R.D Kirkpatrick 1965 Journal McKean Island, mid-Pacific Feb: After dark I loaded Sooty Terns until 7 1:30 PM. Returning to camp we found it (cont) literally crawling with thousands of ticks (we were camped in the edge of a large Sooty Tern colony). Most of us moved our cots down to the beach for the rest of the night, I repeatedly woke up, picked off all the ticks I felt crawling, re-rolled up in my sheet and went back to sleep. Feb We broke camp. I went out in the 8 first boat. We waited in the surf for a Mon long time since the waves were high. Tugging the loaded boat back and forth in the surf was very fatiguing. When we finally shoved off, I was the aft paddler on the starboard side. I was paddling when the first wave hit us. I was washed off the boat but clung to the paddle which was tied to the boat. I hauled myself back to the boat along the paddle cord but about went into the motor prop when the next wave hit. Brown was conscious. He gave me a hand but had keeps working with the motor to keep us headed into the waves. Hackman pulled me aboard.