CLAYTON, Alfred Stockdale - diary

February, 1936.
Willy Jensen, Flemmestad via Oslo, Norway
Edvard Olsvik, Vestbygt 3 OPG D, Oslo, Norway

Wednesday 19 Feb - Sailed from Fremantle at Midnight, Sleeping in the same cabin as Kok
Thursday 20 Feb - First day at sea feeling bloody awful, Boat rolling like hell
Friday 21 Feb - Still sea sick and never felt worse. Signed on the Boat today, I signed something, I don't know what it was, it was all in Norwegien.
Saturday 22 Feb - Still a little sea sick, had nothing to eat since left Fremantle. Boat not stopped rolling.
Sunday 23 Feb - Feeling a bit better today. Boat not rolling so much. Two whales spouting on the Portside about 75 yards from boat. A little rain in afternoon rolling a little
Monday 24 Feb - Think I am alright again, resumed appetite, Sea a little choppy
Tuesday 25 Feb - Sea rough as hell, a gale blowing oceanside showers of heavy rain and mountainous seas (But you can't go hiking in the Mountains)
Wednesday 26 Feb - Gale continued all night and all day today and went towards evening, Saw an albatross for the first time
Thursday 27 Feb - The wind has gone but there is still heavy swell but quietened down a little towards evening
Friday 28 Feb - Gale started at about 4pm terrific seas. I did my first washing today, I boiled two white shirts a singlet and two pairs of blue socks together and left them for 24 hours, when I looked at them I nearly died.You can guess what had happened
Saturday 29 Feb - Gale still blowing in morning with very heavy seas, quietened down considerably in the afternoon

Sunday 1 March - Most beautiful weather I have ever experienced, sea nice and calm plenty of sharks seen today, More washing today O.K.
Monday 2 March - Beautiful weather still continuing, a school of whales seen on the Port side about 2 hundred yards from boat
Tuesday 3 March - Good weather sea nice & calm. Washing again today OK
Wednesday 4 March - Good weather sea calm, Saw the smoke of a boat on the Port side about 10pm, First sign of a boat since left Fremantle and it was not actually seen then, Ironing today OK
Thursday 5 March - Good weather fairly hot today, Had a fight with mess boy today but the 2 mates stopped us before it came to much, I am expecting him to to start it again, the sooner the better
Friday 6 March - Fine weather continuing, The passengers are moaning like hell already, they don't like the food, they don't like this they don't like that and they are wishing that they had gone on a liner. I did my first trick at the wheel today
Saturday 7 March - Amazingly wonderful weather, sea like a sheet of glass, Washing today OK
Sunday 8 March - Weather still fine but the sea is rough and choppy, Expect to see land & traffic tomorrow, will be the first of either any of us have seen for 20 days
Monday 9 March - Today is day of days, was one of three to see land, E.London about 5.30 am, Liner seen 30 minutes later by same 3, oil tanker seen at 9.15, passed within 1/2 mile of P. Elizabeth at 5 pm, other ships seen thereabouts, 6 ships seen in all, Washing today OK
Tuesday 10 March - We are having the real Cape of Good Hope weather, the seas are terrific, the ship is rolling like hell, it is hard to do the work, land seen on and off all day, we will go around the Cape in morning, no boats seen all day. Washing today O.K
Wednesday 11 March - 3 ships seen in early morning, Weather beautiful passed the Q.O.G.H about 8 o'clock in morning, saw Table Mountain and Sugar Loaf Mountains, passed within 1 mile of them, Saw a fleet of 6 Cape fishing boats, land seen most of the day, do not expect to see land till we reach Dakir
Thursday 12 March - Fine weather, a little land seen now & again, 2 ships seen, Washing and ironing OK, plenty of seals and sharks seen today
Friday 13 March - Fine weather, Sea a little rough, more seals today
Saturday 14 March - weather fine overcast, Washing and ironing, The Passenger are getting a darn nuisance, their cabins are damn filthy and untidy
Sunday 15 March - Fine weather, 2 ships seen on starboard side
Monday 16 March - It is starting to get hot as we are getting nearer the line, Temperature 96F
Tuesday 17 March - Hollow decked oil tanker passed about 200 yards on Port side, it is the only hollowed decked tanker in the world, Temp 98F
Wednesday 18 March - 2 ships seen Starboard, feeling hot today, all the boys are used to ice and snow, they are going about all lather and sweat, Temp 96F, Washing
Thursday 19 March - All the boys nearly died today, they are going about with their tongues hanging out and I have'nt even got a sweat up, they can't make it out, Temp 106F
Friday 20 March - Had a fight with the Cook and got the marching orders from his cabin but the Captain told me to go back, so I did. (All's well ), Temp 109F, 3 ships seen during night
Saturday 21 March - Crossed line at 3.30 this morning, ships are now an every day sight, Temp. 106F
Sunday 22 March - We should be in Dakir at 8 on Wed morning but if this head wind keeps up we wont get there until about 11, Temp 106F
Monday 23 March - Was sleeping on boat deck during night with others, I woke up at 4 in the morning and the bedclothes were saturated, it must have rained very heavy so I went inside, heavy head wind still blowing, Temp 103F
Tuesday 24 March - Weather not so good, a heavy head wind and a slow but heavy sea, a sign of shallow water, plenty of sharks here, we ought to be in Dakir tomorrow at 11
Wednesday 25 March - Entered Dakir at 11, passengers went ashore in tug boat, we are anchored in the middle of the Harbour, the oil is brought out in oil barges, it was a holiday for me because no passengers, no work, we left Dakir at 5 Ppm, a heavy head wind all night
Thursday 26 March - Cracking jokes day, We were having boat practice today and the bosun chucked me overboard into heavy seas which is shark infested and the other boat had to pick me up, I was nearly drowned. I was giving him a bit of lip and he got wild, head wind still blowing, orders to proceed to Falmouth for further orders
Friday 27 March - During the afternoon the bosun and one of the crew had a scrap which lasted for 15 minutes, it sure was bloody but Curly got the best of it.The weather is definitely getting cooler now, Head windstill blowing
Saturday 28 March - Head wind still strong in morning but easy during afternoon, it has already put us 18 behind schedule, about 11.30 at night we could see the flames of a volcano on Teneriffe Islands. Tenerife is one of the seven Canary Islands, the volcano is more than a hundred miles away
Sunday 29 March - We passed between 2 of the Canary Islands, the Grand Canary on the Starboard and the Teneriffe on the Port side, we could see the city of Santa Cruz on Tenerife, the Islands are about two miles apart. I was at the wheel when we went through
Monday 30 March - Weather rough and cold
Tuesday 31 March - At 11.15 in morning hundreds upon hundreds of porpoises came close to the boat and were jumping out of the water within a few feet of the boat and they were diving at the propellers, they followed the boat for about 5 miles

Wednesday 1 April - Weather, rough and cold, during night a heavy fog came up and at 12, o'clock at night we were going at half speed and at 2 oclock it got so thick that we had to go at slow speed, so that night we never made hardly any headway and all the night they were blowing the siren at short intervals
Thursday 2 April - We entered the Bay of Biscay at 2 this morning, during the night we had more fog but not quite as bad as last night and we only had to go down to slow speed but the siren gets on your goat, the weather is good, at least the sea is, the sky is threatening
Friday 3 April - We are having fine weather, quite a change for the Bay at this time of the year as it is at its worst and it is one of the roughest places in the world, we will get out of the Bay tonight and get into Falmouth at 6 in the morning. Had a fight with galley boy and I got off 2nd best.
Saturday 4 April - during the night a gale blew up and continued till we reached Falmouth, we only made about 4 knots as the gale was a head one, we got into Falmouth at 12, We have not yet got our orders where to leave the wheat so we will lay to in the harbour till we get them
Sunday 5 April - We are still lying to, waiting for orders. The Passengers were saying only two days ago that they would leave the boat as soon as they got into Port and now you can't even get them to leave the boat for 2 minutes, they are a lot of BB's
Monday 6 April - We are still waiting for the wheat to be sold and the Captain can't get the Passengers to leave the ship
Tuesday 7 April - I had a busy day so I went to bed at 9.30 and I woke up again at midnight and heard the engines going and I thought that they had got orders and we were going to leave in the morning, but when I looked out of the porthole there was no land to be seen anywhere, we were well away
Wednesday 8 April - weather fine, plenty of traffic all day, ought to arrive in Liverpool at noon tomorrow
Thursday 9 April - Picked up pilot at 6.15, sea is like glass, entered the channel in mudbank at 9, passed thousands(1260) of light ships which line both sides of the channel at 200m intervals, docked on Birkenhead side at 12.30, went ashore at night, caught ferry to Liverpool, got back to ship at midnight
(Good Friday) Friday 10 April - They started unloading at 10'clock yesterday, went ashore again tonight, no work today Went ashore and saw the circus
Saturday 11 April - Nothing much doing here, it is cold & miserable
(EasterSunday) Sunday 12 April - Had a little snow during the night, it sure is cold.
Monday 13 April
Tuesday 14 April
Wednesday 15 April
Thursday 16 April
Friday 17 April - We have heard that we are going to London for cement, then to Denmark, over to Canada, down to Mexico, through the Panama to Sydney & Melbourne
Saturday 18 April - got orders to proceed to Falmouth for orders, left at 6 O'clock at night
Sunday 19 April - The boat is empty, there is a bit of a sea, the boat is rolling like hell
Monday 20 April - Arrived at Falmouth at 6 in the morning but did not go into harbour, we ran around in circles like a mad sheep for five hours, we then got orders to proceed to Gravesend for further orders
Tuesdsay 21 April
Wednesday 22 April
Thursday 23 April - I drew 25/- today, went to Gravesend by train, walked around for an hour or so and went to a fair that is on there and boy did we have a swell time, when we finished there we went to the Norwegian Sailors mission and there we played billards, sang 3 Norske hymns and drank my first cup of coffee
Friday 24 April - I went to London today with the Captain, he left me in London, I went to the Strand, Piccadilly Circus, Park Lane, in the underrground railway went over the Tower bridge and all sorts of things, went to the Norwegian Sailors Mission again tonight, there is an attraction there for me and it smiles sweetly
Saturday 25 April - Went to Gravesend tonight and took a girl from the N.S.M. and we went to the fair and stopped there for an hour or so, I got back at 2pm, I also went to a dance
Sunday 26 April - I went to London tonight but I missed the last train at midnight so I went back to the town and walked about until 5.30 when I caught the milk train. but I got back to the boat by 7, while I was walking around London waiting for the train I had 11 cops question as to what I was doing walking about at that hour.
Monday 27 April - I went to London again tonight and went to a circus
Tuesday 28 April - went to Gravesend tonight, met the .. and went to the fair
Wednesday 29 April - I went to London tonight but I just walked around about for awhile and then I went to the Princess Theatre and boy did I see a show, and have an eye opened, I should say so.
Thursday 30 April - Went to Gravesend and met the Steward there, we went to a dance

Friday 1 May - Left Gravesend tonight at 10'oclock sailing for Rotterdam, ought to get there about 6 pm tomorrow.
Saturday 2 May - arrived at Holland at 4.30 pm, went up the river for 50 minutes, The scenery is beautiful, there are parks and parades all along the banks, went ashore tonight and walked to Rotterdam which is about 4 miles away.
Sunday 3 May - I drew 10 Gildons ( about 25/-), went ashore again tonight, had a good time, I went for a swim today as it was fairly hot, and I sure did enjoy it
Monday 4 May - We should have sailed about 9.30 pm but as 4 of the boys went ashore, got drunk and forgot to come back we never sailed until 12.30 but the lads got back just as we weighed anchor
Tuesday 5 May - I got a day behind of myself, we never sailed until tonight. I went ashore last night
Wednesday 6 May - We went near England and went very close to Dover Harbour, we could see the ships in the Harbour even though it was a bit misty, during the night we had a heavy fog and had to go at low speed and sometimes we had to stop altogether
Thursday 7 May - weather fine
Friday 8 May - weather fine
Saturday 9 May - a gale blew up during the night and boy is it rough, we are broadside on to it and one can't put a bucket on the floor for 10 seconds because when you look up it is 30 feet away, the passengers faces look as green as a cabbage
Sunday 10 May - The gale still blowing
Monday 11 May - Weather fine once more, it is getting warmmer
Tuesday 12 May - It is getting noticeably warmer, Today they put up all the canvasses on the boat deck, they are always put up in the tropics
Wednesday 13 May - Weather amazingly fine, the sky as blue as can be, the sea lovely blue and calm with just a slight breeze, the temperature about 80, its lovely, we ought to pass the Canary's about 4 in the morning
Thursday 14 May - I got up at 4 this morning as we were passing Tenerife and saw the Town of Santa cruz all lit up and the Island just a dark mass against the moonlight sky. Weather still fine, sharks are here in plenty, you can see them cuttting the water with their fins, the water is shallow and green.
Friday 15 May - It is very hot today, we ought to get to Dakar about 8 in the morning
Saturday 16 May - We never got to until 3'oclock, it shows what a rotten navigator the Captain is and when we got there it took us an hour to try and make the niggers work, but we never got finished until 10 o'clock, I went ashore against orders, because we had to go into the docks so they were'nt keeping me on board.
Sunday 17 May - It is very hot today and it looks like a storm blowing up
Monday 18 May - The storm has been threatening all day but it has not broken, The weather is hot and sticky, I get up in the morning and I am sweating with the heat
Tuesday 19 May - The storm broke last night and when I woke up this morning my cabin wwas flooded out with about 1 1/2 tons of water, The ship is going head into it and boy is she pitching and diving, I should say so. The wind is doing about 50
Wednesday 20 May - Gale still blowing, I never saw or heard of such weather
Thursday 21 May - Storm still blowing
Friday 22 May - Storm still blowing, seas are very heavy and we are not going dead into the waves now and it is rolling that much that the men cannot do their work.
Saturday 23 May - The storm seens to be getting worse and we had a wireless message to expect heavier weather in a few days
Sunday 24 May - I can't describe it
Monday 25 May - seas not quite as heavy today
Tuesday 26 May - it must have eased off a little during the night, it is not so bad today, it a least gives us a breathing space before we get some more weather
Wednesday 27 May - Seas starting to get heavy again, the storm has already put us 32 hours behind time so you can guess what it must have been like
Thursday 28 May - The seas are that damn big & heavy that when one goes from midship to aft he has to run a few yards then sit down on the deck until the boat straightens up again, you have to do this about 4 or five times before you get aft
Friday 29 May - The weather today is about the same as yesterday, the novelty of it is beginning to wear off, it takes me about 2 times as long to do my work
Saturday 30 May - Today is worse than yesterday and the day before, I am at least satisfied that it can't be worse, she is plunging and diving like christ knows what and nearly everyone sits on the floor to eat their meals because if you sit on a chair you topple over backwards
Sunday 31 May - Today is far worse than yesterday, it got that rough during the night that we had to slow down to half speed and as it got worse we had to slow down to 1/4 speed, One see's on one side a huge mountain and on the other a deep gorge and 10 seconds later you will see a huge mountain in place of the gorge and a gorge in place of the mountain but you can't go mountaineering here.

Monday 1 June - Today is decidedly better than the last few days. Yesterday we only made about 60 miles, where we usually do 155 per day, we are now 4 days behind time so you can guess what it has been like
Tuesday 2 June - The weather is not so bad today and the wind is not so strong and we ought to do a few more miles today than we did during the last few days, we should see the Cape in the morning
Wednesday 3 June - When I woke up this morning we could see the Cape but went around it about 8 O'clock, we could not see the Table & Sugar Loaf mountains because there was a big cloud sitting on them. At 9 o'clock tonight the star board motor seized and we had a delay of one hour while they fixed it up temporarily
Thursday 4 - during the night a heavy swell came up accompanied by a very strong wind, as we are broadside on to it the boat is rolling like hell and I fell out of my bunk 2 times inside an hour.( It is 5ft from my bunk to the floor) so I decided to sleep on the floor but it rolled too much to get much sleep
Friday 5 June - Still very rough and it does not look like as though it will clear up, The refrigerators went bung today and we will not be able to fix them until we come to Geraldton ,we are also short of food
Saturday 6 June - The seas are very big today, as we were broadside on to the seas we got nearly every wave over the side, and as it grew worse last night, we had to turn and run before it, that means that there is more time lost, even now we are getting seas over the boat deck
Sunday 7 June - We are still running before the gale and we are 5 days behind time. A terrific wind blew up last night, today I put a blanket on the line to get a bit of air, but I presume it got too much air, because when I came back there was only half of it there
Monday 8 - Weather not so bad today and are at least able to resume our proper course, but the wind is stronger than yesterday, We had snow and hail as big as a 2/6 piece and they looked like small bombs as they hit the sea and sending up small spouts of water.
Tuesday 9 June - Weather still cold & miserable, wind still blowing, I opened the port hole to let in some fresh air but a couple of ton of salt water came in instead and I promptly closed the porthole
Wednesday 10 June - It seems to be clearing up a little, we have got a bit of sunshine today but the wind is still very heavy. We are beginning to feel the shortage of food
Thursday 11 June - The wind has eased off quite a lot today, but there is a heavy swell
Friday 12 June - The weather is comparitably nice today with a nice clear sky and a fairly calm sea, it is quite a nice break from the squally weather
Saturday 13 June - The nice weather sure did not last long, it is raining and blowing like hell and heavy seas once more, every one is getting sick of it, and cursing the captain for coming so far south, we are nearly on 50 D.
Sunday 14 June - Weather about the same as yesterday, the food is getting lousy and short, also running short of water
Monday 15 June - Weather unchang, Last night we only had one cat and now we have got four
Tuesday 16 June - Calmed down a little today, I am looking forward to seeing Aus. again
Wednesday 17 June - Nice weather today
Thursday 18 June - Nice weather kept up until about 2 this afternoon and then a hell of a wind blew up, the sea grew rough and everyone is feeling generally fed up with the rolling and pitching of the boat
Friday 19 June - Rough weather continues, will be glad when I will be able to go ashore again. They are getting pretty tight with the grub
Saturday 20 June - Weather about the same as yesterday
Sunday 21 June - We ought to get into Geraldton on Wednesday night, We should have got there today if we had not been so damn late
Monday 22 June - Weather not so bad today, I dont see any albatross today, a sign that we are getting near Aus, Saw one ship on the Port Side but a long way away, everyone is getting their cabin painted and polished ready for port
Tuesday 23 June - We ought to get in tomorrow night, all the cabins are like new and the ship itself looks beautiful, we all feel proud of her
Wenesday 24 June
Thursday 25 June

MEMORANDA Owe Steward - 1 Towel; 1 B.Sunlight 1/3; 1 tin cigs 1.0; 1 tin cigs 1.0; 1 Packet shags 1 -6; 2 papers -4; 2 bottles 2-2; 1 camels 3-8; stamps 1.0