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Today we continued where we ended yesterday. However today's inbound flights would contain no passengers but cargo for station – first off would be the cabin bags of the recently departed Mawson expeditioners combined with priority cargo including food. Combination cargo loads of cabin baggage, food, unaccompanied personnel effects and other priority cargo were prepared on the main deck by the Voyage Resupply Coordinator and a merry band of helpers. These combinations were carefully thought out and prepared to ensure we maximised the payload for each flight.
At 09:50 the helicopters were in the air and on their way to Mawson. Their return flight saw the last of the unaccompanied personnel effects of the outgoing expeditioners. It was then time to back load the flights from Mawson with the outgoing team. Our first Mawson expeditioners arrived on the ship around 13:50 and were quickly moved along for ship inductions with the ship's 1st officer. While the helicopters continued to fly, teams of personnel on board assisted with the organising of cargo, the transferral of incoming cargo and the delivery of expeditioner baggage to rooms. In the afternoon the Ship's master attempted to move closer to Mawson in the hope to decrease our distance for flying. But it was to no avail as we again encountered heavier ice that the ship could not budge. We turned around and retreated.
By 18:10 we had both helicopters back on the ship, with our 12 new Mawson people on board there are now a total of 64 Australian Antarctic Program Expeditioners on the Everest. Tomorrow we will continue to fly priority cargo in to station as we receive the remaining 5 of the outgoing wintering team and the helicopter engineer who has been position at Mawson for the last few days.
REGARDS: Andy, Jenn and Lauren
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.