View Full Version : Tom's Antarctic Diary 2 and 3 and 4 and ..14!
You can see the first entry here:
http://www.shaniaforums.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=26779
Well so much has happened since my last diary entry where I left you at the
British Antarctic Survey Base at Signy in the South Orkney Islands. We
sailed for 3 days North crossing the Antarctic convergency in near perfect
weather, the first time in years with no fog and mist to slow us down and
arrived at our most Northerly destination (54 deg South) Prince Edward Point,
near the old Whaling station of Grytviken.
Though as far north as the Midlands of England is south, the Climate of South
Georgia is very harsh, with a sea temperature seldom above 3 deg. C the Air
temperature falls to -15 deg C in the Winter and seldom climbs about +3 in the
Summer, giving the Islands a permanent snow and ice cover. With no Gulf
Stream to warm up the Antarctic the climate is severe even this far North and
with the Sun high in the Sky, Sun block is a must as the Ozone layer is very
thin even this far out from the Pole.
The Whaling station was first set up in the Mid 1980's by Sweden who's
explorers found this natural harbor full of Trying Pots, huge cast iron vats
which were carried aboard the Whaling ships to render down and prove the value
of the Whale blubber. Grytviken is Swedish for this "Bay of Pots". The
base got it's church back in 1912, though the Whaler's were not a God fearing
lot and the Priests did not stay long. The Church however has been
maintained for B.A.S. and military use ever since and passing cruise and
adventure cruise ships call past and give sizable donations to the upkeep of
the Church, Post Office and Museum at Grytviken and King Edward Point.
I will let the photo's tell you about the scenery, just stunning and the wild
life - well my first trip ashore was at Bird Island our first port of call
before Prince Edward Point where we have a small summer station. It is the
Fur Seal mating season and hundreds of thousands of them sprawl over the beach
and foreshore, covering our landing jetty and forcing us to wade ashore up a
shallow stream bed.
They can get a little feisty and aggressive at this time, so we are all armed
with a short stick and told to tickle there whiskers if they look like they
are going to attack you. The males are very territorial and see humans as a
threat so you do have to take care as a seal bite is a very nasty thing
indeed.
http://www.saunalahti.fi/~oskarila/Tom/Seal.jpg
With a guide from the Base we (a party of 3) made our way to higher ground and
the nesting place of the giant Wandering Albatross, as immortalized in the
"Ancient Mariner". These gentle Giants mate for life and produce just the
one egg a season. Like all the wild life of the Antarctic regions they have
no fear of Man and you can approach very close indeed before they will show
any sign of annoyance. They first tagged all the mating pairs back in 1982
and they are mostly all still alive so they live to be at least 30 and many
suspect go on to live for 50 or 60 years due to the long time the chicks take
to mature into adults. Like the seas around here, this is uncharted waters.
For we simply don't know how long a Wandering Albatross lives and where it
travels during its 8 months at sea. Attempts to track them so far have all
failed as no battery pack can last long enough before they return to mate
again. One opened it's giant wings for me, the 3 meter span took my breath
away, and I forgot to take a photo, such was the beauty of it's display.
http://www.saunalahti.fi/~oskarila/Tom/Albatross-.jpg
Mixed in with the Albatross was the giant Skewer, another giant sea bird and
again very tame, and rather clever. Many have been quick to learn that Base
personnel will feed a bird on demand and all the BAS bases have there Pet
Skewer, or Skewers who will walk right up to you and demand food and eat it
out of your hand. We were visited by "George" when at anchor off the Signy
Islands base. He used to have a mate "Mildred" but nothing has been seen of
her this season so far.
George just flew the half mile offshore to our cargo deck and sat there
demanding food from all who passed. He would show his displeasure in no
uncertain manner if you did not give him a small offering! We have taken on
fuel and a new Doctor and a few hours ago started our long journey south, deep
in the Weddal Sea to our most southerly Base, Halley on the actual Ice shelf
of Antarctica it's self and only about 1000 miles from the South Pole.
In the old Whaling station of Grytviken, the South Georgian Government with
help from the British Antarctic Survey run a gift shop in the Museum, full of
priceless artifacts and gifts all unique to the Island, I have purchased many
items including a first day stamp cover from the Post Office and will donate
them to the 2004 Timmins Fan convention auction, helping to raise funds for
the Shania Twain Center.
Manatow Penguin and egg
http://www.saunalahti.fi/~oskarila/Tom/Penguin-.jpg
Whaling station at King Edward Point
http://www.saunalahti.fi/~oskarila/Tom/WhalingStation.jpg
Sir Ernest Shackleton was laid to rest on South Georgia at his wife's request. His Grave overlooks the beautiful Bay that we anchored in
http://www.saunalahti.fi/~oskarila/Tom/Shackleton-.jpg
Mizery1
12-12-2003, 2:44pm
Great Stuff Tom. Stay safe ( and warm..brrrrr)
Don't forget the ships website. Its got more info on his journey.
http://www.antarctica.ac.uk/Living_and_Working/Diaries/RRS_Ernest_Shackleton/antarctic2003_2004/index.html
I tried to resize the pics to pretty much fit the Forums, so the diary part is easier to read :p
Dig-it
12-13-2003, 12:02am
WOW! what incredible beauty. All of those pictures and the story Tom tells is like a living novel. Do you think someones destiny is to be a writer?:) Think about that Tom.:) What an adventure story. I can't wait for more. Enjoy and stay safe.
shania-little
12-13-2003, 2:16am
Thanks a lot for postin' Marika..it's great to hear this!!
thecurse
12-13-2003, 2:18am
Greatness
hockey_fan
12-13-2003, 2:36am
Another awesome diary entry from Tom! :D:up:
Thanks so much! :)
....and beautiful job on the layout and pics, Marika! :D
I love the wildlife shots!
...and I just got finished reading a book all about Sir Earnest's exploits, I believe it was called "Endurance". I recommend it highly! :up:
I also saw the A&E movie Shackleton with Kenneth Branagh...a great flick! :)
See more on it here:
http://www.aetv.com/tv/shows/shackleton/
So, seeing the picture of his grave is really wonderful!
Thank you! :D
Shaniabomber99
12-13-2003, 2:59am
Thanks Markiza:)
Carley
Little Shania
12-13-2003, 3:26am
Cool :D
Yes thank you Marika, I don't have the software or the online time to do any sort of a job with the Diary, posting the text is easy but the pictures are a problem.
I sent you the wrong one of the Whaling station that is a close up of the two ramps (centre) where they hauled up the Whales for processing. I will try email you the correct slide. Yes the official site is well worth a look and we have the film and the book about Ernest Shackleton on board.
Must dash, people waiting for this PC..
Ah, oukki doukki, I'll wait for the correct pic then.
In the meantime, just wanna thank you for the wonderful story, and again I wanna say what a wonderful writer you are, you take us right there with you on your adventures! :D:up:
The wildlife pics are amazing too! :shocked: :D
ka-ching
12-13-2003, 1:11pm
Wow!!!!!!!!!! :up: I love those pictures :cool:
danielfred1235
12-13-2003, 4:31pm
Awesome pix! The animals are so adorable! :D
The Penguin didn't choose a very nice place to hatch those eggs though :p
We are in the Pack Ice now, so no swell. The noise is something else though when we hit thick ice, so we have turned back and are heading north again where we will travel along the edge of the Ice pack looking for any easy way in.
We at just about 60 deg Lat South with 16 deg to go. We are stopping every now and again to measure sea temperature at depth with a 'bomb' type thing that is thrown over the side and allowed to fall to the sea bed, transmitting data all the way. There are 'hot spots' in the pack Ice that move around from year to year where the water is to warm for the pack ice to form and nothing is known about this or what causes it.
Still heading due south, only 20 min of twighlight now around midnight. Air Temp -1 Sea -2 deg C and getting colder though the sun is high in the sky.
Antarctic Diary number 3.... Nearing the Weddel Sea.
Hi everyone, it is 6:45 Local time or Ships time as we make our own rules as far as that goes.... We are right on the Greenwich Meridian, that is Zero degrees Longtitude but our ships clock has remained on Montevideo Time, that is -3 hours GMT as there is operational advantages to us being 2 or 3 hours ahead of the Antrarctic Base clocks.
Our current position is 61' 58" Lat South on the Meridian and that takes us off to the left hand side of the Antarctic proper as you view it from the tip of South America. That big 'chunk' which looks like a bite has been taken from it is our planned path, sailing close in to the Ice shelf which surrounds the Antarctic even in mid summer.
Our Ice pictures from space show a nice gap now exists between the Ice Shelf and the Pack Ice of the Weddel Sea, technology that would have saved our namesakes ship the "Endevour" from being crushed in the Ice off South Georgia, our last port of call.
It is a very warm day outside, Zero degree's and the sea is very warm too at only minus 1.3 deg C, the melting point of salt water ice.
So we have had open seas for most of the night and have been able to catch up a little on the past few days. We have been in Short Wave Radio contact with our first 'port' of call the Halley Base - situated not on the Antarctic it's self but some 20 K offshore on the permanent Ice shelf there.
The 'winterers' look forward to our 1st relief call, and a chance to come on board and see new faces and enjoy our hospitality, this being of course the social calendar highlight of the year for them after the months of darkeness they have all been through and the record cold (-52 deg C) recorded at the base this winter.
There are no ports, towns or city's here of couse so our next "port" will be one constructed by the Halley base personell prior to our arrival. They scout the coast line for us and pick a suitable stable and sheltered 'base camp' for us to unload there cargo for transportation to the base by motorised sledge. It is quite an operation so I have been told, and I look forward to bringing you some photo's of it on the next diary entry.
Providing this experimental internet link via Satellite holds up of course that far south (76.5 deg Lat). I never take communications for granted when at sea. Things are going well on board, I am lucky to be working with a great team in the Engine Room and machine spaces. The whole crew are just so cool in fact. Well I smell the toast from the mess room reminding me how hungry I am, so best get trotters in the trough, as they say in some parts of the world. The rest of the crew are taking the Micky out of my Shania 'fandom' but I don't mind, it is there loss not mine - not knowing how good and loving Shania really is.
__________________
danielfred1235
12-18-2003, 6:41pm
Originally posted by aFinn
The Penguin didn't choose a very nice place to hatch those eggs though :p :funny: :funny: Too true! :p
Hi all, thanks for the replies, yes I will wait until my feet are under the table a little more and Shania's music will prevail in the end. I am doing a Shania Party night at the Globe Inn Port Stanley in the Flakland Islands on my de-mob and that is all arranged apart from the date which depends on how well we do with our schedual here.
Some facts you may or may not know about this wonderful land:
The surface area of the Antarctic is greater than Australia and Europe and 1.5 times that of the whole of the USA.
It doubles in size every winter due to the extension of it's land mass by the sea ice shelf, 200 miles wide in places.
The heart of the Antarctic is 3000 meters above sea level and the valleys on this high Ice plain are the dryest place in the World with Zero snow fall, the snow is evaporated before it hits the ground. Seals, dead for over 3000 years are 'freeze dried' and so well preserved a lot has been learned of the weather when they were alive and the diet of these creatures
Only 2 % of the Antarctic land mass is Ice free in Mid Summer and the Ice sheet that covers most of the land is more than 3 miles thick in some places.
The Antarctic is the lonelyest place in the World, only 800 people live here all year round in special bases mostly near the coast or on the sea ice it's self.
100 people live and work at the multi national base at the South Pole and are supplied by Air by giant Russian Antanov cargo planes. The base is run for the World by the U.S.A.
Emperor Penguin's live the furthest inland and closest to the south Pole - within 800 miles of it in fact.
No hotblooded life form lives within 400 miles of the South Pole, except for Man. Even then exterme care has to be taken over the design of the living quarters and work places at the South Pole base camp.
However Micro organisims and forms of alge have been found within that death zone.
Most British Antarctic Survey bases are Summer only and closed down for the Winter, however in an emergency a key is available "under the door mat" for shelter. Visitors will find food and shelter and a warm bunk for the night and are asked to leave everything as they found it and turn the lights out when they leave! They are also required to sign a visitors book.
Norway reached the south pole first in 1912 35 days before Scott of the Antarctic who's base camp hut is open to the public preserved for ever in the dry cold.
Captain Scott's base camp hut only gets about 10 vistors a year and is never locked. It is still full of the food and fuel that would of saved his party, who died of exposure and starvation just 80 miles from it's location.
Visitors are asked to sign a decleration that they have not touched or removed anything before they leave.
Tourships taking paying passengers to the Antarctic are one of the fastest growing sectors of the tour ship industry and bring millions of pounds cash into the Falkland and South Georgia Island group.
We will be the closest Ship to the South Pole in a weeks time and may break the recored for the closest every to get this far south, within 1000 miles of the South Pole later in the voyage.
This will depend on the sea ice. We are bringing fuel to be flown inland, to emergency fuel dumps by helicopters from the HMS Endurance, a ship credited in the BBC documentry by Sir David Atinborough, "Life in the Freezer", from which many of these facts are taken. The British Antarctic Survey are also credited with helping the BBC make this film.
At the moment there are only 2 other ships in our area, HMS Enduance and our Sister Ship RRS James Clark Ross, the flagship of the British Antarctic Survey.
Due to intense solar activity, we have a communications blackout on the HF/Short Wave Bands today. This does not effect Satellite communications normally, but when the solar winds are really active even Satellite communications are effected.
Oh and PS, Global Warming has not been proven by the British Antarctic Survey, many changes here are thought to go in huge cycles.
The Antarctic used to be tropical and vast Oil and Gas reserves are likley, though exploration for these is banned by treaty.
Originally posted by corran
Tom
Here is some information on the American base if you need it. They even have a picture of it at this link...I am not sure how many people are there though but I understand that can vary a lot...
http://www.nsf.gov/od/opp/support/mcmurdo.htm
Left: View of McMurdo Station from the frozen sea ice.
McMurdo Station, located at 77 degrees 51 minutes S, 166 degrees 40 minutes E, is the largest Antarctic station. McMurdo is built on the bare volcanic rock of Hut Point Peninsula on Ross Island, the solid ground farthest south that is accessible by ship.
Here is an overhead picture of McMurdo too if you wish to view it Tom!
http://www.theice.org/mcmotter.html
Thanks for your post about Anartica Tom, I found it very informative and interesting! Keep them coming when you get time Bob and myself and probably others seem to enjoy reading of your adventures and any news in that area that you have to relate...
Benjamin
Thank you for that Benjamin, The base is named after an early British Explorer who has also given his name to the British Antarctic Survey flagship, and our Sister ship down here, the Royal Research Ship "RRS James Clark Ross" who explored and named that region back in the 1800's.
Halley is nearby in Antarctic Terms, about 400 miles at 76.5 deg south but our station is much smaller and on stilts as we are on the actual Ice shelf it's self. This has the advantage of being a portable base, so when all the science is done Halley 5 is moved to it's next location - which we are surveying this trip in a few days time and becomes "Halley 6".
But the American's have a much bigger effort down here and run the actual South Pole base it's self on behalf of the World and the 68 nations who have signed the Antarctic treaty and therefore entitled to send research staff to the South Pole station.
But all the bases share the one common thing, they are locked in every Winter by sea ice from the supply ships and access can only be by Air. They are also linked by the common bond of the weather, some of the most severe in the World. Even during the short Antarctic 'Summer' you can get some of the deepest low pressure systems tracking in over the continent.
So our Christmas day will be like any other when on the Ice Shelf, 24 hour cargo handling so we spend as little time as we can exposed to the mortal dangers of mooring on the Ice shelf, where things can change for the worse very quickly with Ice falls and breakup's stranding men and machines on the Ice within seconds. Towering Ice falling from above on the deck of even a modern steel ship can overturn it too, so we don't hang around and Christmas has to wait until our ship is safe and Halley re-supplied for the year ahead.
Last year an Ice cliff fell on us and the vessel developed a 25 degree list to Starboard, it was all hands to the shovels, picks and anything else that could clear the weight of Ice from our decks while the engineer and deck officers attempted to re ballast the ship to account for the incident.
No one was hurt thankfully. A fair bit of the superstructure got a little bent out of true however. It happend at 3.30 am and that was lucky as few were going about the deck at that time.
canoilers
12-20-2003, 6:44am
Glad to hear you're in one peice sir. Make sure you keep it that way or I'll kill you. :p Thank you for the updates, and for the knowlege that you have passed to us.
canoilers
12-20-2003, 10:05am
Originally posted by canoilers
Glad to hear you're in one peice sir. Make sure you keep it that way or I'll kill you. :p Thank you for the updates, and for the knowlege that you have passed to us. I coulda sworn I wrote this earlier, now its at the top. Confussion runs amuck.
Nope, I bumped it :funny:
Did not have time to reply yet, so just bumped it so everyone could see there are now additions to the diary :)
Originally posted by aFinn
The Penguin didn't choose a very nice place to hatch those eggs though :p
Yeah but when you gotta go, you gotta go.....:p
Paul:)
Originally posted by Paul
Yeah but when you gotta go, you gotta go.....:p
Paul:) :funny: :funny: :funny:
Well, let us let nature take care of it, naturally :p
In case Tom does not have a chance to read other Merry Christmas threads, I'll say this here:
MERRY CHRISTMAS TOM!!!!! :D
ka-ching
12-21-2003, 2:37pm
Merry christmas Tom!!! :D:bounce:
Why thank you all for the Christmas wishes! I will raise a glass to you all when we have our Christmas Party on board in January!
Well it is not all work, we carry about 40 or so, passengers though we don't call them that. They sign ships articles as supernumary's, not only to place them under the discipline of the Ships Captain but to get round the complex rules that apply to passenger liners at sea.
They are all given basic sea survival training and first aid and then put to work for a half day or so. In return they get a small wage and dream up ways of holding various entertainment nights for us all during the voyage. So far this trip, since we left the Falklands 2 weeks ago we have had 2 quiz nights, a cheese and Wine tasting night and a few film nights.
Last night it was Race night. Armed with the ships paper currency "The Shackle" (current exchange rate is 1 Shackle is worth £0.10p or £1 = 10 Shackles we set to work backing our horses, the game is played on the Day room floor with 2 giant dice and 6 wooden horses numbered 1 to 6. The course is divided up into 6 tracks and each track divided up into squares, your horse number is chosen by the throw of the first dice, the number of squares you advance being decided by the throw of the 2nd Dice.
Just like snakes and ladders you can land on a square where you advance backwards, "excess use of the whip" back 3 squares. "Refuse water jump" back 4 and so on. You can make the finish line an exact throw, for example if you require a 2 to land exactly on the Win line and throw a 6 you go back 4 squares from the end and try again.. This way you may have all 6 horses waiting near the finish line for a lucky throw of the dice and then things get noisy!! Very noisy.
To make it more interesting, you are invited to dress up for the event, covered on live ships TV (see photo's). Well the odds are calculated on the bets received so the bookmaker can never loose and off we go, All money goes to charity and all Winnings can only be exchanged for duty free goods in the Bond shop. You purchase Shackles from your Bond bill.
Well what fun we had, I was down to my last 40 Shackles, when I bet it all on horse number 2 as it was the 2nd last race. It became the rank outsider and came in the winner at 17:1 and suddenly I was up 150 Shackles or £15 :) Just in time to pay for the Christmas Wine bill, with my impressive final total of £35.00p :D
Ships crew, having to work our watch can not really spend the time making our 'fancy dress' so the 'passengers' were treated to the very rare sight of the entire engine room staff (including yours truly) turned out in our Uniforms! (See photo's).
A great night was had by all, but the duty watch who of course had to remain at there posts, but were (of course) allowed to place bets via a volunteer "runner" so there hard earned wages could be skimmed for Charity as well.
We are just a few days from our base on the Ice shelf deep inside the Weddell Sea at 76.5 deg Lat south, almost on the 80th parallel and the furthest South of any ship in the World at this time. Weather has remained good, overcast light Snow and flat calm. Air temp just below 0 and the sea temperature minus 1.8 deg C.
We have had to go into Ice breaking mode as some of the sea ice now is more than a metre thick and the noise and vibration as we break through some of the larger bergs is amazing, as is the sight of all these huge Icebergs, still frozen in time on the ice covered sea. The sky and the Ice blend together, the reflected glare removing all shadows giving you a total loss of perspective. My camera would not focus on Auto and I have had to take many of the Ice sea photo's on manual settings.
I have not got the outer deck heating which prevent's the ships structure icing up, but I suspect it will not be long now before I am forced to switch it on as the temperature drops every day we continue south, reaching nearer to the Antarctic Ice shelf, and our current destination, the British Antarctic Survey base called Halley 5.
LOL!! Sounds like an exciting race indeed! :D
With your storytelling abilities, it was like I was there racing with your guys :p
Oh, do keep it safe there and enjoy the holidays! :up:
And I'll post the pics as soon as I get them :)
Here are Tom's pics!
The Weddell Sea in Mid Summer!
http://www.saunalahti.fi/~oskarila/Tom/FrozenSea.jpg
Race! :D
http://www.saunalahti.fi/~oskarila/Tom/Race1.JPG
Ooooh, a man in uniform! :shocked: :D :D :D
http://www.saunalahti.fi/~oskarila/Tom/TomUniform.JPG
One more!
http://www.saunalahti.fi/~oskarila/Tom/Race2.JPG
Thanks Tom!!!!!!! :D
canoilers
12-21-2003, 3:45pm
Thanks tom for the update. Merry Christmas sir.
canoilers
12-21-2003, 3:46pm
Originally posted by aFinn
Here are Tom's pics!
The Weddell Sea in Mid Summer!
http://www.saunalahti.fi/~oskarila/Tom/FrozenSea.jpg
Race! :D
http://www.saunalahti.fi/~oskarila/Tom/Race1.JPG
Ooooh, a man in uniform! :shocked: :D :D :D
http://www.saunalahti.fi/~oskarila/Tom/TomUniform.JPG
One more!
http://www.saunalahti.fi/~oskarila/Tom/Race2.JPG
Thanks Tom!!!!!!! :D Thank you sweetie for posting the pics.
You're welcome!
And these reports are so fascinating, we get to be with Tom on this exciting trip :D
Thank You for puting up Tom's story and the pics.
His journey is turning out to be quite a adventure.
To read his discriptions and seeing the environment
there is something special.
Merry Christmas to all aboard the RSS Earnest Shackleton.
and to Marika for posting the news.
Thanks again.
Well, here we are, stuck in the Ice 2 miles from where we want to be, but bit of a whiteout here today, so we are "parked up" and enjoying Christmas Day, with Santa who gave us all prezzy's and a glass of Sherry.... Good boy Santa....
He did ask me if I was a good boy in Montevideo and the whole room laughed and I went bright Red, what a photo op!!!!
anyway I will send some photo's soon....
Merry Christmas everyone!
Well Christmas Dinner was a sausage Roll, or a meat pie with chips and beans.... Hey the Catering staff need a break too and the food on this vessel is of such a high standard... wow, our turn will come once the job is done, which as you can see from this view of our destination (the Ice cliffs of the Brunt Ice shelf on the Horizon) is going to take a day or two:
In this image you can see the channel we have carved 1 mile into the Sea Ice that stands between us and the re supply of the British Antarctic Survey Research station at Halley on the Brunt Ice Shelf 76.5 deg South on the Antarctic Ice shelf.
Those tiny 'bright bits' on the Horizon are the ICE Cliffs of the Brunt and are 200 feet high! So we have a mile or two of Ice breaking to do once Christmas is out of the Way.
We carve a channel wide enough for the vessel to turn about in as the danger of being trapped in Sea Ice is very real and would sink even the toughest Ice breaking ship very quickly.
hockey_fan
12-25-2003, 12:27pm
Originally posted by tower
In this image you can see the channel we have carved 1 mile into the Sea Ice that stands between us and the re supply of the British Antarctic Survey Research station at Halley on the Brunt Ice Shelf 76.5 deg South on the Antarctic Ice shelf. MERRY CHRISTMAS TOM!
...and also to all sailing with you! :D
Thanks so much for all the stories and magnificent pictures! :D:up:
Originally posted by hockey_fan
MERRY CHRISTMAS TOM!
...and also to all sailing with you! :D
Thanks so much for all the stories and magnificent pictures! :D:up:
Thank YOU! Here is one of our leader, Captain John Marshall meeting Santa. We all had to sit on Santa's knee, but being the Captain he was allowed to sit next to him and sip his glass of Christmas Sherry.
LOL!!!! Captain's privilige! :p
You guys take care down there!!! Glad to hear you enjoyed Santa's visit!!! :D
Originally posted by aFinn
Here are Tom's pics!
The Weddell Sea in Mid Summer!
http://www.saunalahti.fi/~oskarila/Tom/FrozenSea.jpg
Race! :D
http://www.saunalahti.fi/~oskarila/Tom/Race1.JPG
Ooooh, a man in uniform! :shocked: :D :D :D
http://www.saunalahti.fi/~oskarila/Tom/TomUniform.JPG
One more!
http://www.saunalahti.fi/~oskarila/Tom/Race2.JPG
Thanks Tom!!!!!!! :D
More great pics.
Dear All,
Christmas came to us in the Shape of a personal visit by Santa, he did comment that we were his most distant customers and asked us if we could sail a little bit further north for next year.
Most of the ships crew who were not required for watch keeping duties were stood down mid morning as we are still waiting on weather, wind and snow preventing the Halley base from doing a recon trip to try advise us the best way to go forward as the sea ice is getting a bit too thick for us on the existing course. We have penetrated just over a mile into the Ice with about 3 to run.
So we had fun and games Christmas day, I got thrashed at Tiddlywinks and Arm wrestling, but on Boxing day the Engineering staff including my self as anchor took on all comers at tug of war and Won the prize of two cases of beer so all was not lost.
Today Boxing day we also have a triathlon going on with the fitter members taking on the Gym equipment till they drop. Looks painful to me, glad I was just taking the pictures. We are supposed to have started the re supply of Halley on the 24th so we are now slipping behind, but nothing can be done. If only the weather would give us a break, we could see where the Ice is thin and get on with the job.
It is -2 deg C outside, overcast and snow, the wind blowing 30 knots from the south west. We have been stood down for the afternoon to watch the fun and games in the Ships Gym (a converted corner of our aft Hold.
A group of Emperor Penguins have discovered the Ship makes a very good windbreak, and set up house next to us. It is just as well we have not got the gangway down, I swear they would try and board us, such is there curiosity.
I have been told that at one of our next ports of call on the Antractic Peninsula a watch has to be kept 24 hours on the gangway for just that reason or the ship would fill up with Pengiuns rapidly! One spent an entire shift trying to get past a mooring rope. It would waddle up to the rope, which would hit its chest, stop turn round and walk away and then rather than move to the left or right to clear the obstruction, waddle right back up to the exact same spot where the rope would stop it in its tracks again.
In the end the ships crew called it "Benny" after a character in a UK soap opera who was not exactly the smartest card in the pack.
They lifted the Mooring rope in the end and 'Benny' got past looking confused before doing the exact same thing with the stern rope a few min later!!!!
I am having fun, really! Rhyan in the foreground is offering to give him a drink of water and mop the poor victim's brow.....
I had to press the shutter, that is enough excercise for me!!
In this image you can see how stuck in the Ice we are, the large cliffs are the start of Antarctica proper and the Brunt Ice shelf on which stands the Halley research station, who's supplies we have in our holds and on our decks...
So near and yet so far.....
Approx 2/5ths of the Ice you see here is above the water the remaining 3/5th is below, so the Ice Shelf is rather large here and these often break off to become Icebergs when the Winter storms lash the Ice cliff.
It is amazing what 4000 tons of reinforced steel hull can do to the sea ice though as I look back in this shot towards the open sea a mile behind us.
And this is the Best Christmas present EVER, Shania enjoying our company on July 12th of this year in London's Hyde Park...
Eilleen lit up like a Christmas Tree with the warmth of our welcome and that made us all so happy.
The Base have decided that they can bridge the 3 metre wide Ice crack at the base of the Ice Cliff and lay a drum line to us. (a line of 45 gallon drums painted black placed at 100 metre intervals with a sign post every 1K with a knife, fork and a bed on one side and a drawing of the Ship on the other)
When we get a whiteout, you stay at your drum, until you can clearly see the next one or until you are picked up by Snow Cat or Skidoo.
So a few pictures for you all to enjoy, WX today, Sun, clear sky and +3 deg C and NO WIND - a real heatwave just for us. We are moored up and ready to go.
We are having fun with the Penguins and our mooring Rope... They are at it again!!! They will sit and look at it for hours and wonder why they can not walk through it.... forgeting that if they move a few feet along it will be easy to walk under it or over it...
Oh well.
Wow, impressive pics! :shocked:
The penguins are sooooooo cute :p
Originally posted by aFinn
Wow, impressive pics! :shocked:
The penguins are sooooooo cute :p
The realy good ones I will email you direct, Marika as you have a web site you can put them on without me having to shrink them down to postage stamp size! Latest from the good ship lollypop...
-----------------
Well it has been a long day, but everything is in place for the Night Shift to begin offloading our supplies for Halley. Last night I watched for the first time a British ITV production called "The Battle for the Falklands" and it felt strange, almost moving as the now familiar images of Grytviken and South Georgia, Port Stanley, Mares Harbour, Stanley Airport and the Falkland Islands flashed past.
Battle weary Troops and Prisoners of War lined up outside the Globe Inn, where in late March I will be hosting my Shania Party Night. What really struck me was how little has changed in these places since 1982. I am pleased that things have worked out a little better for Antarctica, with all nations co-operating freely in a spirit of true international goodwill against a common foe - the Antarctic Weather, for we are back in the deep freeze again after a brief high of plus 3 we are back, well below freezing at 1am local time with the southern Sun still high above the horizon.
The local wildlife is so curious and having no fear of humans come really close to get a good view. We have been dive bombed by Wilsons (Antarctic) Petrels, tiny birds that eek out an existence flying many hundreds of miles to a nest on solid rock, then fly to the open sea to feed. We have done them a big favour by opening up a 1 mile wide 100 metre wide channel deep into the sea ice closer to there nests.
They fly to within a few feet of you showing no fear and follow our shore side crew around. Leopard Seals have turned up and are playing in our warm sea water outlets, a sort of Antarctic sauna for Sea Mammals I guess, ignoring there main diet (Penguin) for now. All Antarctic wildlife are quite quick to learn that where there are humans there is a free meal ticket and shelter to be found.
The Emperor Penguin's however have taken no chances on the good nature of the Seals and have moved about a mile inland from us, safe from the Leopard Seals who never venture that far away from open sea.
I have not been on the Ice yet, as my duties keep me on ship but my turn will come and I will bring you the images just as soon as I can. It is really a strange thing to think that I am one of only a few thousand living during the Short Summer on this huge land, larger than Australia and almost twice the size of the USA, the Sea ice, and indeed the Ice Shelf it's self, being particularly spectacular this year. (see the 20 facts about Antarctica earlier in this thread)
Well it is 10:30 local time and I am going to turn in, the Ship being very quiet now as the Main engines are both silent and the prop shaft still at last.
You picture for tonight... I can hear the tannoy now "This is your 1st Officer speaking. Last call for those passengers wishing to reboard the Ship, the executive 'lift' is on the 'quayside' ":)
We are getting ready to go, a shot here of one of our 4 Holds and a 4 ton sledge being made ready for the transportation of cargo to the Base.
cftennisnative3
12-27-2003, 11:49pm
cool. Thnx for the Up!-date Marisuklaa :) . Take care of yourself and take more pics, tower :D . :up:
Originally posted by Dig-it
Merry Christmas to all aboard the RSS Earnest Shackleton.
and to Marika for posting the news.
Thanks again.
Thank you for that, I posted your good wishes to the crew on our Notice Board in the Officer's mess which is crew only. By the end of this adventure you will be on first name terms will all 22 of us!! ;) Here is a photo to finish with of happy days back on dry land in Montevideo, the Capital of Uruguay.....
Boy do they have great Beef in South America.... and I am from Aberdeen Angus country so I know a thing or two about great beef!!!
A 'singer' in a strip bar in Monty:
Yep, some town Montevideo, here some of the locals take time out for a Photo Op....
I am sorry but Spanish is not one of my skills, could someone tell me where this was taken.... ?
Now here is a little clue. Could this be the president of Uruguay?
In Montevideo, they will serve beer to ANYONE! Mind you back in Aberdeen we drink REAL Beer, not this straw coloured stuff... and our Glass is BIGGER TOO ;)
This is a true story, We have a young Doctor on board called Susan, she is a little cutie pie. I had a Thermal Scan or image of some of the equipment I have to look after.
So I whipped it out
(The Image, the image, keep this thread above the waist please)
and I said to her... Here is the results of your ultrasound my Dear
"Congratulations Sue, It's a Switchboard"
danielfred1235
12-28-2003, 12:16am
Awesome! :D Keep us up-to-date! :D
Yes Montevideo is some town, people just LOVE to sing and take lessons, as Shania knows only too well the secret is too HOLD that NOTE....
Originally posted by danielfred1235
Awesome! :D Keep us up-to-date! :D
Will do my best Sir, Just been called out with a breaker trip, Deck Crane working a little too hard, so back to bed having posted a few light hearted photo's to keep you all guessing as to the event???
Clue... NOT the Antarctic, though Winters there as JUST as cold...
Clue.. Shania sang there, in the Pub and across the Road at Jakes.. Yes it is Montevideo, well done everyone ;)
ka-ching
12-28-2003, 7:24am
Such a wonderful story!!! :up::up: Im impressed.
You must be having a great time there :bounce: Worldtraveler :supwink:
Thank you Leena, But Shania say:
"So you're an Antarctic explorer - that don't impress me much" But I have got a ticket to go with Richard to see her in Grand Rapids in May YES YES YESSSSS!!!!!
Weather is holding so spirits here are very high as this view of the bottom of our Gangway proves! (Silly)
So you think you can drive a Skidoo? Sorry but you have to take lessons first before you get a British Government one to break!
Hi Tom,
Did you ever see Michael Palin's Pole to Pole?
It's on TV at the moment and it reminded me of your travels.....
Paul:)
We are about 3 miles from the base of the ramp or creek that gives our snow cats access to the top of the Brunt Ice shelf. Though these Ice shelves are NOT solid land they are far more stable than the Sea Ice or Fast Ice were are moored next to.
For this reason we don't offload too much cargo at any time, and keep it as far away from the Ship as we can, so if the weather breaks and our little bit of quayside with it, the cargo hopefully will be 'rescued' before it is too late.
Our 3 mooring lines are 1500 meters long each and the orange posts you see are drilled 6 feet into the sea ice, so this cargo is a long way from us and behind any crack that our mooring posts (4x2 wooden posts painted orange) may open up in windy weather.
Temp today is +2 and still and clear, this is as good as it gets here.
ka-ching
12-28-2003, 3:34pm
Originally posted by tower
Thank you Leena, But Shania say:
"So you're an Antarctic explorer - that don't impress me much" But I have got a ticket to go with Richard to see her in Grand Rapids in May YES YES YESSSSS!!!!!
Weather is holding so spirits here are very high as this view of the bottom of our Gangway proves! (Silly)
LMAO!! :funny::bounce: True! Nah! It does! :] I wish I could travel like that jeje!
Originally posted by Paul
Hi Tom,
Did you ever see Michael Palin's Pole to Pole?
It's on TV at the moment and it reminded me of your travels.....
Paul:) Yep, they have it on board :p
They even visit Finland :p
It's gonna take a while to get updated with all the new updates :shocked: :D Will be great to read and check the pics :up:
Thanks Tom!
Originally posted by aFinn
Yep, they have it on board :p
They even visit Finland :p
It's gonna take a while to get updated with all the new updates :shocked: :D Will be great to read and check the pics :up:
Thanks Tom!
I saw it on TV today - they were in Helsinki!!!
But it was about 12 years ago so Estonia was still under the Soviets and not like today...and hey Santa was on too...so he is from Finland after all......
Paul:)
La Diablesa
12-28-2003, 3:47pm
GREAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT :D:up: THANKS FOR THE UPDATINGS AND PICS TOM :D
BTW DO U HAVE ANY PIC OF ALFONSO??? LOL :p JUST CURIOSITY :p
TAKE CARE CUTIE :kiss: :D
:devil:
Originally posted by Paul
and hey Santa was on too...so he is from Finland after all......
Paul:) :great:
He said it, not me!!! I'm innocent Annette and Sean!! I didn't say it!!! It's not my fault if he mentioned the truth :]
La Diablesa
12-28-2003, 3:49pm
Originally posted by Paul
Hi Tom,
Did you ever see Michael Palin's Pole to Pole?
IM NOT TOM :p BUT IVE SEEN IT TOO :D I REMEMBER ONE TIME IN RUSSIA I THINK THAT THIS GUYS GAVE HIM WATER TO DRINK IN THE MEAL AND REALLY IT WAS VODKA :funny: THEY DRANK VODKA TO LUNCH!!!!!!!! :shocked: :funny: IT WAS SOO FUNNY WHEN HE TRIED TO DRINK THINKING IT WAS WATER!!!! :funny: :funny:
:devil:
Originally posted by La Diablesa
IM NOT TOM :
:devil:
Ah, well there goes my theory....
Paul:)
Originally posted by La Diablesa
IM NOT TOM :p BUT IVE SEEN IT TOO :D I REMEMBER ONE TIME IN RUSSIA I THINK THAT THIS GUYS GAVE HIM WATER TO DRINK IN THE MEAL AND REALLY IT WAS VODKA :funny: THEY DRANK VODKA TO LUNCH!!!!!!!! :shocked: :funny: IT WAS SOO FUNNY WHEN HE TRIED TO DRINK THINKING IT WAS WATER!!!! :funny: :funny:
:devil:
Hey you told me about tomorrow's episode!!! Sounds good anyway..... I liked the bit on the train from Estonia where it's 30 degees celcius and he only just left the arctic....
Paul:)
danielfred1235
12-28-2003, 5:05pm
Santa is NOT from Finland! :p
Originally posted by aFinn
Yep, they have it on board :p
They even visit Finland :p
It's gonna take a while to get updated with all the new updates :shocked: :D Will be great to read and check the pics :up:
Thanks Tom!
Yes Marika, I am on the net full time now from my Cabin with 24/7 access, but I will still send you the odd photo which would be best seen in a bigger format. I loved the one with the "Caution Wet Floor" at the bottom of our Gangway!
I enjoyed both Pole to Pole and the "Falklands War" which we have on board. I am now reading South, Sir Ernest Shackleton's book on his ill fated last expedition here in 1914. We have some Killer Whales paying us a visit this AM.
Originally posted by tower
Yes Marika, I am on the net full time now from my Cabin with 24/7 access, but I will still send you the odd photo which would be best seen in a bigger format. I loved the one with the "Caution Wet Floor" at the bottom of our Gangway!
I enjoyed both Pole to Pole and the "Falklands War" which we have on board. I am now reading South, Sir Ernest Shackleton's book on his ill fated last expedition here in 1914. We have some Killer Whales paying us a visit this AM. Ahah, if there is a way, Tom will find it :p :D:up:
Killer Whales? :nervous: :nervous:
I have not yet had time to catch up with everything, but looking forward to it :D
Originally posted by aFinn
Ahah, if there is a way, Tom will find it :p :D:up:
Killer Whales? :nervous: :nervous:
I have not yet had time to catch up with everything, but looking forward to it :D
Well I never saw them, but a pod of Whales, Bigger than Killer or Minky, but smaller than the Great White, so I really don't know but they frolicked around and under the Ship for a while and the Penguins left is some hurry and I have been told they are following the Drum line to Halley!
The 45 Gallon black empty drums are used to mark the edge of the safe Ice road and I guess to a tiny Penguin, the look like an other Penguin at a distance, so they follow the Drum line, get to the Oil Drum and say "Oh that is NOT a Penguin"... "But hang on I see an other one on the Horizon" and off they waddle...
So they travel the 22 K to the Base from our location, takes them about 2 days and the Base personel then turn them around and they waddle back... This happens every year and I thought it was just one more tall tale, but I have seen it for myself today as I was on the Ice for a bit fixing a Snow Cat's VHF, just by our mooring lines you see in one the pictures posted a few days ago.
When everything you see is White or Blue a big black Oil drum is worth checking out. Our BIG RED Ship is like a giant 4000 ton calling card for all sorts of marine and land based wildlife.
The Penguins here are quite big, standing about a Meter high when fully grown and look very well fed I might add, demanding no food from us at all. The empty fuel drums are coming home with us to be re used. No waste is left on the Antarctic. You are not allowed to burn a fire, or do anything that may have a long term impact on the environment of this huge land.
Our Ship has a 3 stage Sewage treatment plant on board and the output is clear water, safe enough to drink, though I don't think anyone is going to try that. We are not allowed Chlorine or any cleaning products that may end up in waste water. All is Bio freindly. All other ships waste is compacted and returned to the Falklands for processing.
We have a ships oil fired incinerator, but it's use is banned below 60 deg Lat South, so everything is squished into square blocks and stored as ballast.
Part of our mission this year is to dismantle some old B.A.S. Base camps and take them back to the UK for safe disposal.
Sitting still in the water for so long means our waste heat is making the water around us warmer - above freezing and that has started a bloom of Algie and other micro organs, so right now we are very popular with the others who feed on Crill, who in turn feed on the Algie, who in turn are feeding on our heat and waste water.
Now I thought you would like this, it has nothing to do with the Antarctic, in fact this person is very warm and so good to Shania Fans who take the time to visit the Shania Twain Center in Timmins.
As you are all going to the 2004 Shania Twain Worldwide Fan Convention in Timmins hosted by the STC, now you know who the Customer Services Manager looks like.
If you have not been to Shania's home town and visited the STC before, bring a hankie or three! It is emotional being so immersed in Shania objects and information. YOU WILL LOVE IT, so don't forget, when you come back... I told you so!
Hello Tom and crew of the RRS Ernest Shackleton.
Your storys still continue to inspire adventure on this earth.
The bit about the oil drum love sick penguins is a hoot.
I don't know if you have seen it but, on Dec. 30th on Nova
there is a TV showing of "Shackleton's Voyage of Endurance"
About the survival tale of Sir Ernest Shackleton and his crew.
I don't know if its a Nationwide showing or just local to
my State. But in any event I will tape it, and if you wish
I will try to send it to you and crew.
If you have some sort of satellite TV, you may be able to
view it. But I will still record it for you.
Perhaps we will knock heads in Timmins this summer.
The weather is cold, but the people are warm.
Thanks for the update. Stay safe and Enjoy. John
Originally posted by Dig-it
I don't know if you have seen it but, on Dec. 30th on Nova
there is a TV showing of "Shackleton's Voyage of Endurance" About the survival tale of Sir Ernest Shackleton and his crew.
I don't know if its a Nationwide showing or just local to
my State. But in any event I will tape it, and if you wish
I will try to send it to you and crew.
If you have some sort of satellite TV, you may be able to
view it. But I will still record it for you.
Perhaps we will knock heads in Timmins this summer.
The weather is cold, but the people are warm.
Thanks for the update. Stay safe and Enjoy. John
The people of Shania's hometown of Timmins ARE VERY Warm John! Thank you for the reply. Penguins are funny and keep our spirits up. If they are daft enough to try live here then it must be OK for us to right?
Please do send the tape, if you would like to donate it to the ships Video library..... The address is:
RRS Ernest Shackleton
Video Library C/O
British Antarctic Survey
Port Stanley
Falkland Islands.
All our video's are multi standard and play back Never The Same Colour Twice (NSCT :) ) PAL for ever and allways! ;) and down with SECAM say I.
-3 deg C again today and total white out for part of the day with a 30 knot breeze.... I don't want to hang around and find out what a 60 knot storm does!!!!
So no pictures today :( as vis. is very poor and no contrast - however our drum line is up and running and so is our cargo. We are onto Bulk fuel and drums so only about a day to go and we will be on our way to Signey on the Peninsula it's self and then back to the Falkland Islands on or about Jan 15th to refuel and re load the next batch of Cargo.
To cold for the Love struck Male Penguins to follow the Drum line, but the first nice day and those drums better watch out!!!!! Moral is very high now we have the Internet in our cabins and a snow man has appeared outside the Ship dressed in full winter gear, it really does confuse you. A few have stopped and tried to ask directions from it :D It just looks the part with the Shades and all.
Our mooring lines are holding up well and the Westerly breeze is pushing our mass onto the sea ice compacting it which is good. It is when we get a wind blowing us out to sea the fun starts, but so far our moorings are good. We ran a 4th line just in case.
Dear Shania is singing "Whose Boots" from Media Player on the PC here in my Cabin. I have recorded all my Shania onto the hard drive so I can put it on Shuffle or random play and listen to all her albums mixed in with other classic Rock/Pop and C & W. while I work.
Like most things now the paperwork is just amazing and I spend an hour a day or more poking stuff into the works PC, so now I can listen to Eilleen and that makes any routine job so much more fun.
I take it you all know by now, but I gave away my good seat for the Glasgow Feb 22nd concert only to be picked for the sound check !!!! "Cest La Vie" and all that. I am trying to get it transferred to Joeleen McBride who was the free prize draw winner for my Ticket. Got some Phil Colins playing now, Cool!
Well that is about it. The midnight Sun never sets this far south but I know when it is late as it starts getting even brighter as we are 3 hours behind local time.
Will try get some more photo's of the local wild life and the Ice Cliffs to you all soon.
Originally posted by La Diablesa
IM NOT TOM :p BUT IVE SEEN IT TOO :D I REMEMBER ONE TIME IN RUSSIA I THINK THAT THIS GUYS GAVE HIM WATER TO DRINK IN THE MEAL AND REALLY IT WAS VODKA :funny: THEY DRANK VODKA TO LUNCH!!!!!!!! :shocked: :funny: IT WAS SOO FUNNY WHEN HE TRIED TO DRINK THINKING IT WAS WATER!!!! :funny: :funny:
:devil:
:funny:
Originally posted by tower
Well I never saw them, but a pod of Whales, Bigger than Killer or Minky, but smaller than the Great White, so I really don't know but they frolicked around and under the Ship for a while and the Penguins left is some hurry and I have been told they are following the Drum line to Halley!
The 45 Gallon black empty drums are used to mark the edge of the safe Ice road and I guess to a tiny Penguin, the look like an other Penguin at a distance, so they follow the Drum line, get to the Oil Drum and say "Oh that is NOT a Penguin"... "But hang on I see an other one on the Horizon" and off they waddle...
Sitting still in the water for so long means our waste heat is making the water around us warmer - above freezing and that has started a bloom of Algie and other micro organs, so right now we are very popular with the others who feed on Crill, who in turn feed on the Algie, who in turn are feeding on our heat and waste water. Ah, so fascinating!!
The Penguins, a funny story, yet I feel a bit sorry for them for trekking 4 days to follow the drums :shocked:
So touching!
Yes, the nature in there must be very fragile what comes to any changes, so humans better not leave any marks or do things that upset the balance.
Makes us think about the things we do here to destroy nature all the time. Although so far, there are much better chances for nature to recover from our actions here, than in the sensitive antarctic.
Thanks again Tom, and Have a Happy New Year!!!! :D
Originally posted by tower
Now I thought you would like this, it has nothing to do with the Antarctic, in fact this person is very warm and so good to Shania Fans who take the time to visit the Shania Twain Center in Timmins.
As you are all going to the 2004 Shania Twain Worldwide Fan Convention in Timmins hosted by the STC, now you know who the Customer Services Manager looks like.
If you have not been to Shania's home town and visited the STC before, bring a hankie or three! It is emotional being so immersed in Shania objects and information. YOU WILL LOVE IT, so don't forget, when you come back... I told you so! Yes, Tracy has done such wonderful job with the centre and taking care of the fans.
Next years convention should be a smash hit!
Originally posted by tower
To cold for the Love struck Male Penguins to follow the Drum line, but the first nice day and those drums better watch out!!!!! Moral is very high now we have the Internet in our cabins and a snow man has appeared outside the Ship dressed in full winter gear, it really does confuse you. A few have stopped and tried to ask directions from it :D It just looks the part with the Shades and all.
I take it you all know by now, but I gave away my good seat for the Glasgow Feb 22nd concert only to be picked for the sound check !!!! "Cest La Vie" and all that. LOL!!!
Glad you guys have gotten settled in :D
Hah! Does the snow man have a carrot nose? :p
We know Tom!!! Can only go UP from here!
Originally posted by aFinn
Yes, Tracy has done such a wonderful job with the centre and taking care of the fans.
Next year's convention should be a smash hit!
Yes, Tracy does some fine work. And she has an ambassador of unbounded optimism and widespread connections in Tom. It will be interesting to see how well all their work pays off at the next fan convention. I think if fans knew how phenomenal the special treatment of fans there is, the town would simply drown in bodies. At Shania concerts, as a fan, you're one in ten thousand at best, one in 30 million in some ways. Still these concerts are so enjoyable, they're nearly like a rare miracle that no fan would want to completely miss out on. Nevertheless, a fan at the Timmins convention is not one in ten thousand. A fan there is the center of attention and treated like a star!!! The friendship that fans make there and come away with, is a lot more tangible in some ways than an ST concert. And that friendship is something that can be accessed and built on at any time fan friends choose. Whereas concerts in your area tend to be quite limited, despite Shania's exhausting schedule trying to reach as many as possible.
The friendships made while being a member at the Shania online community are amazing in quantities and quality!!
People all over the world get to know each other and become good friends. Sometimes the friends even meet in real life, when the right opportunity rises!
:D:up:
Originally posted by aFinn
LOL!!!
Glad you guys have gotten settled in :D
Hah! Does the snow man have a carrot nose? :p
We know Tom!!! Can only go UP from here!
Drat HE GOT RUN OVER by a Snow cat in the whiteout before I could get a picture! This was one heck of a Snowman, life like as with all the cold weather gear you could not see much, our faces Ice up after a while so we wear a wooly mask with goggles for the Snow blindness..
They must of built the Snowman inside the clothes, it really was lifelike, as I say a few got caught out and tried to speak to it :D
I got a second trip on the Ice today, but right next to the Ship so no big deal, my turn will come in a few days time with luck, got some new piccys to share with you all though soon.
Hello to Tom and Crew of the RSS Ernest Shackleton.
HAPPY NEW YEAR! I made the tape for you and I will send it to the address you gave me. What a story! Many family members,
photos of the camps, well I will let you all enjoy it.
Keep well all. John
Originally posted by RJ
Nevertheless, a fan at the Timmins convention is not one in ten thousand. A fan there is the center of attention and treated like a star!!! The friendship that fans make there and come away with, is a lot more tangible in some ways than an ST concert. And that friendship is something that can be accessed and built on at any time fan friends choose. Whereas concerts in your area tend to be quite limited, despite Shania's exhausting schedule trying to reach as many as possible.
Wonderful Post, so touching and SO true! I can't stay away for more than a year. So watch out Timmins, I will be with you again in May.
Originally posted by Dig-it
Hello to Tom and Crew of the RSS Ernest Shackleton.
HAPPY NEW YEAR! I made the tape for you and I will send it to the address you gave me. What a story! Many family members,
photos of the camps, well I will let you all enjoy it.
Keep well all. John
That is SO nice of you John, on behalf of the Captain and Crew of the RRS Ernest Shackleton, I thank you and wish you all the very best for 2004. If it gets to the Falkland Islands before 18th of January we will sail back south again with your tape on board, and we are going to attempt to go further South than any Ship to cut down on the flying time inland.... so keep your fingers and toes crossed for us.
Originally posted by aFinn
Ah, so fascinating!!
The Penguins, a funny story, yet I feel a bit sorry for them for trekking 4 days to follow the drums :shocked:
So touching!
Yes, the nature in there must be very fragile what comes to any changes, so humans better not leave any marks or do things that upset the balance. Makes us think about the things we do here to destroy nature all the time. Although so far, there are much better chances for nature to recover from our actions here, than in the sensitive antarctic.
Thanks again Tom, and Have a Happy New Year!!!! :D
Thank you Marika, I have my photo of me outside Hyde Park on my Cabin Wall over my workstation.
I am sure you remember the photo taken after that amazing warm up for the current tour with your Finnish Flag flying proudly about the Canadian one. So fitting they should both be flying with me on this adventure of my lifetime.
So fitting that your Finnish Flag and the Canadian Flag join my Scottish one as I survey the beauty that we sometimes take for granted all around me.
ALL British Antarctic Survey staff have to agree to a ZERO polution policy..... Every item of waste, including the actual base camps themself come back with us to the Falkland Islands where they are re-cycled or safely disposed off.
There is a Museum at Halley and I hope to post soon a Photo of the 120 year old instrument that first detected the hole in the Ozone layer at the South Pole. Though the external bits are all modern high tech electronics the actual Spectrum anyliser is still in use today!!! Now aint that something! And I am going to get to touch it.
Happy New Year everyone.... Where ever you are in this shrinking World of ours... Look after this planet, it is our home after all and we (as yet) don't have a replacement.
Originally posted by tower
Drat HE GOT RUN OVER by a Snow cat in the whiteout before I could get a picture! This was one heck of a Snowman, life like as with all the cold weather gear you could not see much, our faces Ice up after a while so we wear a wooly mask with goggles for the Snow blindness..
They must of built the Snowman inside the clothes, it really was lifelike, as I say a few got caught out and tried to speak to it :D
I got a second trip on the Ice today, but right next to the Ship so no big deal, my turn will come in a few days time with luck, got some new piccys to share with you all though soon.
:eek: Oh no!!! No more snow man :sad: :p
Ah, will you get to go to the base?
Great! Send on new pics if you have :D
Originally posted by tower
we are going to attempt to go further South than any Ship to cut down on the flying time inland.... so keep your fingers and toes crossed for us. :shocked: Closer to the Halley base? Or some other base?
Hard tro gtype qwith dfingwers xceroaaswesd but qwwe're rooting for nya! :p
Originally posted by aFinn
:eek: Oh no!!! No more snow man :sad: :p
Ah, will you get to go to the base?
Great! Send on new pics if you have :D
:shocked: Closer to the Halley base? Or some other base?
Hard tro gtype qwith dfingwers xceroaaswesd but qwwe're rooting for nya! :p
Gosh suddenly I can speak Finnish..... Thank you. No we are trying to get as close to the South Pole as we physicaly can so the HMS Endurance can use there helicopter to re stock some emergency fuel dumps which the UK is responsible for.
HMS Endurance was the Royal Navy Ice Patrol vessel that first spotted the Scrap Metal Dealers and Troops from Argintina that sparked off the Invasion of the Falklands. She was due to be scrapped that year in defense cuts, so now I get a chance to see her 20 years later up close and personal.
I will post her Photo on this thread and the little helicopter that will fly it's own weight in Fuel Drums close to the Pole.
Happy New Year Marika, you sweet thing you :)
Darn it, that Shania CD is in the Main Hold someplace:
Hmmn perhaps I left it in the Lower Hold?
How the freekin heck did the Snow get INSIDE the Cab?
Originally posted by tower
Gosh suddenly I can speak Finnish..... Thank you. No we are trying to get as close to the South Pole as we physicaly can so the HMS Endurance can use there helicopter to re stock some emergency fuel dumps which the UK is responsible for.
HMS Endurance was the Royal Navy Ice Patrol vessel that first spotted the Scrap Metal Dealers and Troops from Argintina that sparked off the Invasion of the Falklands. She was due to be scrapped that year in defense cuts, so now I get a chance to see her 20 years later up close and personal.
I will post her Photo on this thread and the little helicopter that will fly it's own weight in Fuel Drums close to the Pole.
Happy New Year Marika, you sweet thing you :)
:cool:
Originally posted by aFinn
:eek: Oh no!!! No more snow man :sad: :p
Ah, will you get to go to the base?
Great! Send on new pics if you have :D
:shocked: Closer to the Halley base? Or some other base?
Hard tro gtype qwith dfingwers xceroaaswesd but qwwe're rooting for nya! :p
We may well have a new one by tommorow (Jan 1st 2004) I hope to get to Halley by Skidoo or Snocat on the 2nd. It is a 5 hour round trip, so should get a couple of hours with the Camera and if the photo's come out, that is my Camera stands up to the Cold I will send the good ones to you so you can add the img tags and make them a bit better looking than my 400 pixel efforts.
Love that Finish bit at the end, corrsed fingers is exactly what I need and toes and Arms and legs..... ;)
Hi Tom and Crew!!! The Post Office and UPS is closed here today
so I will send the tape tomorrow. Do you think UPS would be
the best way to get you the tape before the 18th?
I will send it via air from what works the best for deliverys
for you all. Enjoy.!!! John
originally posted by AFinn:
Hard tro gtype qwith dfingwers
xceroaaswesd but qwwe're rooting for
nya!
original reply by Tower:
Gosh suddenly I can speak Finnish..... Thank you.
end of Quote
Ahhh! The fountain of foreign languages!! At last I've found it!! Should be of immeasurable value, given my combination of A.D.D. and dyslexia in English.
Also, it will help me...., er "communicate" with all these international barrels lined up at the Ernest Henry Shackleton.
http://www.emotipad.com/newemoticons/Penguin.gif
Originally posted by Dig-it
Hi Tom and Crew!!! The Post Office and UPS is closed here today
so I will send the tape tomorrow. Do you think UPS would be
the best way to get you the tape before the 18th?
I will send it via air from what works the best for deliverys
for you all. Enjoy.!!! John
The Falklands are so out of the Way, I really don't think it matters, UPS - Fed Ex or Airmail. There are no commercial ferries to the Falklands that I know off and only 1 flight a week by LANChile. We always carry mail to and from the Falklands for the heavy items that can not go by Air mail.
Don't worry John if we don't get it in January, we will get it on March when we pay off. Thank you for your sterling efforts Sir.
Latest Diary follows:
Hello Everyone,
I hope you all had a good time over the New Year and attended some great parties... Things here were pretty subdued as we are still offloading fuel for the Halley Research Base and on 12 hour shifts, day and night.
However tradition is never to be forgotten and the oldest person on board rang out the old year on the Emergency Bell on the Monkey Island above the Wheelhouse, and the Youngest, the 4th Mate Chris (23) rang in the new and then ran down to the Wheelhouse to give a might blast on the Ships Horn!
Is was very strange knowing we are all that is down here and no one would reply. I have seen myself in all sorts of places and you think no one would reply, but then drifting across the water you hear the reply from a boat so small you missed it on the Radar.
So Chris blasted off the Main Horn and we all hushed, listening to the slight breeze, but no.. No reply we are all alone with the job only half done. Scared the living daylights out of the Antarctic residents though, Emperor and Daily Penguins rushing about everywhere, clearly not amused at the noise and a few Seals came ashore as well and started chewing on our mooring lines (trying to tell us something perhaps).
The Seals were fun today actually, I am not sure what type as I did not see them, but as we were filling a bulk fuel tank on a sledge alongside some playful seals decided to leap onto the ice and give us a hand. The tried nudging the sledge forwards and when that did not work the decided to chase the driver around the ice for a bit. He threw snowballs at them and the seals tried, often with great success to catch the snowballs before they hit the ground.
Tired with this sport some of them then tried to EAT the fuel line hose!! It would of all been great photo's but I was doing battle in the main switchboard room with a faulty motor speed controller and did not get above decks until later.
We have many traditions in the Merchant Navy and despite this fast paced world we live in, they are kept alive (just) by each generation of sailors and passed on down the line. Some are peculiar to the Antarctic and I hope I am going to attend one tonight as I did not get a chance to bring in the New Year last night.
Any Antarctic seafarer who is on his last trip, due to retirement or taking up a new position invites those he works with down onto the Sea Ice for a drink "on the rocks". :You find a bit of fresh water Ice (all around us here) and with an Ice pick you take off a chunk and drop it in the drink of your choice and then raise your glass with a toast to the person leaving us, this his/her last "drink on the ice".
It is not too cold today (-4 deg C) and pretty calm so later tonight after dinner the Engine Room staff will assemble in Winter gear and life jackets at the Gangway to see off "Rags" or Richard, our Third Engineer who is leaving us when we sail back to the Falkland Islands later this month, to run a local pub on the Island called Rosie's.
We will march away from the Ship as far as needed so our laughter and talk does not wake up the others and toast his good health and future with the purest ice cubes you will get anywhere in this overcrowded world of ours. I will try take a picture, but my Camera may well pack up with the cold.
The Weather is changing, so I think this will have to be postponed.... eeek
:shocked:
Well while we take a break from Photo's of the Antarctic, which I have not been able to take being stuck on the Ship for the past week, I thought I would take you all back to August of 2003 and the FANtastic Worldwide Shania Twain Fan Convention.
The very first, this years is going to be even better and far more will attend too, which will make it so much fun. Anyway here is a sight the Shania Twain Centre laid on for us, by request diverting this rather famous Bus just so we could get a photo op....
Here is a shot of a person well known on both the Forums and the Shania Boards, It is Bob on his way on the Summer Ferry from Moonsonee to Moose Factory, after we took the "Polar Bear" Express so far north the nearest road system was 150 miles south of us!
Now who could this be I wonder. I don't think She posts here, but is a founder and Mod on the Shania Boards. Yes you have guessed, this is FV or Fransesco of the North American Online fan club. Here she puts the finishing touches to an electronic postcard you can send free from the Shania Twain Centre.
How the heck did he get here.... Oh well 24 hour guards on the gangway again!
Did I ever tell you that Shania is not the only Pretty Girl to be brought up in Timmins? Here some school girls in there final year show us round Shania's old School.
I think that was Shania's Maths Class Room (She had a favourite Teacher but you will have to go to Fan Con 2004 to find out more)
This is a sight that young Eilleen Twain knew rather well as she took her meger packed lunch to High School dreaming of new songs and tunes.
When Eilleen left School she helped her Step Dad and her Mum running the Tree Planting business. Native Obejay Indians like Shania's Step dad were often passed over for the good Jobs so he did as I, and employed himself and after a struggle things started to work out and the family moved into a larger house in Tiimmins near to a Corner store called Zudells.
Enter Tom Waller (me!) in Timmins May 2001, I met a girl called Mary, and we dated and are still very good friends. Mary is Paul Zudells Daughter. Ah now you know why I am a Shania Fan! No I was a fan before I met Mary!
Anyway, The Twains went up country to the Bush with a hundred or more tree planters and set up camp near by. Eilleen would often make the long drive back to Timmins for supplies, purchased on account that the little store you see below:)
Mary would often serve her.
So I hope you all enjoyed that little break away from the Ice.
While I wait for something photographic to happen I will have a look at the photo's I took of Montevideo and post some here too if I may as a crew change in 'Monty' is something ALL Sailors really enjoy! :D
Originally posted by tower
Here is a shot of a person well known on both the Forums and the Shania Boards, It is Bob (RJ) on his way on the Summer Ferry from Moonsonee to Moose Factory, after we took the "Polar Bear" Express so far north the nearest road system was 150 miles south of us!
http://www.shaniaforums.com/attachment.php?s=&postid=472820
Thank you for that, sir. You're a fine photographer. I'll get round to posting mine of you on the same boat, when I finish the 2nd half of my thread "On The Road To Timmins." At the rate I'm going, might be done by next convention.
Well here we are in Montevideo, the capital City of Uruguay South America. Relying heavily on there much bigger neighbour Argentina the Uruguay economy is in a MESS, the local currency the Pesos is not excepted outside the country, so spend all you have before you leave, unless of course you want to give it to someone back home.
When I was there the official exchange rate was 48 Pesos to the £1 Pound Sterling, so keep that in mind when you see the prices later in this thread. Like the whole of South America there is an air of gentle relaxation and decay about the whole place, once of course a Spanish possesion. Spanish is the official language and very little english is spoken.
Here you are in the Centre of Montevideo...
The main Square in 'Monty'
Now rember the exchange rate 48 Pesos = £1 Sterling
Bill for this lot was 87 Pesos. God Bless Uruguay!!! :D
But GIRLS before you go out for a Meal, you need a new Hair style right? Remember that exchange rate now won't you!
And you new Hair Style is going to cost?
Yes a Perm for 300 Pesos or about £6.15p Sterling...
Now if you like a Beer with your food then try this, a 2 Litre (2000 ml or over 6 330 ml bottles of Bud, Fud or Duff) El Grando Beer for 60 pesos or £1.20p Sterling. :D
Oh Yes I could get used to that.... and here is the PROOF, EL GRANDO BEER chilled to perfection.... Mmmmnnn
And to wrap up pictures of Montevideo, thing of some of the Best Beef (outside of Texas and Aberdeen/Angus of course) and then imagine it being cooked slowly over an open wood and charcoal fire in a giant indoor market that covers a football field and more.
Well we call this the 'meat market' never did find the proper name but head down to the dock entrance, cross the road and follow you sense of smell :)
Originally posted by tower
I think that was Shania's Maths Class Room (She had a favourite Teacher but you will have to go to Fan Con 2004 to find out more)
This is a sight that young Eilleen Twain knew rather well as she took her meger packed lunch to High School dreaming of new songs and tunes.
http://www.shaniaforums.com/attachment.php?s=&postid=472827
Here we have Will Saari at left, in charge of Tourism Timmins and of the Shania Twain Centre (STC). Next is Ren, a high school teacher who moonlights with the STC staff and is a key player organizing and leading convention activities. Next with the red hat is Ken Berel an attorney from California who brought Beverly and Missy with him. His handle is Drumbeat51 on one of these 2 forums, because I think he used to be a drummer in a band. Next is the "shadow" with the silver hair from Michigan known as RJ here, and Bob on the Boards. Then is FV from Maine, administrator of STNAOFC. Then Bryce, from Oshawa Ontario. Next in white is Roger from Ottawa in white. Dark blue from behind is Jack Smith, husband of Debbie Smith from California. He acquired the name of "Mr Banksiana" during the fascinating tour at Millson Forestry products where they showed us many interesting things, including how to plant trees, and maps of the tracts where Shania's family contracted.
It's mostly Jack Pine that are planted up there. And the latin name for that phyllum/family/species of plant is Pinus Banksiana. Mark Juron, the colorful guide from Millson got Jack Smith to volunteer to remember the name of that pine for our group. And he quizzed Jack many times about it, but Jack always got it right. So now his handle on the messageboards is Banksiana. Finally at right in pink, is your own bgaill from new oarlines, winner of the first annual Shania Twain Trivia contest. I think FV was 2nd runner up.
Originally posted by tower
Now rember the exchange rate 48 Pesos = £1 Sterling
Bill for this lot was 87 Pesos. God Bless Uruguay!!! :D
http://www.shaniaforums.com/attachment.php?s=&postid=472838
Nice pictures of Montevideo, Tom. That's one place I've never been. But according to my family history book, when my grandparents moved from Switzerland to Michigan in the 1800's, one of their brothers moved to Argentina.
As for this meal, tho the price is right, the meat is red. That cow hardly looks like she's done kicking. Please don't get mad cow disease. We got miles to go before we sleep.
danielfred1235
01-01-2004, 11:02pm
Originally posted by tower
Yes a Perm for 300 Pesos or about £6.15p Sterling... :shocked: WOW! That IS cheap!!! (My mom's a hairstylist, I know all about these things. :D)
Originally posted by RJ
but Jack always got it right. So now his handle on the messageboards is Banksiana. Finally at right in pink, is your own bgaill from new oarlines, winner of the first annual Shania Twain Trivia contest. I think FV was 2nd runner up.
Now that Impressed the heck out of me, Wow every name to every person and that was just a partial shot, no faces. Yes dear Beth, from New Orleans got the trivia with her amazing recall of Shania's lyrics.. Just had to be seen to be believed.
Oh was that tour great or what, I laughed and laughed and then some more. Banksiana you were a star! :D
Oooh I got 1 point on the Trivia... Don't mess with Beth or FV, Oooh they are good on Shania Trivia!!!!!!
Originally posted by RJ
As for this meal, tho the price is right, the meat is red. That cow hardly looks like she's done kicking. Please don't get mad cow disease. We got miles to go before we sleep.
What Mad Cow disease, Never came to Scotland but we suffered all the same. I very much doubt if the rural farmers of South America need the animal processed feed that causes the problem, just like Aberdeen Angus beef from back home this is sound, so eat away and enjoy.
Thing is how does anyone know if you are sane?
ARE YOU SANE? I mean have you a certificate to prove it?
Well become insane, get discharged from the mental hospital and then you can say "I'm Sane" :)
Well it looks like I am not going to get to Halley this time, with the problems we have getting in close, we are a day behind and have to cast off the Fast (Sea) Ice as soon as we can and make our way back to the Falkland Islands, for the locals there to resupply us for the Jobs ahead.
We will go back to Halley in late February, so hopefully I will get a chance then. So this our last full 24 hour shift on the sea ice was marked with a visit by the UK Post Office!
Yes the British Antarctic Survey base at Halley is the official Post Office for the whole of our British territory and the 'Postmaster' came to us, set up his stall in the Mess Room and did a roaring trade in first day covers, T Shirts, Sweat Shirts and so on.
I purchased many 1st Day covers and a Postcard, stamped and franked for Auction at the next Shania Twain Fan Convention in Timmins later this year.
The unique thing about the first day covers and the Postcard is that DESPITE having been franked, is that the stamps 'cancelled' are STILL VALID for posting anywhere in the United Kingdom as all Antarctic Mail has to pass through the Falkland Islands or South Georgia to catch the 'mail plane' and until it does, being hand carried anywhere in the world does NOT invalidate the postage stamp cover price, so here you have a case of first day cover stamps that you can still actually use!
Mind you - I think you would be daft to do so, but heck with Shania's Autograph on them I doubt you would bother! Oops I am going to fast here. I hope to mail all these items on to the Shania Twain Centre from the Falklands in a weeks time so they have time to get Shania to sign some of them for you all to bid on at the Convention.
Anyway that is about it for now, I may loose the Internet on the journey back to the Falklands as the waters round here are seldom calm, but I will post again as soon as I have some more adventures to pass on to you. Oh we missed the Ice party last night the Weather turned and then we had some call out's. Shame that would have been fun, a table and chairs sitting chewing the fat on the Antarctic Sea Ice.
Shaniabomber99
01-03-2004, 12:46am
Hello Tom
This is Carley calling from Australia, Thanks for your diry entries. Keep on updating. Look forward to hearing more:)
Carley
Sorry you did not get to go to Halley this time! Another chance later, good luck for that! Sail to Falklands safely!!!
Originally posted by Shaniabomber99
Hello Tom
This is Carley calling from Australia, Thanks for your diry entries. Keep on updating. Look forward to hearing more:)
Carley
Hello Carley, thank you for checking in, this thread is going to run until late March when I return to the UK. We are underway again, left Halley at 0830 and we are now making our way back to Signey in the South Orkney Islands to pick up some broken equipment we are taking away to the Falklands for repair.
More Diary pages soon.
Originally posted by RJ
At the rate I'm going, might be done by next convention. Is that a promise? :huh: :p :p :p
Originally posted by RJ
Ahhh! The fountain of foreign languages!! At last I've found it!! Should be of immeasurable value, given my combination of A.D.D. and dyslexia in English.
Also, it will help me...., er "communicate" with all these international barrels lined up at the Ernest Henry Shackleton.
http://www.emotipad.com/newemoticons/Penguin.gif Yep, just cross your fingers and type! :p
Love the penguin!!! :D
Yes that is a lovely little Icon. Tom all at Sea again ;)
Don't normally get the chance to let our hair down on board, but we have worked hard over the Christmas and New Year period and discharged our 'passengers' and Cargo.
So now the 1 week journey back to the Warmth of the Falkland Islands as many of the Crew as can are stood down for a shift so they can enjoy Christmas and the New Year.
This is a delightful picture of my other "ETO" Steve (in the Shirt) along with Richard AKA "RAGS" the 3rd Engineer, on his very last trip, giving us all a sing song in the Red Room.
This picture is called "OMG we missed out a verse"
More soon but right now my turn to get 'trotters in trough'
Originally posted by RJ
originally posted by AFinn:
Hard tro gtype qwith dfingwers
xceroaaswesd but qwwe're rooting for
nya!
original reply by Tower:
Gosh suddenly I can speak Finnish..... Thank you.
end of Quote
Ahhh! The fountain of foreign languages!! At last I've found it!! Should be of immeasurable value, given my combination of A.D.D. and dyslexia in English.
Also, it will help me...., er "communicate" with all these international barrels lined up at the Ernest Henry Shackleton.
http://www.emotipad.com/newemoticons/Penguin.gif
I like the penguin
This is one of the First Day Envelopes, I understood there are 5 different ones?
http://www.saunalahti.fi/~oskarila/Tom/FirstDayEnvelope.jpg
Originally posted by aFinn
Is that a promise? :huh: :p :p :p
Yeah, I feel kinda bad I haven't "finn"ished those two stories I started last year. But then some things, like stories get better with age, somewhat like marinating. Maybe I could reroute one of those long emails to you that I sometimes send to a staffer at the EDC in City Hall, Timmins. I just wrote one with probably a couple thousand words in it, about the purchase of an indigenous bead necklace in Moosonee, and the events that led up to it. I saved it for future use in the rest of my story thread "On The Road To Timmins" (2003 convention). Let me think about that a bit. I don't believe there's anything confidential in that email to prohibit forwarding. On 2nd thought, you might not be interested in 2nd hand email, even if it's somewhat of a preview of what's to come.
Originally posted by aFinn
Yep, just cross your fingers and type! :p
Love the penguin!!! :D
I liked the animated version much better. Any tips on why it's only a "frozen" penqin here? I got it from a trial version of Emotipad software program.
Ah Frozen Penguin, No 1 top meal tip for Antarctic sailors ;)
Originally posted by RJ
Yeah, I feel kinda bad I haven't "finn"ished those two stories I started last year.
But then some things, like stories get better with age, somewhat like marinating.
Maybe I could reroute one of those long emails to you that I sometimes send to a staffer at the EDC in City Hall, Timmins.
I just wrote one with probably a couple thousand words in it, about the purchase of an indigenous bead necklace in Moosonee, and the events that led up to it.
I saved it for future use in the rest of my story thread "On The Road To Timmins" (2003 convention).
Let me think about that a bit. I don't believe there's anything confidential in that email to prohibit forwarding.
On 2nd thought, you might not be interested in 2nd hand email, even if it's somewhat of a preview of what's to come. Ah, but I am here waiting till you finnish them :D
Ah, well, I'll let you decide what to do. I trust your judgement :up:
Originally posted by RJ
I liked the animated version much better.
Any tips on why it's only a "frozen" penqin here?
I got it from a trial version of Emotipad software program. It's animated to me :confused:
Looks like my live feed is going to be lost in a bit, It is pretty experimental and they are taking the system down do do some more upgrades on it so I am going to loose the Internet for good I suspect soon. Further diary entries will be via AFinn using the official email store and forward system.
Heading North to South Orkney/Sandwich Islands in fair seas. Bye for now.
And this from my local paper http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk seach keyword antarctic
The don't half like to build things up, oh well I guess got to sell papers
--------------------- Relay starts ----------------
INTREPID FYVIE MAN TOUGHS IT OUT TO FOLLOW THE PATH OF
ANTARCTIC LEGEND
CLAIRE ELLIOT
09:00 - 05 January 2004
Weaving through a mass of thick ice and crashing waves, Fyvie
man Tom Waller is living the dream of a legendary explorer.
The former marine radio operator is on board the Ernest
Shackelton, risking his life as he follows the track of the
ship's namesake.
Armed with modern technology, the Royal Research Ship, on her
annual voyage, is on course to travel to the most southerly
point any ship has sailed.
That is after the crew reaches the British Antarctic Survey
base, Halley 5, on the Antarctic ice shelf deep in the Weddel
Sea, where the logistics vessel has already sliced through
towering icebergs and battled against gale-force winds.
Mr Waller, who was selected to take part in the expedition
just 12 days before setting sail, said: "Any sailor will tell
you they have a great respect for Mother Nature and the power
of the weather. These are the most dangerous waters in the
world and are treated with great respect by our deck officers.
"We depend on the ice openings to get into Halley, and out,
before we get trapped like so many people before, including
our namesake Ernest Shackelton, who lost his ship, the
Endurance, to the ice way back then. And as we retrace his
steps you have to admire those brave sailors in their tiny
wooden ships, with the crude navigation of the day, for the
discoveries they made on our behalf."
The RRS Ernest Shackelton is a "class one" ice-breaker - and
equipped with two large laboratories, she is also a "class
two" dynamic position vessel, able to sit on the water and
lower cameras and probes down to the seabed.
Her job is to carry research staff, doctors, dentists and
specialist personnel to the various British Antarctic Survey
base stations every year, as well as fuel, food and materials.
Mr Waller, who has been on board the ship for more than three
months, left Aberdeen on September 17, joining her in
Montevideo, Uruguay, a day later, for the start of the
record-breaking voyage. He had 12 days to prepare for the trip
following the death of the previous electronics technical
officer, who was on shore leave.
But Mr Waller, who served on the ship doing survey work to the
west of Shetland, said: "Nothing had prepared me for this as
we inched into iceberg alley. Giant bergs millions of years
old, glacier ice, fresh water that last fell as snow long
before the dinosaurs ruled the world.
"The travel, without doubt is the trip of a lifetime. To be
able to go to one of the last unspoiled wildernesses left in
the world and get paid to do it, is a dream come true."
He said the ship's crew was like a family as they tackled the
challenges of the ocean together on a daily basis.
Mr Waller said: "We are now going to attempt to go as far
south as any ship has gone before, to reduce the helicopter
flying time from our deck to the Antarctic interior where they
land and resupply the fuel dumps, vital for future expeditions
of the Antarctic."
The Falkland Islands, South Orkney Islands, the Island of
Signy, South Georgia and Bird Island, where he said he "saw
more wildlife in one day than some have seen in a whole
lifetime", are just some of the places the ship has visited.
They also stopped at a research base at King Edward Point and
at an old whaling station at Grykviken.
Along the route, he visited the final resting place of the
ship's namesake, Ernest Shackelton, on South Georgia.
Originally posted by aFinn
Ah, but I am here waiting till you finnish them :D
Ah, well, I'll let you decide what to do. I trust your judgement :up:
It's animated to me :confused:
Thanks Marika. You're such a sweet peach! Your last note above cued me to go look at my browser settings and I found I had the "animated" check box turned off. Now it works. It's so much more valuable to get a cue, then go do the rest of the work myself, than to be handed the full answer on a silver platter. Now I know a few more things I can use in the future and else where.
I'm almost afraid to go read some of the threads I'm following now tho. Will see stuff zipping all over the screen, like ufo's. I'm glad the penguin does show as animated for those with animatin turned on. It's nicer than the unanimated version. But when I saw it before copying here for my first ever use of it, I thought I remember a different sequence, eg the penguin acting more like a butler, serving the reader with a graceful bow etc. This one is jumping head over heels, just about the opposite of my low blood sugar, calm personality.
Bob
Well a few more images for you all to enjoy. This was the Moment at 12:30 am local time we said goodbye to all the Halley passengers, we will be back to pick the summer only ones back in late February. We gave them a salute on the Ships Whistle and off they went on the 18 K journey to Halley Base camp.
Well then we were on our way, and not a second too soon as mother nature attempted to freeze over our inward tracks and we had to Icebreak our way out to clear water. This shot is looking over the stern at our icy wake.
But then on Jan 4th we had our Christmas dinner and a right good sing song to end a very pleasant day:
Julie, Rags and Steve doing the business!
Originally posted by tower
Looks like my live feed is going to be lost in a bit, It is pretty experimental and they are taking the system down do do some more upgrades on it so I am going to loose the Internet for good I suspect soon. Further diary entries will be via AFinn using the official email store and forward system.
Heading North to South Orkney/Sandwich Islands in fair seas. Bye for now. Hope you won't lose your connection! It's sooo nice to know you are safe, and it gives you guys a connection to the outside world, knowing you aren't alone there, we are with you :D
Originally posted by tower
And this from my local paper
09:00 - 05 January 2004
Weaving through a mass of thick ice and crashing waves, Fyvie
man Tom Waller is living the dream of a legendary explorer.
Ah, Tom really is the worldfamous celebrity, mentioned in papers all over Canada and Scotland! :D
Originally posted by tower
Well then we were on our way, and not a second too soon as mother nature attempted to freeze over our inward tracks and we had to Icebreak our way out to clear water. This shot is looking over the stern at our icy wake. Yikes!
So, you break a bigger area before you anchor, and then moment by moment it becomes smaller, and then finally you have to break it some again?
How much does the warm water keep the ice away, to what extent? It must help?
Originally posted by RJ
I'm almost afraid to go read some of the threads I'm following now tho. Will see stuff zipping all over the screen, like ufo's. :funny: :funny: Love your sense of humor :D
Some graphics are a bit .. ehm... lively, eh? :p
Originally posted by RJ
I'm glad the penguin does show as animated for those with animatin turned on. It's nicer than the unanimated version. But when I saw it before copying here for my first ever use of it, I thought I remember a different sequence, eg the penguin acting more like a butler, serving the reader with a graceful bow etc. This one is jumping head over heels, just about the opposite of my low blood sugar, calm personality.
Bob Quite a change, from a butler to flipping out :shocked:
How's that possible?
Originally posted by tower
Well then we were on our way, and not a second too soon as mother nature attempted to freeze over our inward tracks and we had to Icebreak our way out to clear water. This shot is looking over the stern at our icy wake.
Great pic
Originally posted by tower
Well a few more images for you all to enjoy. This was the Moment at 12:30 am local time we said goodbye to all the Halley passengers, we will be back to pick the summer only ones back in late February. We gave them a salute on the Ships Whistle and off they went on the 18 K journey to Halley Base camp. http://www.shaniaforums.com/attachment.php?s=&postid=475545
Hey, one of your mooring lines is still attached out there. I hope you didn't set the lever to full astern, and pull off a big section of ice with open water on the other side they'd have to get past.
Originally posted by tower
Well then we were on our way, and not a second too soon as mother nature attempted to freeze over our inward tracks and we had to Icebreak our way out to clear water. This shot is looking over the stern at our icy wake. http://www.shaniaforums.com/attachment.php?s=&postid=475549
That looks awfully rugged. Since I don't swim well, I'd be kinda uneasy looking at that.
Originally posted by aFinn
:funny: :funny: Love your sense of humor :D
Some graphics are a bit .. ehm... lively, eh? :p
Quite a change, from a butler to flipping out :shocked:
How's that possible?
I'll lay it to presbyopia - the very slow response of the lense in the eyes of old people, to focus. I probably saw the penguin begin to lean to one side with one arm outstretched and didn't catch the rest of the act when I first saw it. And when I pasted it into the post, it was frozen already due to my animation being turned off.
Originally posted by tower
But then on Jan 4th we had our Christmas dinner and a right good sing song to end a very pleasant day:
Julie, Rags and Steve doing the business! ht