We put out a sea-anchor to
keep the 'James Caird's' head up to the sea. This anchor consisted of a
triangular canvas bag fastened to the end of the painter and allowed to
stream out from the bows. The boat was high enough to catch the wind,
and, as she drifted to leeward, the drag of the anchor kept her head to
windward. Thus our boat took most of the seas more or less end on.
Even then the crests of the waves often would curl right over us and we
shipped a great deal of water, which necessitated unceasing baling and
pumping. Looking out abeam, we would see a hollow like a tunnel formed
as the crest of a big wave toppled over on to the swelling body of
water. A thousand times it appeared as though the 'James Caird' must be
engulfed; but the boat lived. The south-westerly gale had its
birthplace above the Antarctic Continent, and its freezing breath
lowered the temperature far towards zero. The sprays froze upon the
boat and gave bows, sides, and decking a heavy coat of mail. This
accumulation of ice reduced the buoyancy of the boat, and to that
extent was an added peril; but it possessed a notable advantage from
one point of view. The water ceased to drop and trickle from the
canvas, and the spray came in solely at the well in the after part of
the boat. We could not allow the load of ice to grow beyond a certain
point, and in turns we crawled about the decking forward, chipping and
picking at it with the available tools.
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