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Hello all,
Since yesterday we have continued to make good ground towards Casey Station, with the usual round of resupply preparations continuing. As we proceed south, the ship is also being prepared for operations in sub-zero temperatures. This includes things like putting steam into the ballast tanks to keep them from freezing, and draining the firemain pipework so that the water can’t freeze and burst the pipes.
Our V2 Expeditioners are enjoying their sea passage, with the ice-berg sweepstake having a good take up, most are betting we will see our first bergs tomorrow sometime. There is also an iceberg observation roster now up and running. The objective is to make and estimation of the number size of bergs which can be seen from the ship so that the data collected can be compared with other years and voyages. We are also towing our second Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) which is a device towed astern of the ship which collects measures the number and type of plankton in the water column. This has been an ongoing project for many years and a large body of information on plankton (the building blocks of marine life) has been collected by the Division for analysis.
All personnel onboard completed the first stage of our environmental preparations, with a brief and DVDs on the environmental and wildlife protection procedures we use. We definitely know to “take clean or take new” and how to “give penguins their space”. I don’t think most people realize what sensitive little critters they really are, and what impact we can have on them by simply entering their habitat.
Tomorrow will be a day of team level briefings, risk assessment and SOP reviews in preparation for resupply ops. It is rumored that will are to receive his Royal Highness King Neptune and his Court onboard tomorrow afternoon to initiate a significant number of newcomers (called “Pollywogs”) into his murky domain. Can’t wait for that one…..
Until tomorrow, Shipmates,
REGARDS: Chris, Leanne, and the V2 Team
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.