Chapter 2 - S: Monday 20th, February - Logged 116 miles

There was a showdown at 04.00h today when the skipper discovered Juan sailing Penelope down wind, with the sails sheeted in, two points northwards of our established course, in order to make better speed.  Juan seems to have a speed complex and this is the third night it has happened.  The skipper has a "tell tale" compass attached to the deckhead in his bunk, immediately above his head and watches the steering like a hawk.  In fact we call him "El vigilante".

The thing is that we are now actually on the latitude of Cape Town we must go 2°/3° further south, not only to get into the area of prevailing westerly winds but in order to approach Cape Town from the SW, as recommended forcibly in the Admiralty Sailing Directions, for the period December/March, in order not to be swept up the coast of SW Africa by the Agulhas current.  Furthermore there are favourable currents indicated below Lat 37° which might help us along to the tune of 20m/30m per day.  So far Southerly winds have forced us along a course due East, when we should have made more Southing.

Our albatrosses have returned, all six of them, and are circling round the ship so gracefully, skimming the water with the wingtips almost touching never quite touching the sea.  The skipper says they probably went to see their cousins at Tristan da Cunha.

Brushed and put away in a dryer place my suede shoes which are already showing signs of mildew.

The weather is very much colder and a tot of whisky when coming off watch at night is most welcome.

The life-saving equipment in "Penelope" is in accordance with the skipper's thoroughness in other matters.  Apart from the two life buoys hanging in the mizzen shrouds we each have an R.F.D. life jacket handy, about the size of a ladies handbag, which can be strapped on and has a charge of CO2 gas for auto-inflation when a cord is pulled.  In addition to this we have the service dinghy, made of plastic material and a very special collapsible R.F.D. dinghy for six people which stows in a very small place, lashed to the mainmast, in the cabin.  This dinghy is also auto inflated, in 30 seconds, after the cord is pulled and adopts a shape:-

The dinghy contains the following equipment:-
     Gas charge                                                   Fishing Kit
     Weather cover                                              Sea anchor
     Bellows                                                        Rescue Line
     Leak stoppers                                               Floating knive
     Repair outfit                                                Paddles

and an emergency pack containing:-

     Emergency rations (vitamin pills, chocolate, etc for six persons for 12 days)
     3 - 160oz tins of fresh water
     De-salting unit
     Distress signals
     Mast and distress flag
     Torch
     Heliograph
     Fluorescine sea markers
     Waterproof matches
     Whistle
     Viscose compressed sponge
     Baler
     Compass
There is also a special emergency apparatus for distilling sea-water, to make fresh water, by a process of evaporation as well as Rockets and Parachute Flares.

Apparently this dinghy can be used also as a tent in the event of its occupants landing up on a desert island!  It is the latest word in post-war life saving equipment, and costs £150 ex-factory.

Trolling for fish.  No catch.