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ETA HOBART, 1200 LT, 11JAN2023
And just like that V4 comes to an end. Today will be the last SITREP for V4 and it only seems like yesterday we wrote that we were departing Hobart. Voyage 4 was scheduled over the period15 Dec 22 – 22 Jan 23, however, departure was delayed until 17 Dec 22. Despite this delay we return 11 days ahead of schedule which will allow AIVIQ some much needed down time to undertake maintenance and annual Coast Guard inspections.
V4s success and early arrival back into port can be put down to a number of factors. Firstly weather. V4 has been extremely fortunate to have excellent weather both to and from Casey station with waves rarely exceeding 5m. At Casey Station we were again the proud recipient of glorious weather with only three days spent waiting for the winds to drop.
Another key factor which lead to the success of the voyage was the prior planning and preparation which took place in the weeks leading up to AIVIQs arrival. Casey Station topped up all satellite tanks ,conducted fuel farm transfers and spill response drills and deployed ice lines in advance of AIVIQ's arrival. All of this resulted in less work to do on arrival and shortened the overall refuelling timeline.
The final factor was the planning and sequencing of activities undertaken by V4 members. A detailed task analysis conducted at the start of the voyage allowed all members to understand exactly what tasks were required to be complete. After understanding our tasks, we were then able to sequence them in such a way as to achieve a high level of efficiency. A thorough understanding of all tasks also allowed for flexibility in the plan. i.e. when poor weather paused refuelling operations we were able to shift our focus to Argo Float deployment. Originally, we planned to travel home via the Vanderford Glacier where we would deploy our final Argo Float. Instead we were able to achieve this task in the three days of bad weather at Casey.
Overall, AIVIQs early arrival home was the sum of marginal gains generated by a fantastic team.
The team are all excited to be returning back to Hobart and the excellent weather looks set to continue with a forecast temp of 25 degrees.
We would like to wish our expeditioners and crew all the best for their next adventure whether it be continuing onto V6, returning to their normal place of work or travelling home to see family and friends from as far away as the USA.
A big thank you to Deepy and the entire shipping department who have supported VM 24/7. including all public holidays and weekends.
Many thanks for following our adventure
Trent and Cam
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.