Composition and values for boats

The other day, I told a friend that I paint by instinct. But the value and composition sketches below, plus the notes in my book, tell a different story. My conclusion is that, for me, painting by instinct comes after extensive work and exploration.

Warm and cooler, plus figuring out rigging and water.

Delighted to see also that I did write down the colours I used in 3-4-5 colour sketches. Yay!