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We set sail on schedule at 1700 hrs yesterday thanks to the
efforts of the M4 Cargo Facility crew and staff at Kingston who
worked tirelessly in the lead up to our departure. After a busy
pre-departure period, it was great to set sail and begin our voyage
in earnest. A few more briefings (house-keeping, environment &
communications) were held, then everyone began settling in to their
cabins. This morning saw a few expeditioners up and about, although
several were taking the opportunity to rest up and work on getting
their sea-legs. A safety drill & muster was held mid-morning, and all
expeditioners mustered in full Antarctic clothing with their
life-jackets on the heli-deck. The Continuous Plankton recorder (CPR)
was also deployed this morning. This piece of scientific equipment is
towed behind the vessel collecting plankton samples that, when
analysed, provide a map of the biodiversity of plankton in the
Southern Ocean. The CPR is deployed on almost every voyage as part of
the Australian Antarctic Program. Such long-term data on regional,
seasonal, & interannual variability in the distribution and abundance
of plankton contributes to on-going monitoring of the health of these
waters. Plans are underway to form a social committee on board, and
several expeditioners have already volunteered to be rostered on for
the Iceberg Observations later in the voyage. Clocks will be retarded
one hour tonight. This is the first of six changes to ensure we will
be on the same time as Davis station when we arrive there.
REGARDS: Karin, Sharon & Lance
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.