The SKAREGROM
SKAREGR</)M LOG A journal kept by Captain Archie Horka Part II April 29, 1925, Wednesday-This morn before breakfast our watch sent down the torn main tops'! and both watches swayed up and bent another after 8 bells. Wind from nor'ard and she falls off to everyone's chagrin. Thursday, Friday-May I, 1925-A calm fetches up a sou'eastcrly air and plenty of rain. We catch a goodly supply of rain water. Wind rises and goes W.S.W. so that on Friday afternoon it's blowing a gale and a tremendous sea is running. The clearness of the weather had encouraged the Old Man to keep his canvas on and under a press that drove her 11 knots she began to drown herself! Not even down south had she shipped the green so consistently, for no sooner did she try to right herself after a lee roll when another would roll over the rail in a casual, majestic manner as if it must be so and no use trying to avert it. Of course Old Bengston didn't tolerate that for long and with the decks frothing it was a battle royal getting the canvas in. The fore lower t'gallant came
in and then the main upper and lower. I was at the wheel when the watch was clewing up in the lee main rigging and the Skipper insisted on having her up to her course. Up to it she came and over the ship went, taking a veritable ocean aboard! The lads let go and scrambled for the rigging and for a time nothing but heads were visible . When she righted the gang was hung up on ratlines and some of the less fortunates like "Paddy" Hunter came out from under the bulwarks gasping and sputtering for breath. All had a good scare, they averred and the ship almost lost a few hands were it not that they had clung to buntlines and ratlines. Hands were already aloft snubbing the main t'gallants as they were clewed up and the poor gang who had just been nearly drowned had to take in the mizzen upper tops 'I. Relieved of a load of canvas the ship behaved much better and shipped less water, but she's earned the reputation of being a bathtub in the eyes of her crew. The Skipper and Mate are hopeful that this will be our last blow for this is a powerful urge to the 16