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A good day on the AIVIQ today.
We deployed our Lighter, Amphibious, Resupply, Cargo vessel or LARC this morning. This may sound a relatively straight forward undertaking but due to the deck design of the AIVIQ and the conditions at Macquarie Island the process was a slow, deliberate and carefully executed operation involving 17 deck personnel and 4 watch officers to complete. Once the LARC was in the water, we lifted our IRB (inflatable rubber boat) over the side, providing a support vessel for the LARC.
Once the LARC and IRB were launched the day was relatively straight forward operationally speaking. We successfully dis-embarked 12 members of the 76th ANARE to station to begin hand over proceedings. The remaining 13 will be transferred ashore tomorrow if the weather holds.
We also played some deck tetris to position cargo containers ready for discharge tomorrow, and for our refueller to begin his set-up for refuelling. Refuelling requires a specific weather pattern to perform and won't likely be commenced until next week.
For those who like updates on wildlife; a gang of King Penguins swam out to check us out this morning, the same group did so on our arrival and a pod of Orcas glided past as we were lifting the LARC out. There is also the ubiquitous birdlife and if you squint and cock your head to the side just at the right angle - you can make out the lumbering shapes of elephant seals moving about on the shoreline.
REGARDS: Simon and Matt
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.