I may have just accidentally e-mailed the post before completing it
so apologize if this is duplicated; now I have to try and remember
what I wrote.
So here is the first of many (I hope), blogs about my voyage south to
Antarctica aboard the Aurora Australis - the Australian ice-breaker.
I am very tired so if this blog doesn't make any sense, then that may
at least partially explain it.
Yesterday was a pretty exciting day, a day that I had been dreaming
about for a while. We arrived at the docks at 2.30, ready to be
bussed across to the wharf - this is the most pointless task as it is
literally 50m from the gates, but since 9/11 they have tightened up
security so I'm told. This journey was made extra pointless as we had
to get off the bus to go the cargo shed thingy jobby (I am clearly
down with my ship lingo) to get our belongings weighed, and then walk
half way to the ship anyway. Never mind eh!
We set sail at 5pm local time (on time), and off we went - BLAST OFF!
After a few quick introductory sessions, it was time for dinner. The
food onboard is pretty damn good and I can see myself putting all the
weight I have lost, back on! In addition to cooked breakfast, lunch
(not just a sandwich I can tell you), and dinner - there is an
endless supply of biscuits, chocolate biscuits (including tim-tams
thank goodness), cakes etc! I will have to stay away from the mess I
think....
With a few last minute lab things sorted, it was time for bed. As
sampling is done continuously (well the CTD is cast x times per day),
we are on shifts - 12 hours on, 12 hours off. I just happen to be on
the late shift, 1am to 1pm which is going to be very difficult for
the first few days. I was awoken at 4am (I didn't oversleep - the
first samples weren't taken until then), waiting for the CTD to be
cast - this is basically a machine that they drop to the ocean floor,
which then collects water samples at 24 specific depths on the way
up). Part of my job is to collect 3 samples from each of these 24
niskin bottles as they are called, for analysis in our lab. Let me
tell you, this is not the easiest of jobs when the ship is bobbing up
and down, and you have a fair few scientists crowded into a small
space. Samples taken, they are taken back to the lab for analysis -
the second part of my job is to run the pH machine whilst the other
staff in our lab run the more complicated machinery. As I said
before, the CTDs are cast fairly regularly (every 50miles I think),
so there really isn't much time to rest - as soon as you are done
with one, it's basically time for the next. I think the next 5 weeks
are going to be very very tiring, but obviously totally worth it.
So far the sea sickness hasn't been too bad. Felt a bit rough when I
woke up this morning, and also later this afternoon, but the seas
haven't been rough...YET! I'm looking forward to the time I find my
sea legs though - at the moment I'm walking all over the place.
Current lat/lon = 44.3897/146.1977
Current air temp = 13.8
Current water temp = 13.95
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