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We are still essentially stationary, drifting with the pack whilst 20
knots of winds blows from the east and it continues to snow. There is a
lead in front of us that terminates a few hundred metres ahead but no
other sign of navigable water. The Radarsat image we received two days
ago shows no obvious options to head in any direction, and so we are
intending to stay stationary and conserve fuel rather than push further
into what looks reasonably unimpenetrable pack ice. It looks like the
pack is easing however and it may be possible to continue tomorrow.
There might also be a small window in the weather which would allow us
to fly a helicopter reconnaissance flight which would help.
We have not been wasting our time (although considerably more movies
have been watched and Scrabble played than usual!) Christian has been
training people on stretcher movements, the object of the exercise was
to choose different routes from the ice and from the trawl deck to the
doctors surgery for a patient that has to be kept horizontal, and for a
patient that has to be delivered as quickly as possible. Given the ship
is a maze of narrow corridors, high storm sills, heavy watertight and
fire proof doors either option is a challenge requiring good planning.
Just to get a stretcher through a single door requires securing the door
and placing the right number of people on each side first...
We are also doing three daily FRRF (Fast Repetition Rate Flurometer),
LOPC (Laser Optical Plankton Counter) dips and krill pumping (well,
water pumping in the hope of catching krill anyway). We have seen quite
a few swarms of krill on the echo sounder as we drift slowly over the
continental rise.
Finger crossed for tomorrow.
Cheers
Andy, Brett
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.