While her fitting out had been going on she was hove up on shore and received several coats of paint.

Edmund was loath to start on his voyage without again seeing the king, but no one knew where Alfred now was, he, on finding the struggle hopeless, having retired to the fastnesses of Somerset to await the time when the Saxons should be driven by oppression again to take up arms.
At last all was ready, and the Dragon put out to sea.

She was provided with oars as well as sails, but these were only to be used when in pursuit, or when flying from a superior enemy.

As soon as she had been long enough at sea to enable the band again to recover from the effects of sickness the oars were got out and the men practised in their use.
As in the models from which she had been built, she rowed two banks of oars, the one worked by men upon deck, the others through small port-holes.

The latter could only be used when the weather was fine; when the sea was high they were closed up and fastened.