| Ship's Diary |
| During her time at sea, HMS Endurance will be sending back regular diaries to keep us all up to date with what is happening on this deployment. Use the links below to read extracts from the diary. |
| Christmas and New Year Festivities |
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In the run up to Christmas the plan for HMS ENDURANCE’s Christmas changed many times. We were hoping to be alongside in Grytviken for the day itself, but rather than have everyone having Christmas Dinner at the same time it was decided to stagger the meals. This would enable the Officers and Senior Rates to wait on the Junior Rates for their lunch in the traditional manner
That over the judges moved inside to judge the Christmas cake decorating competition. Each of the 5 teams had been given exactly the same ingredients, a cake, a jar of marmalade and 2 blocks each of icing and marzipan. Designs ranged from a seal on ice (not readily identifiable as such unless one had insider knowledge) to a New York Taxi cab waiting outside a pub with Santa sat outside, to a large snowman. The winner, made by Wtr Riches, Std Costella, Std Scott, and OM Williams was an elaborate south pole complete with igloo and polar bear, and included a number of chocolate muffins covered in melted milkybars.
Not to be daunted, when leave was granted half the ships company set off up to the museum at Grytviken, and a few further afield to climb some of the surrounding slopes. Late afternoon saw some of the officers over to the Marine Officer’s ‘Shackleton Villa’, for drinks. Then both the wardroom, and senior rates mess had their Christmas dinners. The wardroom was visited by Santa (the Engineering Officer, cunningly disguised) during theirs, bearing gifts in the traditional manner of secret Santa. These ranged from practical (a childs doctors equipment set for the Medical Officer), to abstract (a carrot suspended in a box for the O1) and there was much hilarity. The ships Midnight Mass Service was also held that night by Father Mark Catterill in the JRDH.
Christmas day dip was had in the sound by about 10 insane personnel, who braved seals and the cold to swim approx 25 m from the quay to the ship and back again. The leading diver won this ‘race’. That over, the Junior Rates retired to their mess to exchange their secret Santa gifts whilst many of the rest took the opportunity to make the most of the brilliant blue skies and set off to stretch their legs again. For some this was just a mile from the ship to a sheltered location to bask in the sun, for others the ridge parallel with the bay and the hill behind the ship presented irresistible lures. In the evening the BAS personnel at KEP invited a number of the Ships Company for mulled wine and mince pies out on their veranda in the warmth of the evening sun, looking out over stunning views of the bay. Midnight Mass at Grytviken church was attended by a number of the Ships Company. The mile long path up to the church proved an interesting route to negotiate in the dark after a few mulled wines. It was a worthwhile expedition though, the old whaling station church was lit with candles with decorations hanging from the old wooden roof beams. Not daunted by the lack of a suitably skilled organ player the congregation sang with great gusto. There were representatives from Endurance (in No 1 uniform), and a Chilean cruise ship in the area, as well as the Morrisons employees (contracted to make the old whaling station safe by the South Georgia government), the BAS team, and the couple who run the museum. It was a lovely, once in a lifetime experience and very much enjoyed by all that attended. The route back was as entertaining as the way to church, the path being littered by seals, which in the dark appeared simply to be shadows or lumps of rock until approached too closely! The next day was again completely different to either of the previous two, illustrating the changeablility of the climate down here. We woke to winds of 60mph, and the planned time to sail looked as if it was going to be put back until it was a little calmer. Meanwhile, the MV Hanseatic, a Chileans cruise ship (one of many) asked if ENDURANCE would be kind enough to transfer a passenger with a leg injury back to the Falklands. Having agreed in principle the next task was to achieve the transfer in high winds. This was eventually made by lowering the stretcher into the sea boat of the Hanseatic transferring to the shore and then up the very narrow accommodation ladder to the sickbay ward, where the patient and his wife were made as comfortable as possible. We finally sailed just after lunch into Stromness bay where the lynx was used to re-embark the BSES stores and their rubbish, and the Eddie Shackleton, the BSES personnel themselves. On completion we set off for the Falklands. Some roughish weather made the trip uncomfortable for our Chilean patient but with the help of the CPO Oakley we were able to rig up some traction to ease things a little. On arrival in the Falklands on the evening of the 29th the Medical Officer and patient were flown ashore to the King Edward Memorial Hospital in Stanley. An XR confirmed the suspected diagnosis and arrangements were confirmed to transfer him and his wife to MPA for a flight back to Chile the next day. We were lucky enough to have 5 days in the Falklands which enabled us enough time to sort ourselves out logistically for the coming work period, and for a good 60 of the ships company to get 2 days in Stanley over New Year. Use was made of the various amenities at MPA, including the sports facilities to conduct approximately 40 Royal Naval Fitness tests, the bars for a little socialising, the internet café for a little browsing, and the Naafi to stock up on all those essential items not available on board. The medical department made use of the MPA sickbay facilities and conduct hearing tests on all members of the engineering department, in accordance with current naval policy. The whole Ships Company were involved in the clearing out of rubbish from the storage point in the lower fwd hold. A problem with one of our compacting machines meant we had accumulated a much greater volume of rubbish (nothing can be thrown overboard, so rubbish is either compacted or burnt) than usual. This combined with the waste generated by 30 BSES personnel camping for 4 weeks filled 4 skips when we eventually craned it out of the ship. On New Years Eve a coach set out to Stanley where approx 60 of us were booked into B&Bs and guest houses. Stanley is the capital of the Falkland Islands with a population of approx 2,000 people, but feels like a small village. There were lots of tourist shops open, and during the time that we were there 2 or 3 cruise ships anchored in the bay and set their passengers ashore by boat, so that the streets were teaming. A good night was had by all with the main focus of the evening’s festivities being the Globe, the Stanley establishment closest to a pub. The next day was a brilliant blue sky and although windy was relatively warm. Most people made the most of their full fry up breakfast and set off to explore the surrounding countryside. The weather held and there were some burnt and blistered faces the following day. We sailed from the Falklands having disembarked the BSES students and exchanging them for a further 9 BAS personnel and the deputy head of the Polar Regions Unit of the Foreign Commonwealth Office.(link next week) We also embarked Lt Cdr Griffiths the Fleet Education Officer. A number of personnel left the ship to return to the UK on TopMast rotations (the new personnel system where people are drafted to a ship for approx 5 years, but are rotated in that time to spend time in the UK while the ship is deployed, so that they do not spend the entire 5 years on board and are able to achieve ‘harmony’ time in the UK), and a number who had been in the UK over the first work period returned. The weather turned bumpy as we left the Falklands and the first 2 nights back at sea were rough for everyone. The prolonged time alongside seemed to have robbed us all of our sea legs, and there were many green faces, even before we reached the infamous Drake’s Passage. As we approach James Ross Island, the approximate area for work period 2 the weather is settling, and the ship is preparing to start the next work period. |
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