Physically handicapped, with little clothing, nothing but an imagination fired by reading sea-yarns, that's his equipment for the voyage! The Danish chap on the other hand, was a sailor-man and when he became talkative over a bottle that night in the focsle, he revealed that he'd knocked about in Australia, the States and South America. He had sailed in the six-mast schooner OREGON PINE and hand made a passage out to Melbourne in the Norwegian bk. BELLANDS. I questioned him about this voyage and found it was the very one "Paddy" Kelly, my shipmate in the KITTY MACKALL, had made. Most assuredly he knew Maurice or "Paddy" as he was called and when he later related incidents which "Paddy" had told me of before, I knew the man's story was genuine. A good ship, I hope and one who seems anxious to please and satisfy, qualities rare in most cooks especially going deep-water. March 11, 1925, Wednesday-The appearance of the horizon is threatening today and the light sou'westerly breeze developed into a half-gale by night. As our watch turned in 8 o'clock (first watch) the 2nd Mate's whistle summoned his crowd out in a hurry and it was in all three upper to'gallants'ls. There was some delay getting the fore to'gallants'l in owing to a halliard's fouling but aside from this they were snubbed in good style. I thought how handy it is to be with a big gang rather than the four and five on a watch that the Yankee schooners carry. Tho' it blew strong, the wind was quartering and they held on to their canvas heroically. The full-rigged boiled thru' it, going ten and eleven with none of the noise and slogging of the KITTY MACKALL and none of the prowling and worrying on the Mate's part. This man kept his place on the poop with the sailmaker handy to help pass the tedious hours of the night watch and at all times one of the crew kept on the alert for a call, he being styled the policeman. The others were at liberty to snuggle up and find comfort as they could, being ever dressed and ready for a call. This may sound like a happy-go-lucky system but it appears sensible to me. If the men are not needed, why create a militaristic spirit and the feeling of being dogged and hazed by continually trying to keep them awake? Insist
licking into the bargain. I wanted to make the passage because it's part of every deep-water sailor's life and also because we'd be assured of plenty of fair wind and a quicker passage by going east. But I got all the bad weather I wanted in the SOM that passage across the North Atlantic and the North Sea to long for more. However, I understand the sentiment; it's just like a new chap who wants to see it blow "real hard" and then gets his belly-full when he's got to lay aloft some dark, wet night and claw away at a booming topsail. I know the feeling all right and I'm quite sure there will be some illusions broken ere many days are past. March 10, 1925, Tuesday-Wind comes out about S.S.W. and the Old Man puts her about for "one more try" as he terms it. But no sooner was she around and braced for the wind on the port beam when it shifts back to S.W. and freshens. Disappointed again, he squares in and swears there'll be no more "humor" but we'll go about our business from now on. Complaints of cramps in the stomach and an unnatural movement of the bowels heard in many quarters. The blame is laid to the "highpowered" coffee (coal-tar) and water and hints are made to the Cook about the food but he declares it's only the water, the alkaline water of the Torrens in Adelaide. Whatever it is it's bringing on a most distressing weakness, a fear of meal-times and a rushing business at the lavatories under the focsle head. While mentioning the Cook: He's not the young, skinny London boy we had in port, but an adventurous young Dane who came aboard sailing day, or no, to be correct, it was the night before. The other spindly chap was given his choice of going ashore or going forr'd in the focsle as dick boy. We advised him against that for who wants 110 lbs. of skin and bone on a yard beside him or tailing onto a brace. He's a willing chap; but green, so very green and so timid. With such a useless man, it means that's so much more work to do for the rest whereas if he went ashore the Skipper would fetch up a more qualified man. But no, he wanted the "experience" and said he'd stay. He's got pluck but it's the pluck of ignorance and could he but see what's ahead of him I wonder if he'd want the experience. 19