Before the ferry

An original fiction passage set in the nineteenth century.

The ferryman inspected the sky, then shook his head. Clouds were gathering beyond the headland, and the wind had already driven the empty boat hard against its mooring. Alice asked whether they might cross before the rain began. He pointed to the water spilling over the landing steps. The tide was rising faster than he liked. She folded the letter she had hoped to deliver and put it back inside her coat.

Give two details which show that conditions make the crossing unsafe.