23112011 Stormy Night

0530. Bang bang bang comes from the cabin roof. I jump out of my skin and bunk simultaneously grab my shirt and trousers and rush barefoot out to the deck.

Its Jerome the  French skipper of the “Golden Fleece” whose boat we are tied to. He wants us to run more warps ashore as the wind has come round and putting a lot of strain on his mooring lines.

Shoes and rainjacket on, Peter joins me as, with their help, we run extra lines ashore. Its blowing a hooley and spray and rain conspire to soak my jeans but their isn’t time to change.

Job done and back into the warmth and Lars appears. He’d been already been out at 0400 when the sound of the boats banging together woke him.

Back to bed to get warm until 0830 when we start the breakfast process and listen to the local Radio Station. Imagine our surprise when the weather forecast

gives the “Wind chill factor for Sheep” to protect those recently sheared!!

The Russian passenger/survey ship  “Academic Ioffe” en route to South Georgia arrives at 0630. Amongst its 80 odd passengers are the relatives of Shackelton’s

expedition member, Frank Wild, whose ashes they are going to scatter there.

                                  Akademik Ioffe                                                                     Loading up

We watch the antics of a TV Crew who are filming their expedition and whizzing around the harbour filming one of the local work boats named after him.

1400 Lunch. Peter’s gone off to the swimming pool and we await his return so we can move back onto the pontoon once the last passenger have returned to their ship.

he wind has moderated, down from 30kt to 15kts though the seas still rough and we have to moor with the wind against us on the beam.

                             Back on Pontoon

Peter return and waits on the pontoon to take our mooring lines. No sooner had we tied up than our previous neighbours,

the French aboard also come alongside and moor in front of us.

Our friends on “Mina II” have also returned their dockspace after anchoring in the shelter on the otherside of the harbour where they had weathered out the storm.

We wave to them and are invited aboard for Caiprihina’s.

                   Mina 2 Oyster 485                                           John, Tim, Thomas, Bob, Linda and Lars

                     Caipirinha Kings                                                       Peter and John

In honour of the occasion Lars puts his socks on!! The first time since the Arctic.

After a pleasant “Happy Hour” we all head out to the Malvina Hotel restaurant for a very good meal including Squid ring which we had been recommended.

                          Happy feet

Bob the Blog