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Yesterday afternoon, conditions remained conducive to refuel operations and as the clock struck midnight last night, a total of 215,000lts of fuel had been transferred to station. The line continued to flow steadily through the early hours of the morning as the sun set and then rose again, silhouetting the huddled crews of the fuel line monitors in their zodiacs against a glassy sea and those ashore.. pacing back and forth along the line.
By 0600 the winds had become so light and the sea so still that a thin layer of grease ice was beginning to form and yet by mid-morning a predicted light North Easterly was announcing itself first as ripples on the sea outside the bay before animating the ice-floes on our Eastern edges. What had been debris from collapsing ice-cliffs fast became a little armada of inconvenience, moving quickly towards our anchorage and warranting a response from all our available watercraft.
Whilst crews worked to intercept the ice-floes moving towards the fuel line, our refuel supervisor (and owner of rural acreage) choreographed a perfect barn door manoeuvre.. calling for the main ice-rope to be unhitched by the crew on the Aurora's tender (AAII), allowing a herd of wayward ice floes through to the south eastern end of the bay before shutting it behind them. Between the station and the ship, the remainder of our watercraft including the ship's own IRB, and our Barge worked quickly to move the remaining floe to the western approaches of the bay, whilst also ensuring a constant presence along the fuel line.
As the fuel transfer nears completion this evening we remain hopeful that present conditions will remain in place. With the refuelling teams being stood down, we look towards tomorrow and the opportunity to recommence cargo operations.
Though we're not quite finished, it has to be said that the watercraft teams, both ours and the ships, have performed superbly under the very capable supervision of the refuelling team and through a great spirit of cooperation between our expeditioners and the crew of the AA.
Our thanks to all involved and to those at home our kind regards.
James and Dave
V2 Voyage Management
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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.