’s harbour or in any of the small creeks and ports along the Kent coast and left with the evening tide. After a quick run to Portsmouth to deliver the legal cargo with the Navy, they crossed the Channel and picked up the illicit cargo off France. Now that Smith had the operation running smoothly, he paid for the French spirits with British gold, earned from his network of customers. Between the extra mast and Smith’s habit of driving the ship hard, Maid of Kent could make the extended voyage in the same time as other shipmasters made the simple return trip.
Maid of Kent’sMaid of Kent Once he reached the Kent coast, Smith hovered offshore and landed the free trade goods at Spike
