Spent the morning cleaning up "Penelope" with midshipman Pretorius, who is to sail down to Cape Town with us, with another middie, whilst the skipper and other crew members went off to the Guano Islands to film the birds.
After lunch ashore, we all went back on board the ketch to prepare her for sea. At 15.30h Commander Johnson and two of his senior officers came on board and we opened the bottle of champagne which had been reserved for our call at Tristan. Whilst they were looking over "Penelope" a signal came in from the Admiralty at Pretoria vetoing the trip of the two midshipmen, much to everyone's disappointment. Red tape again, presumably. As soon as our visitors departed, we hoisted "O V F" ("Thank you" in the International Code), slipped our moorings and put up the canvas. Soon we were reaching merrily down the harbour accompanied by the navy's biggest and best launch with Commander Johnson, officers, and men circling round us.
Nearing the heads, the launch came almost alongside, caps were raised and we received a resounding "Hip Hip Hurrah". We returned the compliment and as they wheeled to return to their base, we (barring the man at the wheel) sprang into the rigging and waved our farewells from the mastheads. The skipper climbed hand over hand up the mizzen crosstrees. An amazing feat for a man of his age.
Picked up a light North Westerly wind and set abroad-reach course to pass 5 miles outside Dassen Island.
The weather report says some fog but otherwise fair.
I was on watch from 19.00-01.00h
At midnight we had Dassen Island light abeam to port estimated distance off 5 miles.
At 23.30h the 26,000 tons S/S "DOMINION MONARCH" passed North 2 miles to starboard of us, a blaze of lights. Hazy
The Skipper and I heard also, sounds resembling aircraft.
Penelope logging 5 knots.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment