Part III: Antarctica and Academe - Scott Polar Research Institute

was very deep and granular however, and we sank in to the knees at each step. We
met up with the others and returned to the ship by 4.30 pm. The weather had been
perfect and the island afforded magnificent views of the surrounding mountains.
We sailed at 5 o’clock through the Neumayer Channel, by now so saturated with
beautiful, grand and magnificent scenery that we couldn't take in any more. The
weather deteriorated and low fog moved in. We would reach Deception Island next
morning. I spoke with Bransfield and South Georgia and decided to rendezvous at
King Edward Point on the morning of 15 March, instead of Signy on 17 March. "The
best laid plans.....". A sea got up and we were hove-to next morning, head to wind,
making only 2-3 knots in seas of 30-40 ft and a 30 knot gale. Ah! well.. . In the
evening I spoke with the crew for some three hrs and answered their questions. The
weather continued rough, so a planned visit to Hope Bay had to be cancelled and we
kept on towards Signy. The weather improved slightly so we increased to full speed
about midday; we should reach Signy in the evening next day. During that day we
were in fog, with some bergs and brash around, arriving at Signy at about 00.30 am
on 11 March, where I woke about 7 o’clock. The island looked very green after the
Peninsula and remarkably free of snow. I went ashore at 9.30 am to have a look
around and was most impressed with the newly constructed boathouse and slipway.
For the first time it provided a really good facility for the marine work, with a berth
for a scow. The incoming cargo was quickly unloaded and the muskeg easily driven
aboard.
I spent the morning talking to various biologists and to Ken Back and Dave
Fletcher as well as Big Al and the builders. Their spirits were very high and clearly
they had all had a good summer. Colin Brett took me to see the seismography array
on the bluff, put in for the Birmingham University geophysicists. After lunch ashore
I had some more talks and then wandered over to the bluffs to take some
photographs. Meanwhile the Biscoe pumped some 40 tons of fuel oil ashore. In the
afternoon there was a film aboard for the base and then we left for South Georgia at
7.30 pm. I tried to phone Maureen, but she was out.
All next day we were in calm weather, low cloud, no sun, but pleasant enough.
We saw penguins and diving petrels in the afternoon, in addition to the usual petrels.
I tried again to phone Maureen, but the transmitter broke down. I had a lot of
telegrams to write, including some coded ones which took more time. I had talks
with the Captain and Engineers about possible savings on the refit. A second similar
day followed, the South Georgian birds appearing: blue petrels, diving petrels,
shoemakers, black-browed and wandering albatrosses, prions and Wilson's petrels.
Cape Disappointment came up on the radar about 4.30 pm and we had dim views of
the land. The sea worsened during the afternoon and evening and I managed to
phone Maureen.
Next morning 15 March, I was woken at 6 o’clock by Chris Elliot with news that
we were near two Russian ships. We steamed slowly around them and I took some
photos. They were the Granat, a factory trawler of some 3,000 tons, and Aktyubiusk,
mother ship (about 6,000 tons). They were lying together with a large inflated fender
between them - but no anchor out. Granat had kelp on her otter boards, which were
rectangular, though with rounded corners. I noticed a fine-meshed net on deck. It
was calm and still, but still overcast. We were just off St Andrews Bay and went in to
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