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After hitting the send button for yesterdays sitrep, we pretty much ground to a halt. The visibility wasn’t very good, and the pack ice was unyielding. Our detailed GPS track took on a saw-tooth appearance, as the ship advanced and retreated against the immovable object (the pack), and we slowly drifted west with the floe. We eventually decided to stop burning fuel, requested an ice reconnaissance flight from the CASA-212 at Casey, and put the ship in neutral for the evening.
So this morning, with a killer whale making a brief appearance in the puddle of water that the ship floats in, we watched as the CASA flew over and ahead of our projected track, and waited for their verdict. We now have a plan A and B. Plan A involves more effort with the ice ahead. Our eyes in the sky have confirmed the conditions ease in about 5-8 nm, and then the going gets better/good. So we’ve fired up the second engine, and the ship has once more come alive with rumblings and shuddering as we slowly chip our way ahead on our NE track. I won’t divulge plan B just yet... hopefully we won’t have to use it!
Regards, Doug, Aaron & Margaret
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.