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The sunshine did not last long and the grey skies, clouds and
fog have returned. In addition, we had the added pleasure of a nasty
little 40 knot gale this morning. This lasted till around 1100 this
morning, but has backed off to a more comfortable 25 knots this
afternoon. Our progress continues to be good, averaging over 12 knots
for the past 24 hours. At this speed we should be alongside Macquarie 3
Wharf, Hobart, at around 0700 on Sunday 28 March. Sometime this morning
we crossed the 6,000 nautical mile or 11,119 kilometres mark on this
particular journey, with only another 762 nautical miles to go!
We continue to get the occasional iceberg appear on the ship's radar
screens, with one passing within two miles of the ship within the last
30 minutes. Voyage 2 also reported significant numbers of bergs in these
latitudes (47-50S) when they were on their homeward leg. An unusual
sight but become more common over the last season.
The furious pace of Marine Science continues unabated, with another two
Argos taking a swim overnight and another CPR recovery and deployment.
The CPR boys are keeping mum on their times lately due to a suspected
case of performance anxiety. With brutal interrogation techniques, i.e.
fruit bun suspension, having to used to elicit a number. Six minutes
seems to be the average turn around time at the moment with no records
broken in the last five days!
The Albatrosses have been coming to visit a little more frequently, with
a couple of Wanderers, a Sooty and at least three black browed
Albatrosses gracing us with their presence over the last 24 hours. We
have also been accompanied by a flock of Salvin's Prions which have been
on our tail for the last couple of days intermittently. Beyond that
nothing much else to report.
Last night Kate fired yet another salvo with a war shot of a superb
cold Sicilian Apple Cake. You could hear the fall of shot from a long
way off! Kate informed your correspondent about the rationale for
choosing to put this round in the chamber so to speak, with a distinct
number of Godfather / Soprano references. I quote, "Revenge is a dessert
best served cold." Very menacing words indeed, especially from a Caterer
with a set of metal tongs in their hands! In retaliation for Kate's
snide remark about Ken's rice pudding originating out of a can, Ken made
a point of showcasing to the judges the canned ingredients contained in
Kate's latest cake - brutal! The judges were a bit concerned about the
mafia linkages attributed to this particular dessert and the reprisals
that could be handed out as a result of a bad review. Take it from me,
Caterers can really mess your life up, when you only have 94.71m of ship
to hide in! Despite the scare, the panel decided that the truth was the
only way to go. A solid performance that would have devastated some of
the earlier offerings from both sides, but Kate's masterpiece Torte
still reigns supreme. This dessert was rated as a top six performance by
panel members in cabins D3, D9 and the DVL Cabin. Kate, I took no part
in the judging - honestly! Only three more Desserts to go in this blood
thirsty and artery hardening campaign to go, god help us!
All aboard sitting back and enjoying the last three days of this great
Southern Ocean experience..
Regards
Rob, Simon and George.
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.