Hello everyone, sorry for not writing sooner but we are now back where we belong in the Antarctic.
HMS Endurance in Antarctica
This work period, which lasts until the beginning of March will take us much further South than we have been for a while and will be every bit as difficult as the last. Since I last wrote, many new friends have joined us onboard from the BBC and the British Antarctic Survey.
One of the teams is from BBC Natural History based in Bristol, they are trying to film Killer Whales, and Chinstrap Penguins for a new natural history series due out next year called Life.
Helicopter in action
Our helicopters are going to fly them around with a special camera strapped to the side, trying to find the whales in the vast wilderness that is Antarctica. We wish them all the best luck and are looking forward to seeing what they find. The other team from BBC World Service and Radio 4 are doing interviews with the scientists about their work – but they also want to learn about life onboard and in the Royal Navy – so listen out for some of us being quizzed about our work.
The new science teams are studying all sorts of different places as we track south down the Peninsula. Some are searching for bugs that hide under the rocks on the islands, and it is amazing that these insects are able to survive in such cold and inhospitable climate. Another team are looking at glaciers and finding out how quickly they are moving which will tell them how climate change is affecting this region.
Before we got to the ice we had to once more cross the notorious Drakes Passage where the swell builds up for many thousands of miles as it is the only part of the world where the sea wraps itself around the globe. At one point, the swell was 6m, which is higher than a double decker bus, and we had to slow the ship down so that our ice-breaking bow did not slam into the waves. Hitting such big waves is like running into a wall and makes the whole ship shudder – but she is a fine ship and rode the waves well. The biggest problem for the people onboard is that you can’t stay still in your bunk long enough to fall asleep so you get very tired – imagine trying to sleep on a roller-coaster ride! Even our most experienced sailor, Anchor the Bear, felt seasick.
Swimming with the ship
A bit of geography for you now. We are currently surveying and putting science parties ashore in the Gerlache Strait near Nansen Island. Have a look on your maps and see if you can find us. It is stunningly beautiful and we have seen Crabeater seals on small bergs – who have fur coats the colour of Labradors and smiley faces. We have seen some Chinstrap penguins swimming along with the ship and some baleen whales happily having their lunch of krill as we sailed past. It is amazing to see how unconcerned they were by the large red man-made ice berg floating past! It is interesting that there is much less ice here than when we were working close to James Ross Island on the south and east side of the peninsula.
Finally, I have been sent some very difficult questions by Mrs Elliot and Rabbits Class of Petersfield Infant School, in Hampshire and I will do my best to answer them correctly!
BAS scientists at work
Do you sometimes work with scientists?
Yes, we have lots of scientists on board at the moment who work for the British Antarctic Survey. Our current lot are studying bugs, ice and mud to learn more about what is it like living in such a remote place.
Can you tell us about any accidents the ship has had?
We have been very lucky and haven’t had any accident on board since we left. We tend to be very careful anyway as being such a long way away from the nearest land, there is no-one that could come and help us. However, the fire alarms did go off yesterday and everyone leapt to action getting ready in case there was a fire. However, it turns out that it was one of the girls on board using her hair straighteners in her cabin. I think she was very surprised to have the fire fighting team burst in on her.
Is your job a dangerous job?
When I do not do as my personal assistant tells me, Lt Lou Brimacombe who has to get me to do all my homework, my job is very dangerous. Imagine the strictest teacher you have ever met, and not doing what they want you to do. Everyone thinks I run the ship, but it’s not true, Lou is the one that runs me and I couldn’t do my job without her!
What do you do in your job?
As little as possible! If everything is running smoothly, then I can just sit in my chair, look out of the window and chat to the ships doctor Matthew about the penguins and seals. I am a bit like the headmaster, I only have to get busy when things are going wrong or we are being very challenged. I get involved in all the planning of flying and how the ship gets from A to B, and give my many years of experience to the team.
What do you do when you are not working?
I love to read and have got through several books already. I also go to the gym everyday to keep fit and work off all of the good food that the chefs make me each day.
View from the bridge
Do you work hard?
When we get to Antarctica, we have to make the most of the days when the weather and sea allow us to do our work. On these days, we work very hard and the whole ship pulls together as a team to get all of the jobs done. It is very important to stay safe in the ice and so a lot of careful planning happens before we do anything as even the most straightforward plan can change suddenly if the weather decides to change. Just today, we have had heavy snow and this has meant we cannot fly our helicopters.
Do you have any company?
The Captain of a ship lives on his own and also eats on his own. It’s called “The loneliness of Command”. I am invited into the Officers wardroom for movie nights, and whenever we are alongside, I have dinner parties as well. I do spend all my day surrounded by my team on the bridge, or in meetings with my management team. I like my own company, but I do miss my family very much.
Has the new Endurance ever got stuck like Shackleton’s?
Yes, but only for an hour. We were trying to get through a thick bit of ice that blocked our way, it proved a bit too thick, and we got wedged in like a cork in a bottle. We got out by making the ship wiggle from side to side and broke the ice either side of us to give us more room, and we reversed out.
HMS Endurance ice-breaking
How does the Endurance break the ice?
We have a special knife at the front of the ship that cuts the ice rather like the way a normal knife cuts a bit of toast. The shape of the bow then pushes the broken ice away. If the ice is very thick, then the ship can rise up and the weight of the ship acts through the knife and this then starts to cut the ice, with is a huge amount of force acting along the narrow edge of the blade. The plating of the hull is very thick and we can break ice over 1m thick. Finally, the engineers set the ship up so that weight is placed low down; this reduces the centre of gravity and therefore makes it more difficult to topple over.
What do you feel when you are in Antarctica?
Very proud and very lucky. I am hugely proud of my ship and the job that we do in helping our friends the scientists, and surveying the water to make it safer for all ships from every country to travel around without danger. I am very lucky as this is such an amazing place and my job lets me travel around it. I hope that the website can share the experience for those of you who are not lucky enough to come here. Maybe one day when you are older, you could join the Royal Navy and come on Endurance yourself.
What do you have to eat?
The food on board is yummy! We have a team of excellent chefs who give us a different menu each day. We get 2 choices for lunch and dinner and there is always plenty of it. It is a bit too good at times and that is the main reason I have to go to the gym so much!
Load lifting
Do you take cargo?
We carry 500 Tonnes of stores for the British Antarctic Survey and its all kept safe in our hold in large containers that we can crane on and off with our crane. When we get to the ice, the helicopters lift the stores in nets that they carry underneath the aircraft and fly the stores to exactly where they are needed.
I hope that has cleared a few things up and I will write again soon from even further south!
Tight lines
Capt Bob