Chapter Two - l) Sunday 12th February (1956) - Logged 106 Miles

Got mainsail down at 00.30h as it was badly torn. Wind died about the same time and, as we are somewhat South of our course, the skipper decided, after a playful and innocent hint from me that he is "stingy" with the engine, to run due East, under power, until we get some favourable wind.

During the morning we ran into a herd of sperm whales.



about 25 in number, ranging from 15/25 tons, in the skipper's estimation. Evidently there had been no whales around them during their lifetime as, although our engine was going, we proceeded right through the middle of them, the skipper filming from the deck and masthead. Quite a convoy, with the bulls leading, heading North, probably Arctic-bound. We ran along with some of them only a few metres from our hull, rising and dipping, with their ugly snouts out of the water, blowing hard. When almost on top of the herd they would submerge, or "sound" which is the correct term, with their massive tails raised high in the air, like the rudder of a submarine. Soon after the whole gang would reappear and proceed on it's northerly course. We circled round and round for 45 minutes whilst the skipper ran off his film.

Launched Bottle No. 3 (blue stopper) in:-

Lat. 33◦ 10'S
Long. 28◦ 14'W

The messages in the bottles read as follows:

"Brass & CIA. LTDA.,
Rua Acre 47
Rio de Janeiro

Ketch "Penelope" - Bottle No.____
This bottle was thrown into the sea in: -
Lat. __________
Long._________

on ___________________, 1956.

from the 15 ton ketch owned by Frank McEwen, on a voyage from Rio de Janeiro to Cape Town. Will whoever finds it please communicate time and place to Mr. Oliver Brass at the above address. Thanks.

As some of the bottles may take 20 years or so to turn up I reckoned it was better to give Oliver's name, not mine.

Oliver much better today.
Had curried mushrooms and rice for supper.
Trolling for fish. No catch.

Chapter Two - K) Saturday 11th February (1956) - Logged 88 Miles

Yesterday's blow seems to have exhausted itself as happens frequently in these "variable" latitudes, and left us with an ugly swell.

Noon position:- Lat 31 - 40'S
Long. 28 - 00W

With 869 miles made good from Rea against 1250 Logged! We are not 14 days out and only half way to Tristan da Cunha! During the afternoon a stiff E breeze sprang up and we ran south, close-hauled, for several hours, logging 6 knots. Wonderful sailing.

We now have six albatrossess trailing us and we are becoming quite familiar with their individual characteristics. We want to keep them all the way to Cape Town and have tried all kinds of tit bits to attempt to please them but they have turned up their beaks to almost everything. After supper I tried them out with some J.Castaing & Fils (Coudures, Landes, France) pate de foie gras, which was a bit "off", and they just gobbled it up. Later the skipper threw them the best part of the contents of a new tin to make them further attached to us. Seems odd we have no bread but can feed albatrosses on the best French pate! The skipper filmed the birds. One of "our" albatrosses we call "Messerschmidt" on account of the ceculiar markings of his wings: -

Trolling for fish. No catch.

Chapter Two - j) Friday 10th February (1956) - Logged 67 Miles

Ate a packet of Carr's ginger nuts * on my morning watch. Overcast and squally.

Around noon a very strong wind came up from the east and we ran, under reduced canvas due South all the rest of the day. I thought Juan was going under when the bowsprit, on whose end he was perched, pulling down the Genoa jib dipped dangerously into the sea.

Very uncomfortable afternoon.

Oliver very sick.

Trolling for fish. No catch.

Chapter Two - i) Thursday 9th February (1956) - Logged 97 Miles

Yesterdays blow seems to have blown itself out, although there are some squalls knocking around still.

The light breeze dropped to a dead calm with a heavy cross swell, ruinous to the vessel's gear. Ran the engine all afternoon and picked up a night breeze to carry us South.

Yesterday's duster cost us 140 miles northerly set. Too bad.

Oliver still sick.

Trolling for fish. No catch.

Chapter Two - h) Wednesday 8th February (1956) - Logged 86 Miles

Overcast and squally. About midday we picked up a fresh breeze and went over on to the next stbd.'tack, running well with lee gunwales awash.

Oliver seems to have taken on a new lease of life and stood his afternoon watch, with Juan, singing songs in the rain.

Had a hell of a night watch (22.00h-01.00h) mostly in drenching rain. Glad of rubbers. I have discovered that the bridge of a ship - which I had hitherto considered one of the draughtiest of places on a stormy night - is like a Turkish bath compared with "Penelope's" open cock-pit. Brrrrrrrrh'.

Logged 1,ooo miles from Rio, at noon today.

Penelope's sail-plan must have been very perfectly conceived. Her balance is really remarkable. In strong winds, such as today, with jip and mizzen furled, running on mainsail and stay-sail only, her reduced rig gives her all the advantages of a cutter. With full sail, on the other hand, she has all the advantages of a ketch. She requires practically no steering, with the wind forward of the beam. No wonder the skipper is in love with her.

Trolling for fish. No catch.

Chapter Two - g) tuesday 7th February (1956) - Logged 73 Miles

Alas, our fresh food is beginning to show obvious signs of depletion as we shall soon have to switch over to tinned stuff. The situation today is as follows: -

Bananas -all gone
Oranges -about 30 left
Lemons -about 50 left
Pineapples - 2 left
Cabbage -1 left
Carrots - 25% consumed, 50% left, 25% bad, dumped
Potatoes - dwindling but lasting well
Pumpkins - 2 left
Cucumbers - 5 left
Sweet Potatoes- 5 left
Onions - 70% left

We have enough tinned and preserved food to last nine months, but certain vitamins and proteins are lacking in this time of alimentation. It seems our main problem is food. The cooking position is as follows:

• a) Oliver - still cannot go near the galley as it turns his stomach immediately.
• b) Juan - Only too eager to take over the cooking but his highly seasoned Spanish food not properly appreciated. He has been "rationed", as cook, to one day a week.
• c) -Me - Very little experience. I make early morning tea, an occasional macaroni dish and help preparing fruit salads, peeling spuds, cutting carrots, washing up, etc.
• d) The Skipper - Hates cooking but actually does nearly all of it on this trip for his scratch crew.

Today we had lentil stew with sausages and bacon, and fruit salad for lunch and lentil broth and fruit salad for supper. Excellent stuff. We are using up fresh food first as much as possible before it goes rotten, and keeping the preserved food for later on.

Saw two albatrosses, which we christened Albert and Albertina. The skipper took some films of them landing on the water and taking off. Amazing the way they run along the surface of the water several yards, paddling hard with their webbed feet, before becoming finally airborne.

Today light winds, slight sea and heavy westerly swell.

Trolling for fish. No catch.

Chapter Two - f) Monday 6th February (1956) - Logged 73 miles

Came on deck early and thought I saw the hull of the "Caronia" on the port horizon in the first light of dawn. I sprang into the rigging but further observations from the cross-trees indicated that my vision was only a cloud.

Saw a whale fight astern. Medium sized (estimated 1/2/1 ton) "killer whales" were jumping clear out of the water and making a terrific splash. The skipper says they are probably attaching a cachelot.

Late afternoon sighted to windward an object resembling a barrel, floating. On approach we discovered it to be a turtle, presumably asleep. Oliver brought "Penelope" into the wind and Juan and I launched the plastic dinghy, again with the idea of turtle soup, but our friend awoke, took one look at us and submerged rapidly. The skipper then got his camera and I rowed him around the vessel while we took some photos of her from various angles.

Colder at night. Oliver, no change.

Trolling for fish. No catch.

Chapter Two - e) Sunday 5th February, Logged 80 Miles

Launched Bottle No. 2, with yellow stopper in:-

Lat. 29" 58'S
Long. 32" 15'W

Oliver still seedy and eating next to nothing. Approached him with the idea of landing him at Tristan da Cunha (map)but he was not enthusiastic which I quite understand. He said he would see the trip out, come what may.

Expected to see the "Caronia" (Caronias Log)but, in Spite of several mast-head observations during the day, no whiff of smoke was seen on the horizon. She evidently must have passed much to the East of us, on a great circle course from Rio to Tristan.No sights today as we were busy repairing the bilge pump. The skipper is most ingenious and seems to have a remedy for everything. Furthermore "Penelope" is well found, not only as regards to provisions, but sails, gear, tools etc., all of which seem to be duplicated, if not triplicated. Actually there were 1 1/2 tons of foodstuffs on board when "Penelope" sailed from Paris last year.

Saw a few turtles, and our first albatross. Crossed the 30th parallel.
Trolling for fish. No catch.

Chapter Two - D - Saturday 4th February 1956

A light SE breeze sprung up at about 03.00h and we set sail and proceeded on an almost Southerly course.

The weather formation seems to be changing somewhat and we are obviously getting into a "different part of the country", maritimely speaking.

The skipper, who seemed to scent whales in the vicinity, climbed the mast head at about 15.00h and, after about half an hour up there, sang out. "There she blows. Whale on the starboard bow". Soon a whole family of wales came into view, surfacing and blowing to beat the band. They passed ahead of us, headed by the bull, about 8 tor 10 of them. Quite an astonishing sight.

Later we saw a "fulmar" bird, which followed us some distance, and after night fall come the dolphins, frisking and gambolling under the cutwater, in their inimitable style. Truly we are now in new and more fertile "territory".

Juan has some curious theories, one of which being that man will eventually be displaced on earth by the rat. He says that scientists have discovered that of all the animals, including man, the rat has the largest brain in comparison to the size of its body and that it is an extremely intelligent animal. I suggested we started grafting ants with rats so as to be sure of something a little more industrious and less destructive to replace us eventually here on earth. He laughed and said "Why not graft Germans with pineapples to get something efficient and tasty at the same time?"