Edisto (AGB 2) - Naval Cruise Book

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Before undertaking our voyage to the ice we were forewarned by the experience of GLACIER and EASTWIND that we would encounter a dollop or two of heavy weather around the latitudes of the screaming southern sixties-that portion of the wild South Pacific which brooks no transgression from man afloat without exacting a substantial fee. However we passed the voyage with only the most minor nautical gyrations. On the evening of 24 December the most widely-discussed question aboard concerned the chubby little man with the red sleigh. In the southern half of the world did Kris Kringlr me from the south pole or, as tradition has it, its northern counterpart. The question was sr ed when he didn't come at all. - one who had a desire for company on Christmas Eve gathered in the mess deck and Every the few colored lights from a small tree reflected on the faces of carol singers, accompanied by E'DISTO'S two guitars. Later, after carols had been exhausted, the watch on the bridge announced over the IMC that the first iceberg of the cruise was standing, a silent sentinel, off our Starboard bow. Our mess cooks provided holiday refreshment, hot chocolate, and the evening was spent group singing. Mr. Deming's hollow spoonbone put the finishing touches to a gala evening and that night as we dropped off to sleep, visions of sugar plums were just beginning to dance in our heads when we were awakened for the O4 to O8 watch, thus bringing us rudely back to our haze grey world. On Christmas Cirignano and Castleberry were on hand to pass out packages of cigarettes and a warm Christmas greeting as we filed past for our rations of tom turkey, and appropriate holiday accoutrements.

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,-v-1-1 lyttleton, n.z. After spending twenty-two days at sea EDISTO arrived in Lyttleton, New Zealand where seventy-six bags of mail were waiting to make our first down-under landfall even more pleasurable. Lyttleton, nestled on the sides of several hills, rises above the picturesque little harbor and is a quiet seaport serving Christ- church. We discovered that Christchurch was one shilling and thirty minutes train ride away. Shops and restaurants showed a strong continental influence, and the ancient British currency system was used. When we had mastered pound, florin, shilling and pence we discovered that people, especially taxis drivers, used slang expressions for money much as in the States. Money chang- ers came aboard to convert American greenies to British sterling and we set out to explore the local wildlife. The local Wives and Sweethearts Union was responsible for passing a law forbidding Pubs to stay open later than 1800. How- ever, it was only necessary to follow the well trodden path around to the rear door to enter and enjoy the hospitality of the MOOSE AND CAT, or the KENELWORTH AND ARMS etc., and drink warm 'arf and 'arf. New Zealand men are concerned with drinking and sports first, and everything else much later, and the women encouraged, with only a vague understanding our preoc- cupation with revelry. Since the caberets had beer but no other attractions, we fell back on the sailor's oldest gambit for meeting girls - simply introducing ourselves. This was done while walking around a square in Christchurch, and there were only two responses - Carry on Yanks, or Wait a minute, I'm choos- ing. The latter is an ideal method for handling sudden prosperity. After some adjustment we found the idiomatic barrier less of a problem than we expected and New Zealanders received us warmly and with many invitations. EDISTO was soon swarming with wee ones who traded pence for nickles and received plastic models constructed during the ship's long voyage from Panama to New Zealand, as did patients at Christchurch Children's Hospital. Obviously the com- mand, Wait at the quarterdeck for a guide, applied only to big people, and was no concern of theirs. They visited the living compartments and could be seen strolling around on the main deck with white hats cocked on their heads. Three mermaids also ViSitCd the Ship, coming over the side via rope ladder, and they retreated to sick-bay only when the camera bugs had exhausted rolls of film. As a unit they were named Miss Sick Bay, and were probably respons- ible for the sudden popularity of that anti- ceptic cubical. They decided not to remain aboard permanently after discovering that all Navy equipment is painted Haze Grey. Robertson, SFl, delighted several small charges under his care by applying . . amd plans were made fishing techniques acquired in Panama and rescuing a bicycle from the deep six. With liberal applications of machine oil it was soon in running order. With typical mechanical ingenuity sailors mastered right hand drive, confusing gear shifts and Bobbie traffic guides and sallied forth upon quests for souvenirs and sight- seeing in rented automobiles. Courteous New Zealand drivers seemed to recognize cars on the wrong side of the street or wobbling undecidedly in the middle as American drivers, and they moved onto the sidewalks or the reverse side of the street with a smile and a wave. After five days we sadly left New Zealand behind and, after a minor skirmish with the port motor and a fly-over sendoff by the Royal New Zealand Air Force, we turned southward toward the ice and duty. 1

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