'Pentakota', Homeward bound

It is a strange experience, settling down for a twenty eight-day period at sea; one had to get into the right frame of mind. I began to read books out of the library I wouldn't have dreamed of reading before. Some officers began to grow beards. Others went on the wagon, or stopped smoking. "I'll give a case of beer to anyone seeing me smoking a cigarette" someone would say in all earnestness. In a couple of days he'd be hiding away somewhere, and, later on, declaring that he never meant what he said.

The Second Mate had the Pacific charts out, and was bending his mind around the intricacies of Great Circle sailing. Our Noon positions on the small-scale chart were so close to each other that they appeared to overlap.

Fresh water was rationed right away; it was to be turned on at 0630, 1145 & 1830, and turned off at 0830, 1245 and 2000. At these times Brian and I were required to turn the steam to the 'calorifiers' (water heaters) on and off. I did them in the morning and Brian in the afternoon.

To begin with we had a strong South Westerly wind on the Starboard quarter and while it increased our speed, be rolled very heavily. We had two Mondays 17th July because of the date line, and Brian and I spent our working time repairing and painting the Mate's Office, the Chief Engineer's bathroom and toilet, name plates, lifebelts - we were becoming proficient signwriters.

We saw quite a lot of the Fifth Engineer, who would be on daywork, like as not overhauling our steam winches with the Winch Wallah, a pleasant enough job on a nice day, with files and scrapers.

Our main engine was very quiet. At night, however, with one's ear to the pillow, the sound of the Weir pump (I think it is called) could be heard. Starting down on a note so deep it was outside the range of the human ear, it slowly rose to a note so high that again, it was out of range, then back down again, and so on. I think it was the pump used to return condensed water to the boiler.

Down on the bottom plates the Engineer Officer on watch would show me how he could put his hand in among the whirling, massive crankshaft bearings and assure himself that they were not overheating. Another piece of expertise was, when manoeuvring, to put the engine straight from ahead to astern without stopping in between, a feat requiring expert juggling with levers and split second timing.

On the 27th day out from Auckland, 10th August early in the morning, we saw Malpelo Island, our first sight of land. Very faintly, our radios were picking up American radio stations on Long wave.

Next day we arrived at Balboa in the evening. We transited the Panama Canal on Saturday 12 August, first of all helping a shore party to measure up holds and accommodation. Our Pilot was Mr. F.M.Weade, and the transit took about ten hours, through the Miraflores, and Pedro Miguel locks, Culebra cut, Gatun Lake and Gatun locks. Some charity provided the ship with stacks of paperback books and magazines, some of them pretty trashy (but beggars can't be choosers).

Then on we went to Port Royal, Jamaica, arriving via the East channel at around noon and started bunkering. We were worried about stowaways and secured locking bars over the entrance hatches to No. 1, 2 and 4.

Brian and I were able to get ashore for a short while on Wednesday 16th and we visited Fort Charles, where Nelson had been stationed for a while. When we got back to the ship we helped search for stowaways and found five. After they had been sent ashore it started t rain heavily and the wind rose to gale force, and we weren't able to get away until after 1800, and we headed for London.

Things proceeded with little change, except that the Third Officer fell ill on 19th August and I took over his watch until the 24th. Water rationing was no longer necessary from the 22nd.

We changed into blues on the 29th August, and my 'Official Diary' ceased, for some reason, leaving Brian and I checking lifeboats, painting fans etc.

We were heading for London, and I reckon we would have arrived there on about the 5th September. However, I left 'Pentakota' in Falmouth, on the 10th September. It could be that the conversion to oil fuel was to be done at Falmouth, and it had been decided to discharge the cargo there, instead of sending the ship all the way to London and back again.

I went back to Bewdley in Worcestershire for two days, staying with my Grandfather Tom Wall and brother Bob, and meeting my future wife Mary Thomas for the first time. On the 12th September I flew to Port Said for leave with my parents.