Volume Eight - Pre-Victorian to the present day - more aspects - Pamir and Passat - the end of an era . . .

At Penarth the ship was used as a warehouse, indeed her grain cargo was not discharged until it was unfit for human consumption, when it was found suitable only for cattle food. The crew had imagined they were carrying much needed food to post-war Europe, and were disappointed at the reception the PASSAT received.

Nevertheless she had won the Last Grain Race.

Mr. Rodger made some illuminating comments on life aboard a large sailing ship. The work was of course hard in the southern latitudes, but life was pretty easy once the PASSAT caught the Trade Winds. Food was always plentiful and quite good, but the crew's quarters were continuously wet from shipping heavy seas. During the fine weather, boredom seemed the main enemy, there was plenty of time for reading and sleeping and even for racing paper boats the length of the ship, dropping them over the bow and seeing which passed the taff rail first. Sleep was always welcome, because the crew stood watch and watch about.

The officers were competent, and well liked. The captain knew sailing ships well and the mate appeared to be an authority on many subjects. The sailmaker was a wonderful character, an old Finn with a great fund of stories. Mr. Rodger was very fortunate to be one of the crew of the last of the cargo carrying sailing ships. He reckons he must be one of the youngest Cape Horners alive today. At the time of his voyage he was 23.

After the talk, the meeting saw a film of the PASSAT's voyage from Karlshamn to Capetown with timber. Mr. Rodger recognised some of his shipmates and commented on them afterwards. The photography was excellent and showed the PASSAT in all weathers, under all plain sail in the Trades, becalmed in the Doldrums, heeling to a squall south of the Equator and finally weathering a prolonged storm in the Roaring Forties. The PASSAT was forced well across the South Atlantic and had to work her way back to Capetown. Finally she was shown discharging her timber in the Capetown docks. The highlight of the film was the storm, with the canvas blown from the bolt ropes and the decks awash. Four men were needed at the wheel and the pumps were kept busy. The sailmaker had a long list of repairs and the mate was lucky to get a sight of the sun. - Liverpool Nautical Research Society - Jan-March 1966. [1281]