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July 2007 |
28th July - 3rd August
Finding the dive holes proved difficult after some heavy snow fall, but eventually with me aimlessly prodding for the board, we fell upon them literally. Kelvin and I got to dive and I earned my underwater marine biology photographer as Ali did not wish to dive and we were to be photographing settlement plates. Cyril gave a great dinner with an Antarctic take on fondue. Using Primus stoves and heavy iron pots, we heated a delicious wine and cheese sauce before dipping in a delicious herb bread. Tables were in little groups of 5 and there was much competition to see who wouldn't lose their dipping bread. I can't actually remember dessert because I was so stuffed. The weather and sea ice are very fickle at the moment, and on Monday we woke to find that all the hard work of cutting holes in South Cove was wasted as the ice was blown away and Ryder Bay became open water. And so very hastily but with the intended planning, I setup the boast and we were able to dive of Cheshire Beach to recover a couple of data loggers. The middle of the week saw more high winds but I was able to squeeze a boat trip out and around the local waters for a couple of base folk. It was very pleasant and we even saw some wildlife (terns and snow petrels, and crabeater seals hauled out on sea ice).
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21st - 27th July
Saturday is supposed to be gentle but with an endless list of tasks in the boatshed, I rose at 8am to put the heating on. never planned as a boatshed, the building was insulated only a couple of years back and the concrete floor has the qualities of Siberian tundra and the doors gaps that would let Polar bears through, if they lived here. Nonetheless, if you keep the space heater running regular, defrosting is easy. RoCAS enjoyed a very pleasant coffee this morning. Scottish Morning Blend. We found hints of chocolate in the aroma and and a delectable, full-bodied taste that is very suited to a late morning coffee. Subtle yet smooth and textured to the tongue. In the afternoon, I skinned up to Vals (the local ski slope) with Drew and caught a glimpse of the sun for the first time in two months. Glad to see it still looks the same, and it was a very enlightening moment. And so it was that to mark the returning of the sun we have a flag raising ceremony. This happened on Sunday while most folk were on base. Mike the Winter Base Commander gave a wee speech, Richard the Electrician (the oldest on base) lowered the proud yet slightly tatty flag and then Matt the Electronics Engineer (the youngest) raised the new one. It was quite a heartening moment! The sun was unfortunately blocked, but the weather was still very nice. Mondays are always the same wherever you are in the world, however this Monday was a pleasant surprise as I had been nominated as one of a number of BAS personnel awarded an MaPD award. This award is decided by a panel who base their decisions on nominations made by any personnel to acknowledge individuals in the organisation who have 'Made a Positive Difference'. I was very proud to receive the award for my services to boating at Rothera. A humbling moment! The weather closed in this week, but on Wednesday a large group was organised to assist Tris the Comms Manager with a battery replacement effort. At Rothera, VHF handheld radios are an essential form of communication over base. These require a line-of-sight with the receiver or a re-broadcast station. We have one positioned above the station on Reptile Rodge. Large heavy duty batteries charged by solar panels provide the required but we needed to replace them with 10x 30kg replacements. So roped up in pairs and loaded with the guidance of the FGA's we climbed to the station and felt the satisfaction of a successful group effort. The weather eventually allowed diving in South Cove and Ali and I were able to dive to photograph some settlement plates.
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14th - 20th July Its a Saturday so why not have a lie-in, then as is now becoming a regular meeting time, RoCAS (the coffee club) met in the library. This week, the Old Mature Java (??) a good coffee with a rich aroma and discerning palate. With the sun soon to return we celebrated with a beach party in the evening and Cyril cooked up a wonderful buffet. As Sunday is a rest day for Cyril, the base is asked to volunteer. I try to hone my cooking skills each month and this Sunday was ably assisted by Drew. He and I spent much of the day attempting to 'parliamo in italiano' with some help from an online translator. Naturally dinner was Lasagne with Garlic bread and a interesting Zuppe Inglese. Cyril was bewildered by the recipe and shocked by the result; given half the ingredients we don't have and my zeal at making up new ones. The rest of the week involved diving, engine maintenance on the outboards and some chamber training on Wednesday. We practiced transfers under pressure in the Recompression chamber. This involves two personnel being taken to 12m in the main chamber, then one person entering the entry lock lowering to depth, swapping and returning to the surface. All went perfectly and much experience gained. Friday was Quiz night by Rob and Matt B, and having been ordered out of the boatshed to team up with Kelvin, we failed to defend our title and came second. |
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7th - 13th July After the activities of Friday, I enjoyed a nice lie-in, then was able to organise for a weekly leisure- RoCAS. Drew, Cyril and I met in the library of Bransfield House to taste our next coffee. This week, in honour of Live Earth Day, we tried the 'Fairtrade Colombian'. We found this to be an enjoyable coffee, with a soft palate. I couldn't shake the image of burnt cherries conjured by the tasting, but this was soon forgotten as Cyril had brought some fresh chorizo from his secret stock. Our meeting is very popular as it gives us an hour in which we talk about food, coffee, memorable experiences all through the appreciation of a good cup of coffee. In the afternoon, it was serious head on as Kelvin and Birgit were diving through the ice, I was supervising with Ali tending and Andy Webb assisting. This went very well and they successfully collected their samples. The ice diving is a first for the Marine Team 07. Sunday proved particularly good as with the bad weather, I was able indulge in various plans. These included having a sauna, enjoying dinner cooked by Roger and watching 'The Mission' in the 'Arts cinema' that Drew has established on a Sunday night. Rules are strict, immersing yourself in the film encouraged and no chewing sounds! Today I dived through the ice for the first time in my life. Kelvin was there to ensure my safety and induction, and I collected worms for Ali's collections. It was a wonderful experience, and something to be looked forward to again. More diving under the ice for the Marine Team, and attending to Boatshed duties, like more fuel for the space heater that is used to raise the temperature from below freezing so that water isn't frozen and engine lubricants are useable. More engines! I continue to learn and strengthen my knowledge. Thursday was a day away from the Marine activities, as I was on gash. Gash is the maintenance of house-keeping duties in Bransfield and other common areas. I started early and had completed most jobs before breakfast. This was when the dishwashing duties were required as the dishwasher was being serviced by Richard and Steve. Here I was able to indulge my cleaning complex and had a strict routine. It all went smoothly and the dishes were sparkling, my colleagues were rather bemused by my interest, but this is a fragment of my Kitchen Porter days. Friday showed the frustrations of the ice movement as the clear water from Thursday had frozen and diving was to resume in Hangar. Kelvin and I spent much time prepping the wharf area with ladders for any boating opportunities. In the afternoon, he took Birgit for a dive and the surface team (Ali, Dickie and I) enjoyed the -13oC temperatures. |
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1st - 6th July Some people believe that as we're based in the Antarctic we all lead mad, exciting lives. Alas this is not often true, and as we work a standard week, Sunday's are what they were meant for: a day of rest. This was enforced by strong winds. Monday was just as windy and I was happy to continue my work on the engines. With 14 engines in the boatshed, winter is a period to care and attend to them. With easily accessible records available I am immersing myself in careful assessment of each engine and winterisation. This process starts with the engines not on boats and is proving very enlightening. Tuesday- It feels like the Antarctic winter we expected. winds have been gusting in the 60's and driven snow. Nothing one can do but work inside, which I'm happy to do. On Wednesday morning, the winds appeared to have died. Plans for diving were scupper'd unfortunately after the wind picked up and icebergs threatened to block the wharf. Instead I prepped the chainsaw for the intended ice-hole cutting which will be starting soon. The weather is still preventing access to the sea-ice that is prominent in Hangar Cove, but we start our training with the FGA's. Finally Friday yields clear skies and little wind. At first light, the marine team and FGA's find themselves at the north end of the runway, boatsuits on and armed with bog-chisels (a long handled chisel used for probing) and ice drills. First onto the ice were Kelvin and Pete. Once they had established that the ice was appropriate over the dive sites, then the FGA's moved out in pairs to check further thicknesses, while the marine team started to cut holes in the ice. For diving we require two large holes for safety. These are triangular to aid access and about 2m in size. Kelvin marked them out, I would use a chainsaw with a 30" length chain bar and then as pieces were cut, the holes would open. It was a productive and tiring day. |
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