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Due to lack of progress as a result of the heavy, dense, snow covered
pack we are in, we have parked up at what will be ice station number 7.
the location was chosen mid morning yesterday but it took until dinner
time to park due to the heavy snow and ice encountered.
After dinner a small group was allowed onto the ice to mark out the
survey grid and install GPS and weather stations. We kept numbers to a
minimum as the ship is not fully enclosed by the floe and only one
anchor line was possible, and the weather was expected to deteriorate.
Shortly before midnight there was movement in the floe and surrounding
floes, and vessel, causing the ships officer of the watch to wake up key
crew to lift the gangway which was being moved in the ice. It all looked
quite exciting in under the beams of the spotlights with the snow
blowing past at 35 knots.
This morning we reinstalled the gangway and the hoards descended to
measure and sample what will, I suspect prove to be the hardest station
yet, with ice many metres thick...
We were planning a "special occasion" tonight, a chance to have a beer
or a glass of wine, along with a fund raising event for Camp Quality.
Voyage Management get to choose the time and place of its
administration. We have decided to delay the special occasion until we
have finished work on this floe and are in transit to the next,
otherwise some will miss out as they'll be working and others will be
tired. No one drinks alcohol less than eight hours before working, so
there are always a few crew who miss out as the ship is a 24 hour
operation and there always has to be a team on the bridge, working the
decks and down in the bowels of the engine room...
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.