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Day 9 of operations here at Macquarie Island and a morning of low lying cloud and fog blanketing the Island but for its beaches made it very clear we would not be operating helicopters today. Our watercraft operators and deck crew swung into action but unfortunately one of our LARCs did not. A bit like the 1950's vintage pride and joy that sits in the family garage awaiting a Sunday drive on which to break down, our LARCS are cherished members of the family, with a propensity for maintenance days. With 2 LARCs still reliably running through the morning and early afternoon on an increasing swell and gusting winds, 35 loads of cargo were able to be conveyed to station before deteriorating weather conditions (again as forecast) called an early halt to operations. Happily, this was not before 12 members of the ship's crew were able to be hosted ashore for several hours to stretch their legs and explore parts of the island within station limits. On days like today it pays to have patience, flexibility, good humour and a diesel mechanic or two on hand – none of which we are short of.
Tomorrow, we hope to see weather conditions that will accommodate operations using the remaining LARCs and helicopters.
Regards,
James and Brendan.
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.