Position: 61:52S 062:53W
Approaching South Shetland Islands
Date/Time : 4 January 2012 1500
We
have concluded that Able Seadog Snoopy is not only Ship’s Mascot but a Lucky
Mascot as well. When his head was almost severed we were suffering from the
wrath of Neptune; high(ish) winds, big(gish) waves and sea-sickness the like of
which none of us have experienced in 35 years (well, I hadn’t anyway). The
moment ASD Snoopy had his operation, the wind and seas moderated, the sun came
out and we were all bouncing around like Tigger again.
Since yesterday morning, we have had the most
unbelievably good conditions for our crossing. The wind has been blowing so
perfectly in both strength and direction (20-25 knots from the west) that it has
been like sailing in the Caribbean trade winds, but without the flying fish and
the bikinis. (When I made this observation to Venetia and Ewan, Venetia said
“Well, perhaps I ought to take mine out then”, to which Ewan asked “What? Your
flying fish?” I’m beginning to think there’s something a bit odd about
Ewan).
By
early this morning we had absolutely and definitely moved into the Antarctic
Convergence. The sea temperature was fluctuating between +1.0C and -0.2C (sea
water doesn’t freeze until -1.8C). In the cockpit it was 1C but with the wind
chill factor it feels a great deal less and you can’t be without gloves for long
before your fingers go completely numb. Down below it was a toasty 6C. So no
reason for the crew to complain then. Indeed Peter, who had been on watch in the
cockpit in his thermals and Weazle Suit, came down below to make a cup of tea
and was almost passing out from the heat. The “conservatory” – the extension to
the sprayhood which I had had made in Buenos Aires and which encloses half the
cockpit - has turned out to be worth its weight in gold. We can keep watch in
the cockpit in temperatures several degrees higher than outside and without the
windchill. Brilliant.
Since the temperature has plummeted and we are getting
closer to the land (now about 75 miles away), it has become quite foggy – quite
common in this area - reducing visibility at times to as little 200 metres. In
addition, there is an increasing probability of coming across ice which we
definitely need to see before we hit it.
Ice
round here at this time of year comes from icebergs which fall off the enormous
glaciers that cascade glue-like down the steep mountains of the peninsula. These
bergs can be absolutely enormous, hundreds of metres high and a mile or more
across. Any full sized iceberg we would pick up easily on the radar. They are
not the dangerous ones. What would threaten us are the “growlers” – the bits of
ice that calve away from the icebergs and float perhaps only a metre high out of
the water and 10 to 20 metres across. But below the water they are six times as
big. Particularly in poor visibility such as we have now they can go unnoticed
until you are almost upon them. But if you hit one, it could hole the boat - something we would wish to avoid if
possible.
So
we have changed the watch arrangements from having one person on watch all the
time to having two people on watch so at least one is always on the lookout. In
the event that we do get holed we have on board an array of extra equipment to
quickly stem the flow of water and make the hull sound enough to get back across
the Drake and to safety.
Whilst it’s not over until the anchor’s down, we only
have about 12 hours before we turn the corner round Snow Island at the southwest
corner of the South Shetland Islands and head the last 30 miles to our
destination of Deception Island. And the forecasts don’t look threatening.
Indeed, since earlier this morning the wind has died and we have been motoring
across Drake Lake. But I’m sure that Neptune and Drake will be saving things up
for our journey home. Normally I hate motoring but now there is a plus side. I
have on board a blow heater and whilst the engine is running we have enough
power to have this purring away and making the cabin nice and snug.
Talking of snug, we were surprised to find ASD Snoopy’s
hat in Venetia’s cabin yesterday. A mystery. We also noted that one of Snoopy’s
woollen mits was missing. Peter found it attached to the Velcro of one of
Venetia’s many layers of garments. Another mystery. We have concluded that
Snoopy is getting out of his dog bowl in the middle of the night, and scampering
into Venetia’s cabin for a bit of a comforting snuggle. He is adopting Venetia
as his new Mummy. Smart move, Snoopy. As Quartermaster, Venetia is the only one
who knows where his supply of High Protein Winalot for Antarctic Sledge Dogs is.
Venetia is also the only person who knows where the exra large tin of
Celebrations chocolates are which have gone missing. You can’t lose something
that big, so I’m assuming she has secreted it away in her cabin for her own
personal consumption. On one of my snap kit and cabin inspections I will be
looking out for any telltale signs of crumpled sweet papers. If she gets through
the whole tin she will end up the size of poor
Linda.
