Preface 



By Vice-Admiral Sir Guy Wyatt, K.B.E., C.B. 



Hjdrographer oj the Navy 1^4^-1950 



I AM so glad that Captain Ritchie has written this book and I am 

 sure that all who read it will agree that he has made a first-class 

 job of it. 



I am also happy that he has asked me to write a Preface because 

 it gives me the chance to say a few words in memory of this well- 

 loved ship and to my old shipmates. 



During her twenty-two years of life Challenger saw the final 

 passing of the old methods of survey and the firm establishment 

 of the new for, though she was fitted with echo sounding gear on 

 her first commission, it was still experimental and often un- 

 reliable so that much work was done with the lead; her boats 

 relied entirely on this ancient means of sounding ; fixing position 

 depended on good visibility. At the close of her career echo 

 sounding was used exclusively both in the ship and her boats, the 

 lead being relegated to one means of obtaining samples of the 

 bottom ; the fixing of position no longer depended entirely on 

 sight, for various electronic devices made fixing possible under 

 any conditions. 



Nowadays nothing but human limitations or a gale of wind need 

 prevent the surveyor sounding both day and night for weeks on 

 end ! A most alarming thought for all of us who used to look for- 

 ward to a day of rain or fog to allow us to catch up with office 

 work or just have a 'caulk'. 



Nearly all those mentioned in this book were shipmates with 

 me in Challenger or other surveying ships or in the Department ; 

 some, alas, are no more. It has been a great pleasure to read of 

 their adventures and to recall the times we spent together. So I will 

 end this Preface by saying to them, 'Old Ships — Here's to the 

 memory of our old ship and to old shipmates who have passed on!' 



Holly Tree Orchard, 



Woodbridge, Tasmania 

 June I9J7 



