berthing area included provisions for showering and shaving for the

medical party apart from the patient examination area.
These plans
again were altered (please see ship plans) and the final arrangement
was for our entire medical party of 14 to use one head, one shower

and one shaving mirror.

This presented serious problems when everyone

arose at the same time and attempted to get ready for the days examinations.
The ship's brochure (enclosure 1) stated a two ton freezer
capacity.
Apparently this capacity was sacrificed in the conversion
of holds 1 and 2, leaving us with inadequate cold storage space and
much of the fresh fruit that we were carrying to the outer islands as
gifts for the study group rotted in transit.

2.

Maritime Problems/Ships Safety: ‘Throughout the entire cruise, no

organized safety drill or instructions were given by the ship to the
medical party.
We were not informed as to where the life vests were
stored nor how to use the life rafts

(many of the medical

team were

weak- or non-Swimmers).
There were no fire extinguishers in the medical berthing area.

Egress

from the berthing area (hold #2) was through one heavy water-tight hatch

leading forward through a high hazard area, i.e., x-ray and laboratory
areas (containing flammable chemicals and high voltage), then up a
ladder and aft onto the well deck.
A second hatch leading aft went
through a cluttered machine shop, into a battery room with no egress.
There was no outside ventilation into the berthing area that I could
find.
The water-tight hatch controlling access to the medical berthing
area had no latch.
When trying to pass through the hatch in high seas,
the heavy hatch would swing violently.
A piece of cord was finally tied
to the hatch to keep it open.
The outboard passageways, both port and

starboard on the main deck level required climbing over a totally exposed
fore and aft ladder with no safety lines.

Since our passage was in

heavy weather with severe rolling and pitching, we could easily have lost
one of our party over the side and never have missed him (see pictures).

From the health standpoint, the berthing area was inadequate.

One bunk

was under an airconditioning unit and throughout the first night at sea
that bunk was drenched about every 30 minutes by 2-4 ounces of ice cold
water.
In addition, Dr. Nicoloff complained repeatedly about the "stag-

nant air in the berthing compartment." The large air conditioning unit
which was integral and recirculating for the compartment rendered the
area either too hot or too cold.

"In our preliminary correspondence and in phone conversations with
Mr. Brown in Honolulu I stressed the importance of having an outer island
pilot for the survey and recommended Mr. Paul LaPoint who has had extensive experience with previous medical surveys.
While in Honolulu, I
was informed that a Mr. deBrum was to serve as outer island pilot.
While
we were in Kwajalein we were informed that Mr. deBrum would not be
available and Mr. Brown attempted to obtain the services of Mr. LaPoint,
unsuccessfully.
Therefore, the ship sailed for the outer islands without
an outer islands pilot.
The Marshallese members of the medical team were
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ENCLOSURE I

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