Launched bottle No.5 in :- Lat. 35° 55'S
Long. 00° 00'
with dark green stopper and a cork, in addition.
The Chronometer has been very erratic lately and we are very grateful to get the time signals over the ship's Stomberg Carlson radio receiver, from Washington D.C. observatory, which always come through very clearly at night, more so than the English signals. In addition to this radio we have a radio direction finder - useful in the British seas and narrow waters in thick weather and, finally, a portable radio, stowed in a yellow waterproof jacket, next to the RFD dinghy (see Feb 20) to be placed in the dinghy in the event of our having to abandon ship. This is a remarkable little generator-radio, which generates its own power by having a handle turned. A shipwrecked mariner, therefore, as long as he has any strength left, can turn the handle with one hand and press the S.O.S. button, which transmits automatically the S.O.S. signal, continuously. There are in all 3 buttons, as follows:-
a) - S.O.S. transmitter button
b) - Morse radio transmission (to indicate position of survivors)
c) - Morse lamp transmission
There is a telescopic steel aerial, to cover about 15 miles and a flying Aerial, sent aloft either on a kite or a hydrogen-gas balloon (both supplied with the apparatus) which covers a radius of several hundred miles.
The radio is packed in a small attache case, on which there are printed full instructions including the Morse code.
Today we sounded the fresh water tank again, which showed 50 litres only. Lucky the skipper has three carboys of Bahia water and some flagons from Rio in reserve. The water situation is now extremely serious and will become critical if we don't get sufficient rain soon to try out the P.D.C.D. on the mainsail. An hour's good rain (with no spray!) would be sufficient, we think to fill the tank.
Slatting around all day practically no wind.
No trolling.
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