Launched bottle No.4 in: - Lat. 34° 10'S
Long. 7° 50'W
with a pale green stopper.
During the afternoon the wind veered two points, enabling us to steer a slightly more Southerly course, much to everyone's satisfaction.
Paraffin (kerosene) has now become a very important item, as stocks are visibly dwindling and without it we cannot work the primus stove, hence no hot food, which would be disastrous. The skipper considers the food question almost if not quite as important as the navigation.
A crew must be well fed, not only to maintain their physique but their morale, apt to slip on a long voyage uninterrupted by ports of call.
So far there have been no signs of this, though we are beginning to tire of tinned food. Fresh, we still have left:-
Potatoes - +\- 2 weeks
Onions - +\- 1 weeks
Pumpkins - 2
Sweet Potatoes - 5
All the fresh fruit has gone, but it lasted well so we cannot grumble.
I hope the Jap radioed Lloyd's yesterday, as then the folk in Rio will know we are still in the land of the living. It seems strange to be in Limbo for a month.
Have told the skipper that he must not grumble about his crew, signed on at 48 hours notice, as their efficiency cannot be compared with that of his previous crew, which took 3 months to engage and had 9 months' practical experience when they deserted Rio. He seems very happy all-in-all in spite of the fact we are a bit slow in changing sails, and are very undisciplined. He is trying to sign me on for a round the world cruise, in 1959.
Sounded the fresh water tank again, which showed that supplies are getting uncomfortably low. With the idea of controlling our fresh water, reserved strictly for cooking and drinking we have been all along rationed to one mug-full per day each, for toothcleaning. Apparently Juan misunderstood these instructions and has been too liberal at the pump. This, coupled to the lack of rain, has caused the present serious shortage.
Trolling for fish. No catch.
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