CRUISE REPORTS 



THE FIRST CRUISE, "TAMPA," MARCH 22 TO APRIL 9, 1927 



In accordance with headquarters telegram of March 19, 1927, the 

 Tam'pa sailed at 1.41 in the afternoon of March 22 for the Grand 

 Banks. During the second day at sea a message was received 

 from the United States Hydrographic Office, Washington, stating 

 that trans-Atlantic tracks "B" would remain in force until further 

 notice. It took us an unusually long time — six days — this year 

 to make the passage to the ice regions, and this slow progress was 

 due to the presence of an area of high pressure located over New- 

 foimdland. Our track situated on the southern side of this wind 

 system gave us head winds the entire passage. On the 28th we sent 

 messages to all adjacent radio stations requesting their cooperation 

 and informing them that we were inaugurating the ice-patrol service 

 for 1927. The routine broadcast was dispatched to all ships and 

 also the evening report to the Hydrographic Office, Washington. 



A search for ice was instituted the morning of the 29th and also 

 on the 30th. Somewhat north of the forty-third parallel along the 

 eastern slope of the Grand Banks we sighted a total of three small 

 bergs and one growler. The Tampa remained near this ice and 

 drifting with it to the southward during the remaining two days 

 of the month. From April 1 to 6 the time was spent searching for 

 ice around the Tail of the Bank and along the eastern slope, or 

 drifting near small bergs or growlers. The weather was exception- 

 ally good during these days; for example, on March 26 there was not 

 a cloud in the sky the entire day and the sea was very calm, two 

 conditions truly remarkable for this time of the season. 



We planned during the last few days of the cruise to begin a current 

 survey along the eastern side of the Bank and carry the observations 

 to the westward, and when the relief ship was met, giving her the 

 remaining half of the oceanographic work to perform. This program 

 was carried out and we met the Modoc about 150 miles west of the 

 Tail of the Grand Banks on the eighth day of the month where the 

 relief was effected and the Tampa stood toward Halifax. 



The weather this cruise was noticeably fair and much better by 

 far than that we encountered during the early part of the patrol last 

 year. There were a few intervals of low visibility but no fog. Dur- 

 ing the cruise we received a total of 630 reports from passing vessels 

 on the subject of their surface water temperatures; three vessels 



(3) 



