This maritime painting depicts a dynamic scene on the water, featuring two distinct types of vessels. On the left, the prominent wooden-hulled training ship, the 'Conway', is shown from a rear three-quarter view, displaying its multiple masts, complex rigging, and numerous windows along its high, rounded stern. A small sailboat manoeuvres close to its side. To the right, a more modern, early 20th-century steamship with a dark hull and a bright red smokestack cuts through the water, billowing a thick plume of black smoke into the overcast sky.
The setting is a choppy, grey-green sea under a hazy, muted sky, conveying a sense of foggy or overcast weather. The composition contrasts the classic, towering architecture of the sailing vessel against the functional, industrial lines of the steamer. Smaller rowboats filled with figures in dark uniforms are visible near the hulls of the ships, adding a sense of scale and human activity to the maritime environment.
The artwork is rendered in a soft, painterly style with a muted colour palette dominated by browns, greys, and pale blues. The artist, Kenneth D. Shoesmith, uses subtle variations in light and shadow to define the texture of the ship hulls and the depth of the misty background. The overall mood is one of historical transition, capturing a moment where the era of sail overlapped with the rise of steam-powered maritime travel.