Love the story so far. There's plenty of atmosphere and enough detail about the world the characters are in without revealing too much. I like the inclusion of superstition and the manner of speaking that DeVane and the men have; it's a rather subtle indication of what kind of society they live in and perhaps what social standing they possess. The concept of stone trees is interesting as well.

One thing I want to point is "single-masted ketch (type of boat)". I think the parenthesized explanation is unnecessary as the description of the ketch and the actions of the characters is enough for a reader to draw the conclusion that it is a type of boat that they are in. From a technical standpoint, everything else is pretty sound as far as my eyes can see. 

I look forward to seeing more from you!