The Pacific had decided that its reputation had been let down a bit by all the calm weather we had been having, so it decided to make up for it and show us that it was really quite a nasty bit of sea after all. Our little boat was doing things it was never designed to do, jumping up and down, somersaults, spinning round, standing on its end. . . . . well perhaps not quite, but it seamed like it. Captain Brooks stood solidly on the bridge enjoying it all. The rest of us were not, we had our heads in whatever was convenient to be sick in. All that is except Mrs Jabody, who was the only one who seamed to be enjoying it all as much as Captain Brooks, she had decided we all needed some food in us and had cooked us some breakfast. How she managed it I will never know, the inside of the galley was clanging about like a cement mixer.

I sat opposite Joe clinging onto the table and looking my bacon and eggs straight in the face. I have never known a more unappetising piece of breakfast in my whole life.

After the storm had died down a little bit, captain Brooks decided to put in somewhere to inspect the damage to the ship. He made for one of those Pacific islands that one sees in the films but somehow don't really believe exist.

The island was called Tikcoa Tikcoa, we all stood at the front rail and watched as the sandy beaches and palm trees came into view. As we got closer the natives canoed out to greet us.

" This is a bit more like it. " said Joe.

" This is where we should have come in the first place. " I said.

" Better late than never. " said Mr Pepperday. " Almost worth battling round the Horn for. " he looked at the Captain.

" Hah. . . " said the Captain and went back to the bridge.

It was here as the Captain was manoeuvring over the reef that the propeller fell off.

" O no. " said Sandy. " Not another party. "

Several natives came out of a long grass hut carrying large flagons, they came over to the Chiefs hut where we were all gathered in the shade of a big open sided porch. One of the natives poured a thick brown liquid into a container on the table. I put my nose to it and sniffed.

It turned my stomach over just to smell it, it smelt like diesel oil.

I didn't want to offend anyone so I tried hard not to look revolted. I looked up at he chap who had poured it and gave a little forced smile.

" What is it. " I said.

" Diesel oil. " He said, obviously wondering why I had sniffed at it.

" What's that for. " I said. The compressor. " he said.

" The compressor. " I said.

" The compressor for the air bottles. " he said.

" Air bottles. " I repeated. He must have thought I was daft in the head.

" Air bottles. " he said. " For the diving gear, , you know frog men. " he paddled the air with his hands.

" You have scuba gear. " I said.

" Of course we do. " he said. " This is the twentieth century you know, we don't just take deep breaths and collect shells any more. "

" O. " I said feebly, there wasn't much else I could say.

" You do want your propeller back don't you. " he said.

" Yes. " I said.

I was quite impressed with the way the natives went about lifting the propeller, for even in the water it must have weighed a couple of tons. Soon it was up on the beach, with captain Brooks and Mr Thornby inspecting the damage.

I sat on the beach with Elaine, we watched the sea for a long time, the blue water lapping against the silver sand.

" Fancy." I said. She looked at me, those blue eves were more beautiful than ever in the reflected light of the blue of the sea.

" Here we are. " I said taking hold of her hand. " Sitting on this island that I've never heard of, in the middle of the ocean with a broken boat and I've never felt happier in my whole life. " She put her head on my shoulder as we sat there under the palm trees. " I know what you mean. " she said.

That bit of sea really got looked at that afternoon.

The Captain and Mr Thornby had spent the whole day swimming around the ship with the natives and by evening had masses of scribbles and sketches of what the trouble was. It was over dinner that Captain Brooks told us about the problem. Basically we could repair everything except the bit that held the propeller on.

" Ever had the feeling that you wish you'd never come. " whispered Joe in my ear. My thoughts were going back to that dry dock where the men mending the boat were saying things like ' fourth time this year. . . ' and ' all the tea in china. . .

As it was too late in the evening to do anything about our problem we decided to leave things untill morning. That night we all slept under the coconut palms and considering the fix we were in everyone slept extremely well. I woke up just as it was beginning to get light, no one else was awake so I quietly went down to the beach and watched the sunrise. Somehow I had the feeling that no one on the expedition was really bothered if we ever left the island. Joe came down to the beach and sat down beside me.

" Hello Robinson. " said Joe.

" Hi. . " I replied not wanting to talk much.

" Stop thinking it. " said Joe.

" what. " I said.

Stop thinking how lovely it is and you wouldn't mind staying here forever. " said Joe. " And don't deny it I've been thinking the same. "

After some while the whole expedition had come down to the beach and we all sat in one long line looking out to sea, no one said anything, everyone was lost in their own thoughts. What an odd sight we must have been.

" We can't sit here forever. " said the Captain at last. " We've got to decide what to do. "

" Have breakfast. " said Sandy.

" About the boat. " said the Captain.

" We had better have a word with the local chief. " said Mr Pepperday.

" Before or after breakfast. " said Joe.

" Before. " said Mr Pepperday.

Things don't get done very quickly on Pacific islands, for although we went to see the chief before breakfast it was noon before we actually got to talk to him.

You see it all has to do with the way things are done, the way they have been done for hundreds of years, or so I was told. You don't just go and see the local chief, the chief receives you. The difference being that you have to have a feast and that took all morning to get ready.

The feast was set out on the ground outside his hut and we all sat down to eat and discuss our problem of the propeller. As our radio had been damaged in the storm and the island had no radio, we had to find a way to get to the main island six hundred miles away.

The discussion was started by the chiefs son Tittyloco saving that he liked my hat.

" How big are your canoes. " said Joe.

" Come on. " said Mr Pepperday. " Let's take this seriously. " Mr Pepperday looked at the Chief. " Are there any regular visits by boats. " he said.

" Yes of course. " said the Chief.

" Ah. . . when are they. " said Captain Brooks.

" The navy sends a boat twice a year. " said the Chief. " And the Congo Titty that's a large cargo boat comes three times a year to trade. " the Chief smiled.

" Why are you smiling. " said Joe.

" You've just missed them both. " said the Chief.

" O. " said Captain Brooks

" When do they come back again. " said Mr Pepperday.

" Four months at the earliest. " said the Chief.

" In that case I'll have another peace of cake. " said Joe reaching across in front of me.

" Can some of your men use your canoes. " said Elaine.

" You can't paddle that far. " said Tittyloco.

" Perhaps we could rig no some sails. " said Sandy.

" Could you design it. " said Mr Pepperday.

" I should think so. " said Sandy.

" It's a good idea. " said Tittyloco. " But I don't think it will work.

" Why not. " said Sandy.

" Well some of the islands. " said Tittyloco. " Are very good at making dugout canoes and they sail them for hundreds of miles. However we never seem to have got it right, I wouldn't go beyond the sight of the beach in one of our boats. " Tittyloco looked apologetic.

" How about building a raft. " said Joe. Kon-Tiki " said the Chief.

I had to agree with the chief, I thought the idea of building a raft was a load of Kon-Tiki. . . . . Just then some natives came over to the Chief and said something in native.

" Arrrr. . " said the Chief to us all. " Big sun reach tall palm tree. " he pointed up to the sky. We all looked up into the sky, high above the sun was in various different positions in various different sized trees.

" Good heavens. " said Tittyloco pulling a watch out of his pocket. " Three o clock already. " he said.

" Beach ceremony must start. " said the Chief. The Chief got up from his position at the head of the feast and led all the village down to the long beach behind the village.

" We still haven't solved our problem. " said Captain Brooks as we followed them down to the beach.

There was a large log at one end of the beach with ropes attached to it. Six strong men took hold of the ropes and pulled the log down the beach making a long straight line in the sand, when they reached the far end they pulled it all the way back again making another line about twenty feet away from the first. All the time this was going on the villagers were singing and dancing and beating drums. I went over to where Mr Pepperday and the Chief were standing and watching all this going on.

" What is the ceremony about. " I asked the Chief. " It's for God Panam " said the Chief looking very serious. The singing and dancing got louder and louder.

" We thank Panam for the good life. " said the Chief. " For bringing us many good things. "

As we watched the dancing I noticed an aeroplane high over head. I pointed it out to Mr Pepperday.

" That's what we need. " said Mr Pepperday. The plain began to circle overhead, gradually coming lower and lower.

" It's going to land. " shouted Mr Pepperday in amazement. He looked at the Chief. " You knew it was coming. " said Mr Pepperday.

The Chief and Tittyloco began to laugh.

" And we were going on about canoes and rafts. " said Mr Pepperday. " You only ask about boats. " said Tittyloco. Most of the villagers were laughing and Mr Pepperday was going a little red.

" And Panam. " said Mr Pepperday.

" Pan American Airways. " said the Chief. It appeared we had been at the sharp end of their little joke.

However we all had a good laugh about it all that evening over a very large supper. I'm afraid I got a little drunk on the local brew and proposed marriage to five local girls and a palm tree, fortunately only the palm tree accepted.

It was a beautiful little island and we stayed far longer than the time necessary just to mend the boat. In fact any excuse was found to delay our departure The wind was blowing in the wrong direction, . . , the tide was too high, . . . tide was too low, . . . water temperature not right ( Mr Pepperday thought of that one. ), . . . couldn't find my hat, . . . Titty Loco's birthday ( again ? ) , . . couldn't sail on Fridays, . . . Joe's washing his socks The excuses became so absurd we just had to go.

We all stood at the back of the boat waving goodbye to the islanders as our little boat chugged its way back out to sea.

" Good bye. . . " we all shouted and waved.

" Just a minute. " said Mrs Jabody amid all the shouting.

" We're all here. " she said. We looked at her and then at each other.

" What do you mean. " said Mr Pepperday. " Of course we're all here. " he counted us all again.

" She's been at the local brew. " said Joe.

" No. " said Mr Jabody, as the island slowly got smaller and smaller. If we're all here. " said Mrs Jabody. she paused to check her thoughts. " Who's driving. " she said.

The Captain and Mr Thornby looked at. each other.

" He is. " they both said together. They then both ran as fast as they could along the deck and up onto the bridge.

" 0 well. " said Elaine. " Back to the real world. "