Part III: Antarctica and Academe - Scott Polar Research Institute

very interesting and impressive. Watertight doors, auxiliary engines, main engines,
shaft, water system, balancing tanks etc. We also saw the tail-thruster unit, winches
etc. It took about 2 1/4 hrs. Afterwards I did another load of washing and lay down
for half an hour – standing upright was rather tiring in the movement. I did more
reading and writing. Dinner with the Captain and Officers – accompanied by wine
and good talk. Afterwards I went up onto the bridge and found the acoustic survey
completed, and the CTD (Chemistry/Temperature/Depth) stations were being
attempted – but the winch was misbehaving. I saw the control system in operation –
with video observation and co-ordination from the bridge. It was dark by now, with
the after-deck lit-up and plenty of colourful monitors informing on activities. I
reflected on the beginning of it all on my voyage in 1971 when we undertook the
South Orkneys Benthic Survey (SOBS) and SGBS from the John Biscoe. That was the
start of BAS oceanographic research, and it had come a very long way since then, but
it needed my strong initial push to get it started. Also I had initiated the planning for
commissioning the James Clark Ross and had obtained a commitment from the
government to provide her – before I retired in 1987. I was really enjoying the
experience of seeing how the ideas sketched out by Chris Elliot and me in 1986 {?]
had come to fruition. Although I had been around the JCR before, in dock, I hadn’t
had the opportunity to see here committed at sea until now. It was great!
I had an invitation from Maggie, BC at Bird Island, to come ashore next day if the
conditions are right. I did a full laundry load, and read again. Then I went up onto
the bridge again after dinner to see the deployment of the CTD. The sea was still
quite rough, but conditions were acceptable. The bridge was in pitch darkness, with
multi-coloured lights from all the equipment consoles and screens. I watched the
launch from the after starboard side of the bridge on a TV screen, while Jerry, Justin
and Neill communicated by phone with the seaman working on deck. Something
seemed to be wrong with the winch, for it would only let out 40 m of wire. This led
to much speculation about the cause of the problem and repeated attempts to correct
it, but without success, so the operation was aborted. I stayed chatting for a while,
then down to my cabin to read Colin Thubron’s “In Siberia”.
I slept to 4.30 am., then woke to increased motion and slept fitfully for the rest of
the night. The sea was still very high, with strong winds and much movement – but
the sun came out. We’d been hove-to most of the night. Blue sky patches were
enlarging, but no reduction in sea and wind strength. It was getting tedious – the
motion and hanging on during the rolls. There’s nothing we could do about it except
sit it out, or perhaps run for shelter in Elsehul. There was no possibility of science or
Bird Island that day. In the event we sat it out most of the day, but eventually began
CTD stations through to 5 o’clock, when complete. It was a rough night again and I
didn’t sleep at all well – a disadvantage of having a VIP cabin! But by 6.30, when I
got up, it was calmer.
Next a better day seemed in prospect. We headed for Stewart Strait and the main
Willis Islands came in sight, emerging from the clouds, shining in a coat of new
snow. The usual birds were about, including snow petrels (a few), fulmars (a few),
many Cape pigeons, GHAs and LMSA (a few). I went up on the Monkey Island c.
9.45 am as the Willis Islands began to disappear behind cloud again. Jerry thought
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