Jack Sheridan log book 1919

13 Monday

4 am Passed Cape Jarvis & Hog Bay. 9.30 am. Middle spit 12 noon. Moderate SSW. Bar started to rise 30-10. Cloudy. Passed Point Marsden 2 pm. Made several tacks at [illegible text] Bay 6 pm. Anchored Emu Bay midnight. At Emu Bay wind bound.

14 Tuesday

Crew geating fire wood & water. Js at sails. Js went up to Bates & got 3 lbs butter 2 [illegible text], 2 dozen eggs 1 bottle milk Mrs J. Bates & visited Mrs Hall. Fresh gale SSW to WSW up to [illegible text]. Bar 30-18 & cloudy. Paid C Bell £6-8-0 by cheque for shearing work.

15 Wednesday

6.30 am Got under weight towards Western River. Passed Cape Cassini at 9.30 Stokes Bay 10.30. Stop Middle River 12.30 pm landed & took off ½ Bale wool 1 bag wool & 2 pm left Middle River stop Western River 3.30 pm & landed all cargo & stores. Fine sea smooth. Moderate SSE. Bar 30-25 at 10 pm. Cloudy. Hills let all the sheep go out again & did not brand them.

16 Thursday

9 am went on shore & no wool ready. Garden just the same as two years ago. Very little work done only new gates. Got one sheep & few peaches. Apple trees no apples on same. Gave several account to Sullivan. Noon had to clear out wind came in NE. Fresh NE bar falling fast 30-10. 7.15 pm near Stenhouse Bay. Could not land. Jib & staysail carried away. Had to run for the Group. Sisbey Island. Passed Cape Spencer. 11.30 pm reefe mizzen & mainsail no head sails. Fresh ESE.

17 Friday

2 am abreast Wedge Island. Moderate ENE. 9 set all sail repaired staysail. Unbent old jib to repair & bent new jib of Maldon Lewis. 2 pm all hands went on shore working at guano. Bagged up about 60//2 bags. 4 pm returned as weather was threatening. 2 am got under weight. Wind shifted west & carried away 1 cog windless. One hand tommy sick. First port no work 1/2 sick. Js think loafing.

18 Saturday

2 am got underweight. Carried away one cog winders. 4 hoses in Geating anchored up. 8.30 came to anchor north side of Spilsby. Fresh SW gale. All Hands Spilsby till 4 pm.

19 Sunday

Repair staysail 3 pm. Got under weight towards Sisbey. Stop Stickney 6.30 pm. Fresh WSW Bar 30-15. Came to anchor in 3 fathams with 22 fathams [illegible text] port anchor.

20 Monday

Got under weight from Stickney towards Sisbey Island stop 1 pm. Light head winds & calms. 2 pm all hands went on shore cleaning & bagging guano. Done 70 bags cleaned & bagged. Worked up to 6.15 pm. Working on the east side. Js cooking. At 9 pm Bar 30-10 gradually falling. Light NW & clear.

21 Tuesday

All hands cleaning guano east side. 2.40 pm shifted to north side Island wind shifting E Light. 3.30 pm all hands on shore again to clean. Bar raising gradually 30-20. All hands done about 8 tons. Working on the east side.

22 Wednesday

7.30 am all hands went on shore cleaning guano. Done about 10 tons. Working on the east side. Light SSE & calms throughout. Bar at 7 pm 30-35. Js working at mainsail. Put patch where the sail got burned. At sundry jobs.

23 Thursday

First part Bar 30-30. All hands on shore cleaning guano on west side. Got boat all ready for launching nearly tight. 6.30 am shifted from north end to west side. Moderate SE to ENE. Bar at 9 pm 30-15. 11 pm got under weight. Weather threatening. Bar falling 29-95. Calm & variables. Got dingy [illegible text] away from the Island. Weather very threatening.

24 Friday

Hove to [illegible text] 8 am came to anchor north end of the Island. Hard gale south to SSW. Bar rising fast 30-15. Noon all hands on shore at guano. Whealing on both sides. Crew worked up to 6 pm. Hard gale throughout.

25 Saturday

7.15 am all hands on shore cleaning guano. Gave cargo boat bottom 1 coat red paint. Light south sea smooth. Bar started to rise fast 30-20 at noon.

26 Sunday

Moderate SE. Launch cargo boat. Not making much water.

27 Monday

All hands on shore working guano. Took off 2 small boatloads guano. About 3 tons from SW bay. Very hot. JS variously employed. Shifted to south end. Wind shifting. Bar 30-10 gradually falling.

28 Tuesday

1 am hove up anchor. Light NE. Bar 28-80. Set mainsail. Drifted away about 8 miles up to 6 am. Crew in hole caulking seemes in bottom. 1 pm all hands went on shore west side bagging & whealing guano. Js repairing bags & sundry jobs. Fresh gale south. Ketch rolling heavily. Bar 30-00.

29 Wednesday

7.30 am all hands went on shore at guano cleaning the ground. Blowing hard gale south. 11.30 Winnie fishing. Boat visited got 2 bread 1 paper & left 1 pm fishing. Cloudy. Bar 30-34 rising fast. Fresh SSE. 1 hand partly sick. Jacky allwayes loafing.