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The gale continued yesterday with a constant 40-50kts of wind and lumpy conditions all day. The spray that covered the ship every few minutes froze on every item, spar and rail on the deck. By the evening the ship was covered in a layer of ice with icicles and frost hanging from various parts of the ship and cargo. These were lit up by the late evening light that shone through the clouds to give a great effect as we steamed into the night. We continued to pass bergs and in the spray streaked sea it was a constant watch by the crew on the bridge for growlers. Growlers are smaller pieces of ice, some the size of a large bus, that lurk just on the surface of the ocean. These growlers have very little profile above the water so are hard to spot, however extend well below the surface to provide a hazard. Not so much a hazard to a vessel such as ours but a real problem for smaller, less sturdy, vessels and in particular they must have posed a real danger to the early voyages of Antarctic exploration. The weather has eased overnight, the ocean no longer streaked in spray, and only the swell remains to roll the ship from side to side as we continue North East. Yours Aye Robb and Simon
Map
A map showing Australia and Antarctica. The map shows the journey of one voyage that has occured in the season, with each route highlighted in a distinct colour.