At dawn the following day, 7 November 1940, the "San Demetrio" was about downwind so the crew set sail toward her and re-boarded. They fought the fire, repaired the port auxiliary boiler sufficiently to restart the ship's pumps and dynamos and repaired the auxiliary steering gear. No charts or navigational instruments had survived so the crew estimated a course from occasional glimpses of the sun. Her radio had not survived either. They managed to sail the tanker across the rest of the Atlantic, braving bad weather and U-boats. After seven days the "San Demetrio" reached waters off Ireland, from where they were escorted on to the mouth of the River Clyde, docking on 16 November 1940. They declined the offer of a tow from a tug because of the high cost.