December 2006
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31/12/06
   New Years Eve, what a joyous occasion! Its a Sunday but that is no excuse as there are people who wish to see the surrounding area so Bernard, Vicky (station support manager) and I prepared three boats and took seven people out for an hours trip around the local area. Ice is proving a recurrent pest and has barred our travel to the south, but all the passengers were suitably impressed. I guided Anne Brodie (an Artist and Writer visitor- best explained by this link) and Matt (who is studying some weird atmospheric changes- he keeps telling me but all I remember is it involves a shiny orb suspended in a remote area that will measure some electron jiggery-pokery!) amongst the bergs. Anne is particularly interested in the ice as she collates her thoughts and views with intentions of illustrating her experiences. So far, she feels that it is too amazing to be able to do justice!
 
 

Matt, Anne, Cyril (the chef) and Stephen (the plumber) all prepared for their trip.

Photo from Anne Brodie.
 
 
 

The boats navigating amongst the bergs.

Photo from Anne Brodie.
 
 
 

That heroic look, again!

Photo from Anne Brodie.
 
 
 
 


   At 3:30pm, a group of 20 of us gathered for the Annual 10km race, which involved 5 and a quarter laps of the runway. Myself and others felt that fancy dress might be appropriate and so engaged in all manner of costume. I came third with a surprising time of 43 minutes and 06 seconds Neil Farnell was determined to set a record which he just missed out on, but impressed everybody with his racing prowess. Others formed relay teams and enjoyed the camaraderie. my thanks must go to Andy Elliott (no relation) who was my pace man for the race and was chivalrous in persuading me to race for the line.

 
 

The beard is real, the hair is not, and no, I'm not available for TV!

Photos by Kelvin
 
 
 

Ali and Sue-Ann (marine biologists) 'horsing' around!

Photos by Kelvin
 
 
 

Neil Farnell, the winner.

Photos by Kelvin
 
 
 
 


   Suitably recovered, we prepared for the evenings entertainment and Stephen and I went so far as to assume dinner was a smart affair. Bedecked in kilts and smart shirts, we marched in 5 minutes late, to discover that this was not so! Oh well, we looked good. At about 8, everyone started to drift towards the Sledge store which is the hub of filed operations and equipment storage. There is an area that is wide and open and ideal for stage entertainment. It was here that various residents showed their skills on instruments and vocal accompaniment. The songs lasted a good couple of hours and by the bells we were all merrily dancing to hits from the jukebox. The celebrations were a grand affair though meagre by the standards of home. We made up for the distance with gusto and with no loss of evening light, it was bizarre to step outside at 2am.

 
 

Andy and I discuss our dance moves!

Photos by Kelvin
 
 
 

Elvis is not dead!

Photos by Kelvin
 
 
 

Jamie, Rob and Tris do some classical acoustic.

Photos by Kelvin
 
 
 
 
30/12/06
   Sea ice is still prominent in the local area so boating to the far areas of Ryder Bay is not possible, but the divers are determined to collect a little sponge for one of the marine biologists, so I was coxswain (=drive the boat) for a dive.
   We set off for Ryder Bay buttress (about 1 mile SW) but the ice is closely packed and it proves too time-consuming, so we avert to the southern end of the runway where the waters slope steeply to 50m.
   After lunch, we have the afternoon off, so I busied myself with the process of unpacking. I have a room to myself now (for how long I don't know) but making sure I do not spread too far was one of my tasks.
 
 

Boating amongst ice.
 
 
 

An elephant seal rests in the middle of base.

 
 
 

The sun drops in the South.
 
 
 
 
29/12/06
   A busy boating day today. While Bernard took a dive out, I headed to Anchorage Island to drop Tim the terrestrial biologist off with Chris Drury (an artist/writer). While they busied themselves with their respectable tasks, Mark (the carpenter and my Competent Crew) and I checked on the Lagoon Island hut and did some revision in boat handling skills.
   After lunch, I took a dive team out for a South Cove trip. On completion the afternoon was nearly finished, but before supper, we have 'Scrub-out'. This is a collective session where groups of people will address tasks that would otherwise take time for individuals. In my case, we had to sort mooring lines that are connected to the shore for vessels that moor alongside the jetty. This task involved knee deep snow, heavy braided rope and sweat as we endeavoured to straighten out the lines. The evening was underrated as the Post Office was open and allowed for the sending of presents and postcards with British Antarctic Territory stamps. (If you are in philanthropy, send your address and I'll send a nice card!)
 
 

Mark, the carpenter and my competent crew, expresses surprise at the proximity of the elephant seals.
 
 
 

The view from the hut window.

(The smell could be likened to a farmyard!)
 
 
 

Matt, the leaving dive officer, models the boating attire.

 
 
 
 
 
28/12/06
   A day of meetings is considered normal by many, but to us on station is generally spells little work as we try to balance what might clash and what can be done. Essentially these meetings are very important and cover health and safety, sit-reps and other transfer of information. Luckily they all happen in one day so there isn't too much disruption. Lunch was early and so Matt and I were able to complete my check-out dive before the sit-rep. This basically involved dropping over the side of the boat moored next to the wharf, and Matt testing my skills to check I was happy which I duly was!
   In the afternoon, there was much excitement as a group of killer whales were spotted off the wharf. This did however, spell the end to any diving so the afternoon involved some shore-based training, and later a Local Area Familiarisation with Bernard and Kelvin. An awesome afternoon as I was shown the area that I will soon become firmly familiar with. We landed at lagoon Island, in the middle of Ryder Bay and met some of the locals, elephant seals. Enormous by the standards of European seals, the beaches don't seem to have any of the really big bull males that you otherwise have on south Georgia. It really hit me that I'm working in the Antarctic. Wooh!
 
 

Matt and I are assisted into our kit by Kelvin, the dive supervisor.
 
 
 

Kelvin logs the dive and communicates with us using an underwater comms system.
 
 
 

Bernard introduces us to the residents of Lagoon Island
 
 
 
 
27/12/06
   At last, a day of boating. The weather is against us a wee bit as it pushes Force 4-6 from the North but this is no bad thing as at least some ice will be blown from the bay. Ali (the wintering Marine Assistant) has a Familiarisation dive with Matt (the hand-over Dive Officer) and then Kelvin and Bernard went for a dive to collect sponges for Jade (a marine biologist). I have now been initiated into my role as I was coxswain for this dive and Matt supervised the dive and advised me on the standard protocol.
   In the afternoon, it was Sue-Ann's turn (a summer biologist studying some poor wee creature) at a Familiarisation dive. this involved myself as tender (general assistant) and Kelvin (the winter dive officer) as Supervisor. For much of the rest of the day, I busied myself with trying to track down equipment that might have been delivered. As you may be able to imagine, the logistics for supplying an operation of this scale is vast and the neatly labeled boxes can be slightly confusing to the 'newbies'. But I'm starting to get on top of it, and its a bit like detective work.
   This evening, we had football practice, as HMS Endurance will be taking us on when she arrives mid-January and the prospect of big, hairy marines wildly kicking at our balls requires some essential training. To set the scene, we play on the aircraft apron, the only flat and mildly graveled part of base. This obviously tears our trainers up and going in for a tackle requires a certain commitment; I hasten to add if you wear knee pads and rigger gloves. The icebergs in the background, minus celsius wind chill and penguins make it a chastening experience!
   And to top the night off, I've just watched a couple of male seals fighting in North Cove.
 
 

Cyril stops by for coffee, while Bernard slaves away on the computer.
 
 
 
 

Heroic coxswain on the lookout!
 
 
 
 

Adam sees to fixing the boatshed tractor; essential in launching the boats off the slipway.

Know all he needs to do is stick the tractor back together! ('Them mechanics are good!')
 
 
 
 
26/12/06
   Its Boxing Day and after a late start we're all hard at work. Christmas has been good for where we are and everybody is feeling the usual effects of festive gluttony. Cyril (our wintering chef), Alan (summer chef) and Riet (soon to be departing chef) cooked up a fabulous Crimbo dinner with all the usual trimmings.
   The weather tried to spring one on us today by snowing solidly throughout the day, leaving a lovely dusting of snow. Most of us kept our heavy heads low and busied ourselves with light, refreshing work. the evening was rather quiet as I gathered my thoughts and wrapped some presents for home. But shhh, I can't tell you as it would spoil it for everyone!
 
 

Stephen, Adam and myself pose after dinner.
 
 
 

Looking south toward Leonie island at 8pm.
 
 
 

Same view the next morning at 8am. The weather can change quick.
 
 
 
 
25/12/06
   MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE READING MY BLOG.

   This morning, we got up early(ish) and skidooed up to Vals for some Christmas snowboarding.
   This evening, we have Xmas dinner which everyone is looking forward to and then maybe a party. But work tomorrow will obviously be at the back of everyone's minds.

To see me snowdecking in action, go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsIKOsLZrUc
&
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxVatodLmo0

24/12/06
   Its Sunday today and with work beginning again on Boxing Day, we're all relaxing. Stephen and I got up early and headed up to Vals for some snowboarding before the snow starts to soften.
  After a couple of runs, we took the skidoo to the far side of the area and simply sat and comtemplated where we were sitting. The trip across (about 2 kms) was interesting enough as Stephen towed me on the snowboard. Its all much like wakeboarding.
   When a couple of others (Adam, Andy and Sue-Ann) turned up, we hit the slope for a while longer and then it was agreed that it might be interesting to see what my new snowdeck was like. A snowdeck is basically a skateboard made for snow. No bindings, a small board and a short ski fixed to it. It proved relatively easy in the soft snow and wiping out really didn't hurt. Fun was definitely had!
   Once recovered, we had a cup of tea in the Caboose (wee hut) and then headed back for mince pies. In the evening, there was a party atmosphere and some drinks in the bar.
 
 

The gang after a good morning on Vals
 
 
 

A helmet is a wise accessory when falling often. The snow is soft and quite comfortable to fall in.
 
 
 

Christmas Eve drinks (Stephen, Sue-Ann, Adam, myself and Andy)
 
 
 
 
23/12/06
   Today proved exceptionally fulfilling, eventually! Ice is still present close to the shore and frustrates our efforts to exercise our hand-over of boating knowledge which is heavily dependent upon local knowledge. Charts are not accurate and depth sounders are generally ripped off the hull. So the only way to drive and drive some more and find out where all the rocks are.
   Nonetheless, the ice is about and diving is only close by so it possible. Matt and Kelvin are going for a familiarisation dive as Matt hands over to Kelvin. Bernard and I prepare Stella the dive boat and launch her off the jetty. The dive is only from the boat as it is moored alongside so will Matt shows Kelvin, Bernard shows me the essence of diving operations from the boat. we do initially cruise out to check on an unidentified seal on a floe. Leopard seals are a threat to divers so caution is always a necessity. We post a member of the science team on a lookout 30 minutes prior to the dive to observe any local seal behaviour. Once clear, the dive commences and is successful after 25 minutes.
   The rest of the day is filled with another dive for the biologists to lay data-loggers, and I continued with my workshop initiation.
 
 

Kelvin and I compare our respective work gear.
 
 
 

See the dot on the icefloe, that is a seal. (Turns out to be a Weddell's Seal)
 
 
 

Kelvin and Matt prepare to dive while Bernard supervises.

 
 
 
 
22/12/06
   Finally, after some understandable delay, I am able to update the blog. Apologies to those who have been waiting for the next installment. You'll find the blogs below for the last week.
   Today has been very positive with my first trip out on the water. It has been frustrating for Bernard (the out-going boatman) as ice (bergy bits, growlers and sea-ice) remain closely wrapped around the Point. Looking at it seems quite simple but I experienced first-hand how uncomfortable it is pushing through even modest little bits of ice. Ice cube-size pieces still rattle off the hull at slow speeds, and unfortunately I have not got my camera taped to my hand yet. However, the third picture of 14/12/06 below is a fair representation.
   The reason for our trip was to provide SAR (Search and Rescue) for the Dash 7 when she takes off or lands. So we get fully dressed in boatsuits and lifejackets, put the SAR boat in the water, maintain comms with 'Ops' (the Operations Tower) and position ourselves at the end of the runway (on this occasion we moved to the Northern end of the runway, which required pushing through the ice) and wait for the Dash 7 to land. It is a beautiful sight and hopefully I'll get some photos soon. For the rest of the day, I was basically pulling open drawers, boxes, cupboards and familiarising myself with the equipment, spares and tools available to me.
   At 5pm every Friday, we have 'Scrub Out' which involves everybody on base and basically get put to task on big jobs. This evening, a group of us were unpacking boxes of cargo and finding the destination of enclosed goods. It feels like Christmas which is ironic as it is Christmas in a couple of days.
   Then deciding on a quiet night, I have settled down to write my blog and one of the Twin Otters has arrived back from somewhere further to the south. And I happen to have a grandstand view from my window.
 
 

A couple of Adelie penguins take in their local area.
 
 
 

Unpacking a small portion of the cargo brought in by the JCR. More will come on her next call in January.
 
 
 

A Twin Otter lands on the runway 100 metres from my room window.

Siren blare and lights flash to warn everyone. These landings will often occur early morning as we have 24 hour daylight, pretty much!
 
 
 
 
21/12/06
   Rather regrettably no-boating due to the ice so I pottered about the boatshed with Bernard. We set-up the SAR boat for the take-off of the Dash 7 (explained above); on this occasion not actually launching the boat because off the ice.
   The highlight of the day was definitely going up to 'Vals', our local ski slope, for alittle snowboarding. My board had eventually made it off the JCR. Adam ('Son') and I took one of the recreational skidoo's up the Ramp, along the Traverse and onto Vals. We have no ski-lifts and the slope is arduous to walk up so we have a couple of old 'Alpine doos' from the 70's that the mechanics do a cracking job of maintaining. Then once at the slope, you grab onto a tow rope and get pulled to the top. A great evening was had and I haven't lost it. So much more to learn, but a good start is always positive.
20/12/06
   This morning, we woke to wonderful silence, until Liz our instructor woke us with her singing. We're camped out in pyramid tents practicing our field skills. So after a wonderful breakfats of porridge from melted snow, we decamped and moved to a windscoop (a steep gully of snow created by high winds coming round a steep ridge). Here we practiced crevasse rescue techniques. For example, I was roped up to Adam and I would lead toward the edge of the slope, then leap forward and Adam would have to retard my fall and set about securing the two of us and coming forward to check me out. All great fun!
   At lunch, we sat above the base and enjoyed biscuits brown, primula cheese and sardines. All a couple of years out of date but doing us no harm. we were lucky enough to watch the Dash 7 come into land from above. we then practiced more crevasse techniques and then moved down to a steep icy part of the Ramp (the lower slope to the Base) and trained to use our ice axe in stopping our fall, called 'ice axe arrest techniques'. Lots of sliding down the hill in various poses and trying to stop ourselves. Good laugh for some, not so for others.
   The evening was spent setting up my snowboard which has arrived off the ship.

Pyramid tents at Vals

They take two people and all our equipment.

Myself and Adam are roped up and ready to rock!

(Notice the rest of base in the background; we're standing at the top of the ramp)

Soup and Liz, the Base Field Assistants are our instructors.

Having securely fixed our ropes, I've belayed down to check on the 'casualty'.

The Dash 7 is moved down for a photo in front of the JCR.

The big berg in the background has been slowly moving all over Ryder Bay, managing a couple of miles each day.
19/12/06
   Field training
 
 

Kelvin abseils down the rope.
 
 
 

I practice setting up a Jumar rig so I can ascend the rope.
 
 
 

Adam tries some Pasta Carbonara 'manfood'
 
 
 
 
18/12/06
   Unpacking the JCR, not much to photo. But here's some pictures of the local wildlife.
 
 

A Crabeater seal, possibly!
 
 
 

Scott (winter chippy), Steven (winter plumber) and Andy (winter mechanic) strike catalogue poses in their new BAS kit.
 
 
 

Chinstrap penguins (a rare visitor) on ice near the wharf.
 
 
 
 
17/12/06
   Digging a sled out!
 
 

The JCR, on a science cruise, is dwarved by the surrounding mountains of Ryder Bay.
 
 
 

The illustrious sled-digging team

The sled was 'lost' last winter, see how much it has been covered!
 
 
 

Eventually it is set free from its icy catacomb.
 
 
 
 
16/12/06
   Induction training for the base.
 
 

Learning how to ride an Alpine I skidoo (Mum, see how i have my hat on!)

It looks old because it is (70's) and its main use now is recreation.
 
 
 

Leonie Island and Ryder Bay from Skiway Col.
 
 
 
 

Getting to now our new surroundings and local area.

Notice the Sno-cat for transportation.
 
 
 
 
15/12/06
   I'll let some of the pictures do the talking!
14/12/06
   Speechless! Words can't express the views, sights and sounds experienced as we passed through Neumayer and Lemaire channels.
   (Blog may not be updated for awhile as we arrive Rothera today and start to work.)
 
 

The JCR holds off Vernandsky (formerly BAS Faraday) for multi-cultural visits.
 
 
 

The Lemaire channel from the south (peaks are >1000m high).
 
 
 

A small 'bergy bit'!
 
 
 
 
13/12/06
   As you can see, with the completion of our scientific work and the start of the Antarctic Peninsula, spirits were high. Once the work was done, stuff tidied away and computers shut down, we required to the bar for a well-earned bevy. As one might imagine, there was much merriment into the early hours of the morning and some of us were overcome by the lack of darkness. The sufficient light and awesome views of King George Island sustained us through the night, in particular Jamie (on loan from the Royal Navy as an Air Operations personnel) and myself. It was at 5:00am, that we found ourselves on the Monkey Island above the wheelhouse taking in the amazing views.
   At 8am, the ship hove-to in a wide inlet off King George Island to allow the deployment of two small Humber inflatables. These wee boats then motored to Fildes Peninsula where they rendezvoused with two BAS personnel who have been on Field Survey for the last couple of weeks. It was at this time that I retired to bed, finally!
   The evening slowly dawned through bleary eyes and a weary head, but cobwebs were dusted away as Jamie and I together with Matt (an atmospheric physicist) and Anne (one of our Artists and Writers) set up the Monkey island for a cocktail party in honour of Anne's birthday. Being such an occasion, suitable attire was required and we did not let the birthday girl down or leave the guests un-attended.
 
 

Anne's Cocktail Party on the Monkey island, above the Bridge

 
 
 

'The Serviettes'
 
 
 

"Drinks, anyone?"
 
 
 
 
12/12/06
   Well, dear readers this update will be short and sweet. Not like the long rambling one before.
It's official, we're in the Antarctic. We are currently passing south of Elephant Island having completed our CTD science work at 2030 local time tonight. There was a flurry of excitement and subsequent photos and by 2130 we were safely ensconced in the bar with a 'thank you' drink from Adam, the Project Leader.
   Anyway, the temperature is sub-zero, the sea looks cold and there are tabular icebergs grounded off Elephant island which caused a sudden rush of folk from bar to Starboard rail which was probably noticed on the helm. Merry Christmas everyone (well, we feel festive with the cold and snow!)
 
 

Kelvin the Dive officer on Whale-watching duty, all togged up in his BAS issue kit.
 
 
 

The Science staff happy at the end (l-r: Jim, Chris, Ali, Rachel, Sue-Ann, Sara)
 
 
 

Our first berg! (Probably 10 miles off, 1/2 mile in size)
 
 
 
 

 
   This blog entry goes out to Rachel's mother who was instructed by her daughter to catch up on all the gossip via the website. This is because Rachel is busy running the Watch, far too busy in fact to spend time emailing her mother. Hello Mrs. Hadfield, I'm honoured that you are reading my blog. I apologise for not keeping it up-to-date but your daughter has been keeping a strict regime and we are not allowed to slack off (actually, she does let me go to gym at 5:30am each morning so I guess she's a softie at heart).
   To be quite honest, I couldn't tell you what day of week it is, given the nature of our days and various parameters to data entry. Lets see now? Its 11:20pm here, but we go by UTC so its really 0220; and there's lots of digital displays reminding us of that. Then there is the fact its actually J345, rather than Monday 11th December... or is it Tuesday now? Okay... Breakfast is really dinner and vice versa, so there's the fun of having coffee with a tot of rum (to help with sleep, of course) before bed at 9am and eating cheese for dinner and not having to worry about nightmares (though you notice the breath at 3am!). Lets see.. oh yes, and my watch calendar changes at 12pm so I wake up to a new day if I go by that. Confused? I certainly am! Hence the size of entry, I can't remember one day from the other.

9/12/06
   As we push forward into the Atlantic Convergence Zone (a body of water where the icy Antarctic waters dive below the cool South Atlantic and warmer Pacific waters). This create rather unpredictable seas and can drive strong storm fronts. Alas, a couple of hours into our shift and the Captain addressed the ship to say science work was on hold and the ship was heaved-to until the waves reduced. At this time, we were experiencing a swell of approximately 4 metres, with some gusts at 35 knots and a roll of 13 degrees.
 

 
 

Wave crashes along port-side as weather strengthens.
 
 
 

View of starboard midships, from the winch control room. The CTD is deployed from this area. The sun sets in the distance.
 
 
 

A beautiful dawn greets us, after a tumultus night.
 
 
 
 

   Eventually, by early morning, the waves had abated and we were able to continue the work. We finished at 8am and went headed for our sacks.
 

10/12/06
   When we gathered in the lab after dinner, the day had brightened and the seas had calmed. Perfect for capturing the wildlife and deploying scientific equipment.
   The highlight of activities was analysing the water samples from the CTD sample vessels using the Salinometer, an analyser that calculates the salinity (saltiness) of the water to a very high degree. This is an important factor in oceanography as temperature and salinity gauge the circulation of the ocean currents. These two factors affect density, and density of water affects the movement of the water (cold, salty water sinks while warm, brackish water rises) and this creates currents which ultimately drive elements of the Earth's weather systems. (Ocean currents explained) These are very important understandably but changes in salinity can signify that things are about to change and this is obviously something we need to be aware of i.e. the rather unpredictable weather in the UK (see this New Scientist article).
   So back to the Salinometer, Rachel had tasked Sara and I to process a couple of crates of water samples and she showed me (Sara, being an old hand at this!) how to do it. Well, blow me if I couldn't understand what she was talking about. To say, I had a sense of humour failure is modest. But I strived on amid giggles from Sara and 2 hours later, we emerged in time for a CTD launch. Not something I was going to return to anytime soon!
 

11/12/06
   So last night (that will be Sunday night), we had a failure in the firing system which saw a couple of the sampling vessels go unfired. Mark, the electronics god, did the business and we were ready for the next drop on time. You'll see from the day before that I wasn't initially happy with Salinometer. However, this night I was quite content to plug into my MP3 player and rattle on through two crates of samples by myself. Something about 'zoning out'?! I tell you, a monkey could do it!
   The rest of the night went well and after a great breakfast it was off to bed. Little did we know that being awake during the days has its perks, like seeing whales. Yep, supposedly there were whales everywhere, and some were close by the ship, as well. But, I guess there will be plenty more to come (fingers crossed).
   So another shift is in progress, our last I believe, and we continue to strive for scientific excellence with Rachel keeping us on track, Sara collecting her oxygen samples and entering data, Chris bashing his head on a keyboard (He is data processing using 'Matlab', a very useful tool (so I'm told) for the huge amounts of data that we have been producing, but I suspect his mind is corrupted by 'too much' data!) and myself? Well, the joke goes that I'm the monkey that pushes the buttons. But really, I keep everyone happy with cups of tea and chocolate as well as stories of old and advice on killer moves on the dancefloor!

 
 

Showing my excitement toward the Salinometer after my initial sampling session.
 
 
 

Dancefloor Move of the Day: 'The Adonis' (No, Mum, I do not wear that top all the time, and yes, I know its not very attractive. But its warm!)
 
 
 

A Dusky Albatross graciously soars about the boat.
 
 
 
 
8/12/06
   So we eventually completed a successful test cast at about 12:30am, and headed off to our first station. Systems had run smoothly and we were soon learning what to do (use the air valves to control flow of water out of sample vessels) and what not to do (eat too much chocolate on the shift). Our shift finished comfortably at 8-ish (Rachel let a couple of us leave early for breakfast), and although I fought to stay awake to visit the Ship shop I had to turn in at 9:30am.
   A good couple of hours sleep and I was out at 5:00pm to photo the albatross gathering near the stern of ship. Truly beautiful, these massive birds are threatened by long-line fishing and, closer to BAS's heart, rats. Rats have established themselves on South Georgia and have been decimating the breeding grounds (Find out more on the Save The Albatross website). Then curry for dinner (or is it breakfast) before entering the vast Data Preparation Room toward the stern of the ship to start the shift. So far, this shift we have been tossed about by a fair swell as we sit on the same spot with the CTD cast to a depth of 4435 metres.
 
 

Jim 'flies' the CTD to 3000m
 
 
 

Rachel and Chris take Salinity samples from the Water Sampler vessls.
 
 
 

Sara is ahead of everyone in collecting samples for Oxygen content sampling.

(Notice the CTD parked neatly in its garage thanks to a great job by Dave the Bosun and the deck crew.)
 
 
 

A Wandering Albatross rests with a couple of Black-browed Albatross (if my ID is correct!)
 
 
 

Two Wilson's Petrels drift above the surface of calm water created by the stern of the ship.
 
 
 

A Black-browed Albatross
 
 
 
 
7/12/06
   It is time to make that inevitable push south. The moment has arrived in which we wave goodbye to green grass, coconut scent from blooming gorse and the fresh smell of horse poo (that's because they keep horses in back gardens in Stanley)! The wind is quite strong today and at 11am, the time deemed our departure, there is little movement but soon lines are recovered apart from the bow-spring and as the wind is blowing us onto the wharf, the captain puts power ahead with some rudder to starboard thus driving the stern up and into the wind. water is churned violently away from the ship and onto the smaller, nimble patrol vessel HMS Dumbarton Castle. Then at the correct angle, the spring was slipped and the ship throttled astern to draw her clear. As a crowd of FIDs grew on the Monkey Island (above the bridge), the JCR made her way out through the narrows and moored in Port William. This was for final checks and Lifeboat drills for all onboard. Happy that these had been fulfilled the captain made for open water.
   At this point, the Science Night-watch retired for a few hours kip. I have been invited to join the Night-watch (8pm to 8am) and assist in the CTD operations of JR163 Science Cruise. This particular piece of apparatus might be better explained in an old web report from the University of Southampton, see webpage).
   Anyway as our shift starts at 8pm, and runs til 8am the next morning. Adam is the Project leader and runs the day-shifts with Rachel running the Night-watch. Sara and Chris are experienced oceanographers from Southampton University and I (well, as a jack of all trades it's something else to learn!)
   The JCR has a vast suite of data loggers running continuously as we cruise along. Our job is to monitor them, check they still work and then run the deployment of the CTD at the pre-determined stations across Drake's Passage. Once it has been recovered, we collect the water samples and re-arm the device.
 
 
 

The James Clark Ross moored at FIBASS, Stanley, Falkland Islands
 
 
 

Mark, the JCR's Electronics Engineer, makes final checks before the first dunking of the CTD.
 
 
 
6/12/06
   Swimming pool
5/12/06
   Went to Gypsy Cove and Surf beach today. The pictures tell all!
4/12/06
   Stanley
3/12/06
   Working on deck and penguins

The FIDs volunteer deck crew about to assist in mooring the Ernest Shackleton back up, after trials of smallcraft.

My first proper sighting of a penguin.

The small colony of Gentoo penguins

Gentoo penguins return to their chicks.
2/12/06 - Saturday
   Stanley museum and no penguins.
1/12/06
   Land Ahoy! We all knew we'd see the Falklands at some point, and this morning we were greeted with the low hills visible on the horizon.
   By lunch, we were moored alongside the Mare Harbour quayside, which is a military installation 30 miles SW of Stanley (Stevie B, the Shackleton's Radio Officer explains it a little better in the Ship's Diary here).
   Some of us headed into town, actually most of us ended up in The Globe. A well-known bar mainly because its the first you get to when off the bus; the locals are friendly and as BAS creates a bit of activity in town we're more welcome than the sailors off visiting Naval ships. The music was loud, the beer cheap and when bubbles and smoke filled the dance floor, few could resist the opportunity to dance-off the cobwebs of the 4-day voyage down.

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