CRUISE REPORTS 



THE FIRST CRUISE, " MOJAVE," MARCH 20 TO APRIL 5 



The Mojave left Boston, Mass., for the ice-patrol regions at 11.50 

 a. m. on March 20, 1928, in obedience to orders from Coast Guard 

 headquarters. Westerly breezes and moderate seas were experi- 

 enced until a position near the Tail of the Grand Banks was reached. 



While en route to the patrol grounds on the 21st, the Halifax 

 wireless officer, who has charge of all the important Canadian sta- 

 tions in the Maritime Provinces, was notified that the 1928 ice patrol 

 was starting. His cooperation -during the coming season was re- 

 quested. On the same day broadcasts to shipping were sent out to 

 the effect that the patrol was inaugurated and that reports of water, 

 temperatures, ice and obstructions to navigation sighted, courses 

 speeds, and positions, were desired every four hours from all ships 

 in the ice patrol area, which was defined as lying between latitudes 

 39° and 49° N. and longitudes 43° and 56° W. This broadcast was 

 repeated every four hours until March 23, and occasionally after that 

 in order that all vessels might be fully informed regarding the patrol. 



On the 22d, regular radio schedules with NAA, the naval radio 

 station near Washington, D. C, were established in accordance with 

 Coast Guard headquarters' instructions. On the 22d also the Cape 

 Race radio stations and the French station at St. Pierre, Miquelon, 

 were communicated with and requested to cooperate \^'ith the patrol 

 vessel as in previous years. 



A cyclonic disturbance passing to the north of the Mojave caused 

 lightning and warm rains on the evening of the 23d. During the day 

 about a dozen water temperature reports were received from trans- 

 Atlantic vessels and plotted in on the cruise chart. As time went 

 on the number graduall}" increased until each four-hour watch nor- 

 mall}^ produced 15 such messages. 



Morning of the 24th found the Mojave approaching the Tail of the 

 Grand Banks from the westward. The whole day was spent in 

 rectangular searching for ice that carried the vessel up to and slightly 

 around the Tail. Strong westerly winds following the "low" of the 

 night before raised a heavy sea. No ice was sighted and the night 

 was spent drifting in the shallow water over the Tail. 



At daylight on the 25th the search for ice was resumed up the 

 eastern edge, but fog shut in around 2.30 p. m., when a "low" ap- 

 proaching from the northwest caused an indraft of air from the warm 

 water to the southward to flow over the fold water in the vicinity 

 of the Tail. The fog caused by these southerl}" \vinds lasted until 



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