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All on board are happy and well. I am pleased to note that this morning we completed the offloading of the last of the materials to be delivered to Casey. However, the anticipated wind arrived earlier than forecast and we called a stop to operations around 11.30 am; leaving us with about 30% of the RTA still to be onboarded. We recovered the barges onto deck over the following 45 minutes; no small undertaking as wind speeds increased to over 30 knots. At the time of writing we are preparing to leave harbour for the safety of open water as we expect winds to increase to over 50 knots overnight and into tomorrow morning. We plan to return to an area near the Vanderford glacier overnight to resume bathymetry, weather permitting.
There will be no cargo operations on Friday 4 January as winds are forecast to be 50 knots at times during the early morning, with the ongoing potential for blizzard conditions. Some on board will use this time for R&R whilst our acousticians work their magic mapping the sea floor. A day at sea also provides Nuyina's crew with the opportunity to run an emergency drill; an elaborate 'patient' recovery from a confined recess deep in the bowels of the ship. The exercise will involve our new and very keen ship's doctor.
We remain hopeful of being able to recommence cargo operations on the afternoon of Saturday 6 January. V2 remains on track for a return to Hobart by January 16 with only two or so days of cargo ops left to be completed.
For now, for those of us new to an Antarctic storm at sea, it is fair to say that there is some excited anticipation of what is to come.
Regards
Keith
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.