Leiter’s ‘sixpenny sick’ was the hotel launch, a smart Chrysler-engined speedboat that said it would be 20 dollars an hour. They ran out westwards from the harbour, past Silver Cay, Long Cay and Balmoral Island, and round Delaporte Point. Five miles further down the coast, encrusted with glittering seashore properties the boatman said cost £400 per foot of beach frontage, they rounded Old Fort Point and came upon the gleaming white and dark blue ship lying with two anchors out in deep water just outside the reef. Leiter whistled. He said in an awestruck voice, ‘Boy, is that a piece of boat! I’d sure like to have one of those to play with in my bath.’
Bond said, ‘She’s Italian. Built by a firm called Rodrigues at Messina. Thing called an Aliscafo. She’s got a hydrofoil under the hull and w
