OCEAN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING

January 27, Monday: In the morning I go into town with the agent to pick up his wife, a Dutch friend, and some old iron (for weight). I walk around a bit and buy some peanuts, books and a shirt. That afternoon, we took off for sea. It is rather rough and having overeaten on licorice, I feel sick, skip dinner, and barph. Called Rosemarie for all of 5 minutes.

Jan.28: Although I did have breakfast, I still feel miserable and sleep and read all day: statistics, science, Dutch stories, Winnetou and a funny German book: "Patsy." Do not feel like doing any work, and there's little to be done yet, anyhow.

Jan.29: The sea-state and mine improved a bit. We run a number of lines and see many dolphins which tend to cheer one up. I read :Leopard:, excellent. Still have a headache and think about wasting time while I should write and study. Also, when I get back to Capetown, I'd have no girls left: Rose in Hawaii, Rosemarie in Windhoek, Denise in Oranjemund and Rita somewhere out on the Garden Route with her parents. At 20:40 I climb in my bunk and hate the ship's motions. (whence e-motions?)

Alpine Geophysics technician streaming out cable

Captain of the "Xhosa Coast"

Alpine Geophysics' Party Chief "Wally Wallace" . . .

doing precision navigation

the "Xhosa Coast" skirting sanddunes

(NOTE: all above photographs taken from Bascom's Movie: "Diamonds Under the Sea";
please click to enlarge and excuse poor quality)

Jan.30: Read and did records. Again, numerous dolphins

(or porpoises?). (photograph from : Game Plan Africa)

Jan.31, Friday: and also Payday ! We made a buoy and current cross for 100 foot depth,
then released and tracked it. Picked it up ( "retrieved it" sounds better) at 18:00.
Also used Ekman current meter. Saw helicopter. Beautiful weather.
Played chess with Bout and lost (this bout) . End of 1964's first month.

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