Journey
Six lifeboats had been successfully launched after the sinking. The larger ones, Lifeboats 1, 5, 6, 7 and 8 held 54, 54, 55, 57 and 55 people respectively, whilst the smaller Lifeboat 2 held 17 people. After assessing the situation, it was decided to attempt to reach the nearest land, St Helena, despite the danger of overshooting the small island and becoming lost. There were 189 people in six boats, each of which had a compass, but there was only one sextant among them. These, along with Master William Rogerson's Rolex watch, would be needed for navigation, and this would require the boats to remain together. The survivors hoped to reach St Helena within two or three weeks and water was rationed at 110 ml a day per person, despite the tropical heat. Over the next three weeks, most of the boats lost contact with each other, and numerous occupants died. Rogerson had hoped to prevent a fragmentation of the boats for as long as possible, but as the situation worsened he was compelled to allow one of the faster boats which was short of supplies and taking on water, to press on ahead. The boats also suffered damage, with rudders or masts being broken, causing some to lag behind. Eventually most of the boats had lost sight of each other and were proceeding alone.
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Famous quotes containing the word journey:
“On a journey of a hundred miles, ninety is but half way.”
—Chinese proverb.
“Ah, Sun-flower, weary of time,
Who countest the steps of the Sun,
Seeking after that sweet golden clime
Where the traveller’s journey is done:
Where the Youth pined away with desire,
And the pale Virgin shrouded in snow
Arise from their graves, and aspire
Where my Sun-flower wishes to go.”
—William Blake (1757–1827)
“So every journey that I make
Leads me, as in the story he was led,
To some new ambush, to some fresh mistake:
So every journey I begin foretells
A weariness of daybreak, spread
With carrion kisses, carrion farewells.”
—Philip Larkin (1922–1986)