27 Dec
The Aurora Australis has left Casey after completing the resupply and personnel changeover, and we have now been diverted to assist the Polar Bird, which is currently held by heavy ice conditions (10/10) in Prydz Bay, off the Amery Ice Shelf. We expect to reach Polar Bird by about 2 January. It is estimated that it may take three days to break the Polar Bird free, although a more detailed study of ice conditions once we arrive will enable a more accurate assessment. The time taken to break free will depend on ice and weather conditions at the time.
27 Dec
Forgot to mention we had a bit of an interesting trip back from shore to ship on Aurora Australis II (the ship's boat). In the short time it took the guys to come over, pick us up and return us, a few ice floes had gathered around our rope ladder up the side of the ship. Gerry, the pilot, had to do some fairly tricky manouevring to nudge them all out of the way and secure the boat so that we (crammed in the AAII like sardines) could clamber safely up the rope. All was carried out with great professionalism - it is really a great team of crew. In fact the whole lot - crew and cooks, and expeditioners - have melded really well, meaning a fantastic voyage for all.
28 Dec
One boatload went to Casey this morning in order to witness the changeover ceremony. This occurred just after 9:00 hours (Casey time). Paul Cullen (outgoing Station Leader) gave out the wintering medallions to his men, and then handed the keys to the station over to John Rich, incoming Station Leader. We had the word to get our asses back on board the Aurora Australis ASAP, in order to move out and get under way to rescue the Polar Bird. Weather conditions were deteriorating, so timing became fairly critical.
After the final cargo and pax were aboard, the expedtioners had an emergency muster drill while the AAII was loaded, and then Tony headed the Aurora Australis north to get us out of the pack ice - a very wise decision.
29 Dec
We then headed west, young man, and a little south. Up on the mess notice board was the following Polar Bird update: "Sat 29 Dec 19:30 hours: PB stuck in 10/10 ice up to 2m and rafted. Ice edge 47 nm away, with leads in to 10 nm - the last 10 nm look tough going. The Chinese ship Xue Long is due into the same area ~5 days after we get there. Mo pax transfers are anticipated in either direction..."I had to give the camera Mary had loaned me back to her, as her other one was playing up and she needed to take some pictures of her moss samples (many of which are now drying in the boot rack on E and D decks). So I hopefully put a notice up on the board to the effect that I had a camera problem, and anyone that could fix it would score themselves a free massage. It worked! and our now have my lovely Nikon FE2 in top working condition. I immediately went up to my favourite position on the observation deck to catch up. Eventually the below-zero temperatures combined with a reasonable wind sent me down to the bridge, albeit with a big grin on my face.
We have seen a little bit of wildlife - mainly crabeater seals, also a leopard seal (quite close, and alseep until the orange roughy was almost past him!), adelie penguins and many birds - snow and antarctic petrels, fulmars, giant petrels... and some great icebergs.
At 15:30 hours I noted our past course. We had been sailing WSW but the ice became so thick at 64.29.250S & 97.55.5005E (just a bit east of Tressler Bank) that we had to retrace our steps, and then head more or less north from 64.11.432S & 99.20.164E, NE from 63.21.669S & 99.34.174E and NW from 63.17.779S & 99.51.421E. It was a fantastic sight as we neared the edge of the wall-to-wall ice floes - the swell became more and more apparent, moving great rafts of ice in white waves across the ocean. Our present postion was 65.05.076S & 99.32.066E, bearing 303 degrees and travelling at 12-13 knots on the open sea (whilst in the ice, both engines going, we were making only 5-6 knots).
30 Dec
Again, both engines are going. We turned from WNW to W at 63.00.169S & 99.25.549E. The seas were clear of ice, and we had swell from three (3!) directions, causing some fairly serious rolling and pitching (but not really bad - in fact, kind of calming!). I went up to the bridge after dinner, and so witnessed a brief exchange between Scott, the Officer on Watch, and a chap from the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise. The Arctic Sunrise had been chartered to go out and catch illegal (Japanese) whalers. We had fairly low visibility, but they had it quite bad, doing 4 knots in a high swell. They requested us to keep an eye out for suspicious looking icebergs on the radar, which Scott promptly complied with. Later, a notice on the board invited all to keep a watchful eye out for whalers. None sighted thus far, but in the bad conditions of the evening it would have been easy for them to ease into the ice and pretend to be bergs.I was invited to the ship master's lounge with Mary and Ann (moss ladies), Greg the Voyage Leader and Simon the Cargo Supervisor for drinks and a movie. I had to leave early, as I had organised to show slides of a couple of caving trips to the Nullarbor. I had timed it so that Scott (First Mate) could attend after his watch, as he was also a caver. It went over quite well.
There may not be a Part 9 for some time, as we will be having our New Year's Eve party tomorrow night. There will be a BBQ on the trawl deck from 17:30 hours, and then the "Beauty or Beast" party kicks off at 21:00 hours in the Husky Bar, and is not expected to stop...Cheers from your ANARE Club Rep, and have a Happy New Year!
Lucinda
Dec 31
We are still sailing the open seas at present, and expect to arrive at the Polar Bird by 3 January 2002. At 13:00 hours we were at 63.65.997S & 88.42.949E; 8/8 cloud cover and blowing snow with 8kn wind and a few bergs; ship speed 14kn. We actually passed quite a few icebergs, fairly close too, as the Aurora Australis staff very nicely did short detours for best photographic effect. One monster berg was measured (via sextant) by Jake, the Officer of the Watch, as being 45m high and one nautical mile in length. The visibility wasn't good at first; about three nautical miles. It gradually cleared.
In fact it was hard to get people off the bridge (due to the bergs) for our 17:30 hours BBQ on the trawl deck. Eventually most people were there, rugged up a little against the cold, although we were sheltered from most of the wind. Once again it was a most excellent repast in the bracing air of the Southern Ocean. Scott was now Officer of the Watch, and he managed to take us past a fine selection of spectacular icebergs. It was an amazing thing, to be chatting over a beer to one's neighbour, and then to casually glance up to one side or other of the trawl deck and see a towering wall of glistening ice gliding majestically by. It really was a magic experience.
A few passengers and crew had their heads rugged up for a reason other than keeping the Antarctic breeze off their scalps - some had taken the plunge and followed the example of some Casey intrepids (summerers) and dyed their hair with food colouring, generally green. This was of course for the big event of the day - our New Year's Eve party, and had to be hidden until the actual event. The theme was Beauty or the Beast. There were a few more bergs to be seen up on the bridge after the BBQ, and then a select few were invited to the ship master's lounge room for a showing of The Commitments (karaoke permitted), accompanied by a few pre-party gin & tonics. Between 21:00 and 22:00 hours everyone gravitated to the Husky Bar, but it took a while for me to work out some of my fellow passengers. Respectable marine scientists (male) were dressed up rather appealingly in female clobber; and one rather large specimen came as a krill. Some of the crew members surpassed themselves in cross-dressing, although it was difficult to determine whether they were aiming at Beauty or Beast. One gentleman came as Hitler (a Beast indeed); a strapping tall plant operator was attired wholly and solely in tinsel, with a large Christmas decoration adorning his hard-hat; many had painted their bodies with red or green food dye; there were devils and a few mad scientists, including one hunchback wearing just the inside of a hard-hat on his head (ie it looked like his brain was wired up)... The dance floor was crammed with gyrating bodies of all sorts. Yours truly went in a rather demure black figure-hugging dress, crowned by a truly magnificent shower cap of gold sequins (a Christmas present from my estimed brother-in-law, part of the deal being I had to take it on voyage. Even he couldn't have guessed how public I'd go with it). The Ship Master had a mop head as a wig and a skimpy stretch skirt, and kept backing into corners to stop any unauthorised tampering with parts of his outfit.
All up it was a splendid evening, absolutely hilarious, and definitely a New Year's Evening to be remembered. Even more memorable, though, was what followed as, at about 00:50 hours on the first of January, 2002, the ship master (and those who happened to be standing nearby) got word from the bridge that a ship had been sighted.
JAPANESE WHALING VESSELS - 1 January 2002
We raced up to the bridge (and let me tell you, four flights of ship's stairs at speed in high heels is not easy after a fairly jovial night at local bar!) to find Jake, Officer of the Watch, firmly steering towards a distant grey-looking ship on the horizon. The light was fairly gloomy with about 8/8 cloud cover, and I think it a remarkable coincidence that we encountered any other ship out there in those (or any other) weather conditions. The Aurora Australis had previously turned from west to ~WSW at 63.00.180S & 94.04.319E, and just had to turn SW at approximately 63.57.288S & 82.49.503E to reach the unidentified ship. Jake attempted to contact them, identifying ourselves and asking for them to identify themselves and to explain their presence, to no avail.
We reached them at 63.51.2S & 82.50.9E - 38 nautical miles inside the Australian Exclusive Economic Zone (defined by the United Nations Law of the Sea). This one was part of a fleet, a chaser. She was drifting, not under power. We drew closer and closer, and gradually the bridge filled with a wild assortment of creatures from the bar. They soon armed themselves with digital and video cameras at the ship master's request and started filming the illegal vessel. We drew close enough for the many keen pairs of eyes to determine, in a fine example of ANARE teamwork, the identity of the vessel - "KYO MARU NO.1, TOKYO" (on the stern), and "TKI 795, Research Vessel" and a large encircled "S" (on midships).
As well as the video cameras, Tony (the ship master) had on the black box tape recorder, to be used in any prosecutions arising. therefore the bridge had to be quiet, with no extraneous conversations. Feeling against the illegal whaler was very high, so some expeditioners felt bound to go on deck (yes, in their fancy dress!), carefully and securely close the doors to the bridge, and hurl verbal and visual abuse at the criminal vessel. They certainly would have got the message that we weren't pleased to see us. Strangely enough, flashes (as of cameras) came from them.Still there was no answer to requests for identification by Tony until Omar (Malaysian guest of the Antarctic Division) volunteered his services as translator, and asked the vessel, in Japanese, to respond. Tony had prepared a list of questions to ask them (in consultation with the Greenpeace "Arctic Sunrise", now unfortunately 600 nautical miles from us). Very luckily for us, one of the questions they chose to answer was to confirm their position with what Tony read out - ie admitting their presence - their ILLEGAL presence - in Australian waters. Of course they identified themselves as a research vessel. Tony repeatedly requested them to leave but they chose to misunderstand. Finally Omar came to the rescue once more and said a few succinct, simple Japanese phrases, and the Kyo Maru No.1 headed off. We tailed her for a while.
At about 04:00 hours the mother vessel was sighted. I had left the bridge for apres-party drinks with the Cargo Supervisor and a few crew and expeditioners, but later returned to the bridge to see a rather large ship. We circled her, and again Tony requested identification and purpose, but no response was given. However, even though the culprits didn't confirm their position, it is on numerous rolls of film. We left her at 05:25 hours and I got a few hours kip.I just made it to breakfast (at about 08:15 hours), went to the bridge to get more details which I have now included in this report, and emailed this. The time is now 10:30 hours, and it is my urgnt request that the illegal whaling information be circulated as widely a you can, now that it has been reported to the Australian government.This is very much the voyage to be on for excitement!
Yours in exhaustion
Lucinda
1-4 January 2002
After the excitement of the sighting of the Japanese whaling fleet early on New Year's Day, things have been a bit slow and frustrating for some, as we have been encountering lots of ice - usually 8-9/10 but occasionally 10/10. Then, decisions must be made - keep going, look for new leads, backtrack to find a better lead, or park until weather conditions improve... As a guide to our progress in Prydz Bay, each day is divided up into six lots of four hour watches: to 04:00 hrs, 08:00 etc. Generally, the distance travelled in one watch on the open sea is about 55 nautical miles. On 1 Jan we travelled 48, 53.4, 45.9, 46.8, 15 & 17.6. On 2 Jan 10.6, 2.5, 3.5, 4.3 (all in 9/10 close pack ice), 1 (as attempted to do a turning circle and retrace path) & 12.6 (in better ice conditions; parked at 23:45hrs). On 3 Jan N/A, N/A, 7.7 (we got underway at 10:20 hrs), 46.4, 30.5, 35.
The initial plan was to make our way to within fly-off distance from Davis for the S76 (Sikorsky heli) and to then fly a recce towards the Polar Bird to determine the best route in. [The PB is near Samson Island, at 68 deg 51' S & 74 deg 35' E.] However, this changed slightly over the next few days.
Some details of the Japanese whaling vessels: At about 1am local time (4am Sydney) the Kyo Maru No 1 was sighted at 63.54.6S & 82.48E -that is, 38 nm inside the Australian Exclusive Economic Zone. She was a chaser. The mother (factory) ship, Nishin Maru, was sighted at 3 or 4am (Syd 7 or 8am)at 64.02 S & 82.13.2E. A second chaser was sighted some 8 nm west of that. The ship master Tony contacted them by VHF radio and 1) confirmed their position; 2) asked what they were doing; 3) asked their intentions; 4) confirmed they did not need assistance; 5) pointed out they were 38 nm within the EEZ and we believed they were undertaking illegal whaling operations and 6) asked them to leave the area immediately. The first chaser eventually responded; the mother ship did not. She initially attempted to sail away from us on our intended course but we easily caught up. Environment Australia and the Minister's Office have been informed, and will follow the matter up.
Back to our progress. At 19:00hrs 1 Jan the plan was reach Davis fly-ff point at 2am 2/1, do an ice recce, ETA Polar Bird 3/1 and then transfer oil (and maybe some food), a couple of people from AA to PB, break out the PB and return to Hobart.
As per the distances covered above, 2 Jan was very slow travelling. At 2pm we got into pack ice, practically 10/10, and AA had both engines working at 90% capacity (they never run at full capacity, keeping sufficient in reserve to get us out of most situations, but generally run at about 80%). Several times we had to take several runs to get throught thicker ice - although it wasn't actually the thickness of ice that was the problem - it was the thick layer of snow covering it, causing too much friction with the ship. At 18:00 hours it was decided to retrace our steps. It took 2 hours to do a turning circle, to give some idea of how heavy the ice was. That was at 66.34.416S & 78.42.206E. We parked at 66.19.959S & 78.51.682E.
We continued our way north on 3 Jan and left the hard ice at about 12:30 hours. There was a definite edge; proof positive that the wind was pushing it all together, further impeding our progress. At 12:00 hrs we were at 66.12.921S & 78.25.945E, bearing 250 degrees at 14+ knots. THIS was more like it! At 17:00 hours we were still on the open sea at 66.40.709 & 76.24.307S - that is, further south in a short time than we had got over most of the preceding day. At 17:20 hrs we were 117nm from Davis and 136 from PB. At dinner it was announced that we would be heading straight for PB, not getting heli support from Davis. We stopped for our third krill double haul at 18:30 hours for a good half hour. The first one got 1 krill each, the second 15 each but this one we hauled in 3-4000 of the little critters, so our marine bios are wrapt.
Birds encountered since Casey: petrels (snow, antarctic, southern and northern giant, cape, mottled, wilson's storm, kerguelen, blue, white-chinned), penguins (Adelie, Emperor), southern fulmar, light-mantled sooty albatross, a prion of some species, short-tailed shearwater, south polar skua and arctic terns. Mammals: seals (ross, leopard, weddel, crabeater) and whales (minke, orca, humpback).
That evening I took part in a jamming session which Tony kindly hosted in his loungeroom. A mix of summeres, galley staff and self on guitars, mandolin, drum and vocals. We went for several hours, and may not have been accurate, but thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.
On 4 Dec at 7:30 hours we were 50nm from Davis and 80 from PB. Hit pack ice 8-9/10 at 08:00 hrs (sheet ice and close pack with occas piece of broken fast ice). There had been a few course adjustments during the night watches to avoid heavy ice. We parked at 09:30
hours at 68.07.392S & 74.36.100E in a nice large puddle of water amidst the ice, whilst awaiting a snow shower to clear. Conditions were poor vis, NE wind 18-20 knots and no clear route anywhere. Some of our instruments were down and Tony did not want to risk steering into anything he couldn't see properly. The engines had been working at 95% capacity; the 16 was shut down and we are keeping the 12 running, in ice breaking mode. Currently 45 nmfrom PB, and I am going to leave you here as just had word 2 helis from PB due to rendezvous here in the next few mins!
Luc
Friday 4 January 2002
We have been a week out of Casey now. At 16:05 hours the two Squirrel helicopters from Polar Bird flew over, to do ice recces to the PB. I got some good shots from the Observation Deck and the red & white helis were a brave sight indeed over the pack ice. At 18:10 hours we were within 43 nautical miles of the Polar Bird (our third attempt at a path through the ice). Our position was 68.09.239S & 74.40.310E, wind 12 knots and air temp -1.2 degrees C. Lots of blue sky, finally! Ship speed was 2-5 knots, as we were going through 8-9/10 and then fully 10/10 ice (ie really thick).
Our first two passengers, winterers for Mawson, came over in the first heli after the intitial recce, but unfortunatly snow showers prevented any more flying. We have a system set up of a greeter showing helping the newies stow their gear and showing them around, getting names marked off after cabins are assigned, and chain gangs unloading whatever cargo (mainly mail for this first one) arrives from the Polar Bird. It is very well organised, as every advantage is taken of the scant window of opportunities the Antarctic weather is providing us with. The pilot is Rick Piacenza, who was the head pilot for my PCM program of a decade ago, so it was good to catch up with him.
We had a "talent" night down at the Husky Bar(fairly scary, some of the acts!), and it was superb. Winner was Dave and Christine with an energetic swing dance, then Gordon who, after warming up the audience with some jokes, gave a spendid rendition of Noel Coward's "Where's Our Ship?". One of the cooks, Angela, scored third prize for an impromptu performance on the guitar.
Saturday 5 January 2002
Plans keep changing. The current one is to transfer the Mawsonites from PB to us and then to Mawson, maybe using helis when we get closer, and maybe using the helis that are at Davis as well (one Squirrel and the Sikorsky [S76]). If weather conditions are good, and they aren't that good at present, it will be 3 weeks before we get back to Hobart (1 day pax and cargo transfer, 3 days to Mawson, 2-3 days pax and cargo transfer, ~12 days back to Hobart. At present our supplies are good (heaps better than the PB) - we run out of fresh stuff in a few days but have buckets of frozen stuff, and months of freeze-dried supplies. Plenty of fuel too, although we are chewing through about 50-60 000 litres a day.
We have had both engines going, and they usually run at 80-85% capacity but the master had them both at 95%. Then he put them up to 100% - we moved only 2 or 3 shiplengths in an hour. (If you go at 100% and get stuck, then you have no reserve power to get unstuck.) Our prime directive was NOT to get stuck; and then to remove the passengers and cargo from the Polar Bird who are due at Mawson (this is their 57th day) and then, if conditions are good and we have the directive from AntDiv, to break out the Polar Bird. So our pattern has become: move as close as possible to PB for air ops and then retreat north along our path at night, to avoid the possibility of the path closing over. We have thus retraced our path two or three times, and from tracking the ship it is very apparent that the whole pack ice surface is moving, keeping our old track fairly intact - a bit like the movement of continental plates. Fascinating!
Again the weather wasn't nice to us, so we only got another four Mawsonites aboard.
I had a stiff neck and shoulder and so finally had a good excuse totest out the sauna - and I think I shall discover excuses to use itevery day - what a pleasant experience in the middle of Prydz Bay!
Sunday, 6 January 2002
After another ice recce via heli, Scott the first mate is taking us closer than our 45 nautical miles from PB, as our 'escape route' to the north is still open and, if anything, the pressure of the ice has decreased. Several openings to PB were discovered, so there remains the chance we will actually sight her.
There are a few interesting classes being held on board. After the success of the talent evening, daily swing lessons are being taught by Dave in the Husky Bar. And every second day a combined stretching/yoga session is hosted by several of the ladies. What with this on top of my self-imposed galley duties (which have lessened with the introduction of a slushie roster to help cope with the influx of passengers, said roster being filled promptly by helpful expeditioners) and the continualtion of massges given for donations to Camp Quality, and of course the action from time to time on the bridge and/or obs deck, and your ANARE rep has not much free time on her hands! (and loving every minute of it, I must admit!)
For our next heli ops we were 40 nm from PB, at 68.13.775S & 74.45.833E, wind 5-6kn and temp +/-1. The weather has clagged in at Davis, and so we are operating on just the two Squirrels. When conditions improve we will be able to get Lee's S76 into play for some serious cargo shifting. I assisted in unloading helis - we now have 12 new faces on board, and very pleased they are to be here! Although they do seem to have kept themselves well (if somewhat violently) occupied on the PB... Twenty drums of oil were sent to the Polar Bird, slung beneath the Sqirrels on their return trips. Up on the fo'castle with three of the Casey summerers, I took part in a Mexican wave for one of the last helis to arrive.
Monday, 7 January 2002
We got underway at 04:30 hours (no idea how I managed to be up that early), steaming to within 30nm north of Polar Bird by 08:00 hours, in 10/10 close pack, 1.5m with soft snow. Whilst writing up my journal back in my cabin, my cabin mate Sarah brought to my attention about 25 Adelies who were bravely making their way some distance over to the stationary ship. We had a wonderful view through the port hole, as 5 or 6 exceptionally brave fellows wandered, strutted and slid on stomachs right up to the ship, practically below our porthole.
We had all 4 helicopters working the transfer from PB to Aurora, and finally finished ferrying the passengers - 34 all up. Cargo transfer via sling loads continued until about midnight, with pilots and ship's crew putting in an exceptionally long day. Two passengers were backloaded from Aurora to the Polar Bird - our doctor Roland and CCTO Alan. Two RTA pax from Davis are also onboard.
Cheers
Lucinda
Tuesday 8 January 2002
After a very long day on the part of the ship's crew andexpeditioners on board the Aurora Australis and the Polar Bird, and a detailed ice recce to assess the best option for our next attempt at breaking out the Polar Bird, we got underway to Mawson station, some 600nm distant, at 0:30 hours. We headed north out of Prydz Bay, retracing our steps from about 6820.097S & 74.45.038E to about 66.21.974S & 74.52.234E and turned west (bearing 268 degrees) at14:30 hours.
We had our weekly emergency muster at 13:00 hours. At the same time, an unknown vessel had been sighted on the horizon. We soon caught up and questioned them. They appeared to be a long line fishing vessel,but responded that they were "just sailing around". No long linenets were visible. The craft was newly painted, and there were no identifying marks visible on her whatsoever.
That night was the Trivia Quiz, organised by Mike from Collex, with all proceeds going to Camp Quality. It went from 20:00 to 23:00hours - a mammoth event, in more ways than one! Your rep's team (one of the smallest at six players) consisted of Brian Duval (American algal specialist), John (a kriller), Jim (an engineer), Ling (another algal scientist), Siti (one of our two Malaysian guests, and a microbiologist) and myself. I called us the Feral Boffins, and I am delighted to announce that we took out the grand prize (a ship's cap each), scoring 116 points. Next came Where To Next (consisting ofthe VL, the '01 Casey SL and 6 others; a minibottle of wine each) on113, closely followed by They Kill Whales Don't They (8 members, 112;a ship's stubby holder each). The Wandering Albitri scored 100, HotChillies 94, Heli Deck Harlots & Linghams Chilli Sauce 93, Team Tolerance 84 and Caan't Be Sayin' That 80. It was a superlative night, getting quite rowdy towards the final hour as tension rose andcorks flew from one end of the mess to the other. Almost $500 was raised for Camp Quality. The evening was finished off by some fairly extreme dancing in the Husky Bar, where a selection of visiting Mawsonites showed how they whiled away the time on the Polar Bird,and how that vessel became a dangerous place to be when sporting events ensued!
Wednesday 9 January 2002
I didn't see many of my fellow passengers for a while, but I was up and on the bridge before 05:30 hours. At 05:25 we were at 66.27.518S& 67.38.188E, travelling 268 degrees at 15.1 knots. The outside air temperature was -1.9 degrees C. We soon reached the start of Iceberg Alley, a narrow deep channel (well, not so deep, but lined by relatively shallow water either side), such that big bergs tend to hang out there. Some lovely photographic opportunities! We reached the ice, the swell lessened... and finally we neared Mawson Station! The plan was, stop for the helis to unload some pax and then continuetowards Mawson.
We reached our final position about 17:00 hours, at 67deg 32.5S &62deg 52.6E in 1/10 loose pack ice with bergs and bergy bits. Icould clearly see the green shed outlined against the ice beyond, afew buildings dotted on the rocks and, some distance behind station,possibly a line of fuel drums, or maybe a traverse van.
It was a magical day, even better than our first day at Casey, with blue skies all around and scarcely a breath of wind. I don't recall seeing it look this lovely ever!The two Squirrels flew and flew tirelessly, and as tirelessly were backed up by the crew of theAurora Australis and a few expeditioners on board, and doubtless by a similar complement of ANARE types on station. After taking copious pics I also helped out on the heli deck, loading slings and crates or equipment, supplies and personal belongings. It was a huge effort, and all credit to the crew and pilots for yet another mammoth effort.Ops finished about 22:30 hours and we slowly and regretfully moved away from mawson at 23:20.
The evening was superb, and practically everyone left on board was either on the bridge or the observation deck, as the sun very slowly made its way to the horizon and cast a magical light over the icefloes and bergs. The sun dipped behind a mountain at one stage, causing great excitement. At 02:00 and 03:00 hours there were still people about, and the sky had a beautiful tinge, with dawn colours rinsing the northern edge of the horizon as we sailed past the dusky-coloured icebergs of Iceberg Alley. The bergs slowly and majestically bobbed in the slight swell. A huge flock of circling snow and Antarctic petrels indicated a swarm of krill.
A perfect end to a perfect, and successful, day.
Next: more on the long line fishing vessel - is there no end to the excitement of this voyage?!
Cheers
Lucinda