Question

what does 'the third ship' stands for?(The North Ship of Class IX)​

Answer 1

Answer:

The third ship sails north, encounters an "unforgiving sea," and does not return, perhaps because it did not expect to return. Larkin tells us twice that this ship was "rigged for a long journey." Thus, this ship could symbolize the life path that leads us the furthest from our origins and our home, the life path that is perhaps the scariest and most dangerous and unfamiliar, as well as the most mysterious and full of potential.