15. The costumes of the luau suggested that some of the crew suspected they were going to the Pacific all along
Several elements of the luau celebrated over their proximity to Pearl Harbor indicated that there may have been foreknowledge among the crew of Triton’s true mission. Beach noted of the luau, “Many aloha shirts are in evidence and a number of beachcomber outfits. Several of the crew have either found or in some manner manufactured straw hats, and despite the crowded conditions existing just before we shoved off from New London, to my amazement a King-size guitar and a set of bongo drums suddenly appear”. There was also poi, a dish made from taro root, seldom found in the cuisine of the North Atlantic, where Triton was believed to be going for shakedown when it departed New London.
To that point on the cruise, Beach made an interesting discovery. On long runs submerged, regardless of speed, currents had less effect on course deviations than when running on the surface. “Deep waters run still”, he quipped. Captain Beach found navigating by dead-reckoning – an estimation of position based on course and speed – far more accurate in submerged operations than could be expected on the surface. It was confirmed when the telescope sextant failed temporarily on the day after the luau. Beach charted by dead reckoning while his technicians repaired the scope, and its restored measurements confirmed the accuracy of his charts. The famed ocean currents were only found closer to the surface.