A STRENUOUS VOYAGE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19215, 2 January 1926, Page 8

A STRENUOUS VOYAGE.

AMATEUR CREW ON WAIMANA. SPIRIT OF CHEERFULNESS. PROFICIENCY SOON ACQUIRED. MEMBER'S INTERESTING LETTER. Lifo on the ocean wave as experienced by the volunteer crew from Auckland who manned the steamer Waimana when she left for New York and London on October 20 has not been devoid of incident, and most of the amateur seamen have found their duties a decided contrast to city life. The crew was made up of farm hands, office clerks and quite a number of ex-pupils or King s College and the Grammar School, who seized the opportunity to see the world before entering on professional careers. Although weather conditions were often irksome, by the time the ship passed through the Panama Canal on November 14 the amateur crew was seasoned and acclimatised. Letters received by friends in Auckland indicate that the utmost good humour prevailed on board, and that the ship was being worked with a clumsy cheerfulness that made the lack of efficiency of little concern. Writing from Panama, an Auckland University student who was allotted duties among the mysteries of refrigerating machinery, says his lot was preferable to that of many. Forty of the litoutest volunteers were relegated to the stokehold, while several young men who are keen members of the New Zealand Yacht Squadron, were appropriately appointed A.B.'s on the strength of their prowess in the Hauraki Gulf. The Initial Spirit and Alter. " For the first watch those in the stokehold were eager to show what they could do," the writer says. " They raised a good head of steam and the safety-valve actually lifted twice during this watch. The officers were looking well pleased with this good beginning from raw material as the Great Barrier was left astern. From then on, however, the steam-gauge and the ' gadget ' for recording the engine revolutions began to fluctuate remarkably. " Reading from the instrument board, one would say the amateur firemen were stoking for their lives and then smoking for alternate half-hours. The log told the same story. Sometimes the ship would attain her normal speed of 12 or 13 knots, but when the log was next read it might be down to eight or nine knots. All Hands Turn-to at Stoking. " Everyone ate heartily for the first few days when the weather was calm. Later, men in every watch wore dropping out exhausted. Engineers and every spare hand were then required to assist at the furnaces and bunkers. " Our greasers were selected because of alleged previous experience with automobiles, but they found it a long step from greasing a motor-car to caring for steam engines of 6000 horse-power. One of our greasers rather distinguished himself by neglecting to oil one of the main bearings. It promptly over-heated and ran out. " This gave a welcome respite of six hours to the boys in the stokehold, while the ship limped along on one screw. The engineering staff from the chief down to the ' seventh,' taught the novice greasers a new language as they rushed about effecting repairs. The Yachtsmen at the Wheel. " The next day brought worse weather, and even our local yachtsmen who ware taking turns a 4 the wheel aud trying to write their names in the Pacific, began to feel indisposed. Most of them, however, staunchly denied seasickness, and kept hard at it. " In the forecastle, were several young ' bloods ' who were wearers of * Oxford bags' in Auckland. Now they turn out on deck in dungarees. We left Auckland with an orchestra of a dozen instruments, but now we hear only the music of a pessimist and doughty young Scot who drones away with his bagpipes at all hours. About 20 dayi out, our stokers began getting used to their job and later we were almost as good as a regular crew. Before crossing the line, some of our stokers began fainting while on duty, so there was no ceremony with King Neptune."