24th April 1950

Left Auckland at 9.30 pm using tug only to clear Queens wharf & a pilot down to Rangitoto channel.

A ship was still lying off Rangitoto and looked fine, lit up on a clear night with the moon at first quarte and lying too much on its back.

very little wind and a slight swell.

The lights of the city were very pretty sweeping from St Helliers to Takapuna within intense sky glow over the city proper.

An intense depression passed to the south yesterday but we will not have to dodge it so will get onto our Great Circle at once.

25th April

Rather a heavy swell at sea but the day is perfect with strong sunshine and little wind. A few sea birds are behind us otherwise no signs of land or life apart from ourselves.

We should be going at 13.5 knots but a barnacled hull and choppy sea is holding us back and no-one is pleased with our progress. The course today is E 10 degrees South.

It is changed only once a day.

The approximation to Great Circle sailing being near enough. One engine broke down this morning but was soon fixed up and I did not even know anything was amiss.

In late afternoon it became more choppy and clouded over. At sunset there was a broad band of orange between the horizon and the clouds which later an irregular red line as if below the horizon was being painted in a few hairs of the brush had spread around the corner.

About 9.00 pm I had my first dose of sickness after many hours if queaziness.

Thereafter I went to bed and had a good sleep.