THE WEST INDIES 7I 



Frequent samples of the bottom were taken with special scoops, 

 such samples being much in demand by the oil prospectors. 



As the days passed, the ship required more and more propeller 

 revolutions to push her along at the speed necessary to carry out 

 the sounding work ; it was seen that a thick growth of barnacles 

 clustered along the water-line. The ship's divers went down to 

 find the whole hull thickly covered with barnacle growth, 

 choking the inlets through which water is taken into the ship to 

 condense the used steam, and to circulate around the cooling plant. 



Serious boiler defects occurred about this time, first in one 

 boiler and the following day in the other. An inspection showed 

 that it would be dangerous in the extreme to continue steaming. 

 Bermuda was the nearest Naval Base, and arrangements had to be 

 made to tow the ship there for the fitting of new furnaces, which 

 would be a lengthy business. An oiler of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, 

 the Celerol, eventually came to Port of Spain and commenced this 

 long tow of nearly 2000 miles. Things went well during the tow, 

 the speed getting gradually faster and faster despite signals from 

 Challenger calling for speed to be reduced. The passage took just 

 over a week, the two ships arriving at Bermuda on i oth November. 

 It was rumoured there that the Captain of Celerol had been sick 

 for the latter part of the tow and that the First Officer, who had 

 taken over, had a girl friend in Bermuda who was thus responsible 

 for the very great despatch with which the stricken Challenger 

 was hauled to her destination. 



The ship was docked on arrival so that the full extent of the 

 growth on the hull could be seen. It was completely composed of 

 shell growth, there being no trace of weed of any kind. 



Here at Bermuda Challenger lay, immobile herself until new 

 furnaces arrived from England, which was not until 31st May, 

 1937. But although the ship may have been idle, her officers and 

 men were far from being inactive. There is always surveying to 

 be done and here was no exception. The hydrographic surveyor 

 is ready to improvise and to take on local craft to expedite his 

 labours. Camp parties were established about the Bermuda group 

 of islands and with the aid of local boats which had been pressed 

 into service to augment the work of the ship's boats, a great area 

 of Bermuda, including the main entrance through the reef and 

 the harbour at St. George's, was surveyed. 



