Diary of Andrewartha

APRIL 1936

9 THURSDAY

We have been working rather hard all today as we have been changing the storm canvas for trade wind canvas and it is quite a job taking them down and hoisting others up. There were some fish seen playing around the bow of the ship today and a line was thrown over and three of them were caught and weighed 10 - 7 - 5 lbs each and were served up at tea time and were very nice eating. Our mileage for the last 24 hours has totalled only 60 miles.

10 FRIDAY

We have not had to do any rust chipping today as it has been a holiday, but have had to tack the shp which is about 1 1/2 hours hard work for all hands. The jam that was brought along has dwindled to just a few tins and a 1 1/2 lb tin will buy anything from a sweater to a pair of trousers and a coat. I still have two tins of jam and 1 tin of sausages and tomatoes and have been made all kinds of offers for them.

11 SATURDAY

We have been working particularly hard today as the changing of the canvas had to be completed before we were allowed to stop work, consequently we had no free watch, and worked 14 hours with only one hour to have 3 meals. I had about 7 of the 14 hours up in the rigging, and it was much better than working on deck. There were quite a lot of flying fish all around the ship today and they looked peculiar as they flew up out of the water and travelled about 20 or 30 yards.

12 SUNDAY

A steamer was sighted at 12.15 a.m. today and passed us within 200 yards at 12.45, she was a "Dutch American" boat and was on her way to "South Africa" from "Rio" in "South America." Today is Easter Sunday and we have had quite decent meals all day.

APRIL 1936

13 MONDAY

Today has been a holiday and we have been having a very easy time indeed reading and laying around in the sun. The weather has been rather good all day although there has been an occasional shower of rain which generally lasted about 5 or ten minutes. 12.30 AM. our watch on deck has just begun and it is raining very heavily and we are all at work catching water and carrying it to the storage tanks at the rear of the ship. The wind is rising and we are now making a little bit of headway.

14 TUESDAY

The wind is now steady but is not in the right quarter to be of much use to us, and consequently our speed is only about 5 knots. We have had several different jobs alloted to us today, one of them being, the cleaning out of the store-room, where we lifted with the aid of a block and tackle, 31 bales of rope each weighing about 3 cwts from the floor of the store-room to the deck above a dis tance of 15 ft. We were all very glad to see the last of the bales come up.

15 WEDNESDAY

A storm is rapidly approaching us and we have been very busy taking in sail and we are now under about half our usual canvas. 8 oclock and the storm has now been raging for the last two hours. We have lost our flying jib as it blew out just after the storm commenced. It is now our free watch, and I am very glad of the chance to get in a dry spot, as "Kincaid" and myself have spent the last 5 hours at the wheel two of which were in a regular trop ical down pour. Our work in between times today has been chipping rust and carrying water whenever it chanced to sprinkle. Our speed up until the storm arose was 3 knots but has now risen to 7 knots.

APRIL 1936

16 THURSDAY

The storm is still raging and we have lost three more of our sails and I am afraid if we lose any more that our capt ain will burst a blood vessel as he has been running around like a madman for quite a while. It is still pouring rain and we have been very busy catching water which is a very easy task just at present. The sail-makers are at work getting out the spare sails, and it will be our job to hoist and set them as soon as the wind drops, and they can be hoisted without blowing them out.

17 FRIDAY

The storm has now passed over and the weather is now very good again and we have been setting the sails in the place of those which were blown out. The 1st mate is evidently a good sailor as we only lost four sails in a blow where it would have been very easy to have lost a lot more if the ship had not been handled very carefully. Our speed is now 6 knots and we are now thought to be within 24 hours of the latitude of the "South East" trade winds.

18 SATURDAY

Today has been much more pleasant for working although there has been an occasional shower of rain. We have been chipping rust from various places on the pin rail. There is now a steady breeze blowing and it is thought to be the beginning of the "South East" trade winds. The first mate said today that we should arrive in "England" in 39 or 41 more days, it is hoped he is right.

19 SUNDAY

We have had a little excitement today as a shark was caught. It was only a small one measuring about 7 ft long but put up quite a struggle before it was finally landed on deck.

APRIL 1936

20 MONDAY

We are having more bad weather again today and the rain is falling in great quantities. We have been up half the night as the wind is changing around all the time and, as it changes very rapidly all hands are required to keep the ship in the wind all the time other wise our canvas would not last long, as it is we have lost our main top-mast staysail which blew out before we could get the ship properly around.

21 TUESDAY

The weather today is much better although the wind is not blowing from the right direction to be of any use to us. Have been shifting timber from the fore-castle head into number one hold so as to enable the boys with the chipping hammers to do the job more thoroughly. The ship is slowly being transformed into a respectable condition and should at the end of the voyage be a very pretty sight. The colours are to be changed from red and white, to grey and white. Our speed is about 4 knots.

22 WEDNESDAY

The wind has died right out and we have been becalmed since about half past one this morning. There is not a breathe of wind and it is very sultry and muggy, so I have borrowed "Rotolls" hammock and have taken up my abode up under the foc-stle head, where it is much cooler, although it takes one a little time to get acc ustomed to the various odours which seem to frequent that particular place. Have been doing a little more chipping today and pride myself on my ability to use a chipping hammer. Our speed is now only that of the current and can hardly be noticed.

APRIL 1936

23 THURSDAY

Had a little excitement about four oclock this morning when a rope jammed in a block and "Hanlin" the boy who was sent to clear it failed to do so, and was promptly knocked down by the second mate. It caused rather a sensation when, after knocking him down the mate began to kick him on the ground, but as it was not our business to intervene nothing was done about the matter. The chart house and navigating bridge were oiled today and it made quite a smart looking job of them.

24 FRIDAY

The wind has freshened again and we are now moving along at a brisk speed and we are now only eight hundred miles from the "Equator." We are just seventy days out from "Australia" and it marks the 80th day that I have been away from home. The paint brushes are now being brought out, and with all hands painting it should not take more than a few days to do all the necessary painting which is to be done. The hatches have been lifted from Nos 1 -2 holds so as to dry off any wheat that may be damp.

25 SATURDAY

We have had a very easy day today and our hardest job has been sweeping and washing the decks. The weather is now most enjoyable, and it is nice to know that we are now getting close to the "Equator" and should cross it about the end of next week. The wind has now slackened off and our speed is only 3 knots.

26 SUNDAY

Today has been considered our best day on board as we have been allowed to lay around and amuse our-selves without having the mates continually blowing whistles for some trifling job they want completed.