| 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. |
| Visit to Mare Harbour, Falkland Islands 26/27 November |
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After leaving Montevideo on the 22nd November, HMS Endurance made her way down to the Falkland Islands. Some bumpy weather was experienced and a little more definitive securing for sea was done en route as well as dishing out a fair quantity of anti seasickness medication for those yet to find their sea legs. The Detachment Sergeant Major, Colour Sergeant Brian Hayes began his series of cold weather lectures to the Ships Company with ‘Cold Injuries’ and ‘Keeping Warm’. The SAs also commenced their issue of cold weather clothing for those who are working on the upper deck, including flight, those who will be surveying from the SMBs, and those who will be assisting with the BAS project counting seals ashore in South Georgia. On arrival in the vicinity of the Falklands the sea was a little calmer, and we disembarked the two lynx helicopters to Mount Pleasant Airfield (MPA) before coming alongside at Mare Harbour in the early morning of the 26th. More a logistics and a supply stop than for rest and recreation, the 24 hr visit was packed full. The flight up at MPA used the opportunity to do some night flying serials and to pick up and fit some parts for the anti icing systems.
A little colder than expected after the warmth of Montevideo, those of us who had not experienced the Falklands before were taken aback somewhat by the biting winds, rain, hail and sleet as well as balmy sunshine within the space of about an hour. Summer civilian clothing was hastily packed away and winter coats emerged in preparation for the evening’s decampment to the various messes at MPA. We were reassured somewhat by the MPA personnel’s assurance that this was unusual and that by the time of Endurance’s next visit summer would have arrived and T-shirts may emerge. A number of personnel rejoined the ship after Topmast rotations at home in Pompey, and we said goodbye to number leaving the ship for good, MEM Browne, CPOWEA Smith, and OM Kennaugh. Stores were embarked as well as personnel from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), for transfer down to South Georgia. 30 personnel also joined from The British Schools Expedition Society BSES who will also be transferred to South Georgia where they will remain whilst the ship performs her surveying task around the Islands, to re-embark after Christmas for transfer back to the Falklands. The CO made calls on the Governor of the Falkland Islands, His Excellency Howard Pearce, as well the Commander of British Forces Falkland Islands, Brigadier Gordon, and Chief of Staff, Group Captain AJ Dey. Personnel from MPA also came on board to brief the ships company about out of bounds areas on the islands that have not yet been fully cleared of mines.
The Falkland Islands will now be used as a Forward Mounting base for Endurance. We will return to them 3 further times before leaving the region on our way to Argentina, and then Cape Town. This makes logistics and supply much easier, as everything comes directly to MPA and either waits for us there, or is loaded onto one of the Antarctic cruise vessels or BAS Vessels (Ernest Shackleton or James Clarke Ross), that are coming our way. Endurance will then liase with these vessels to transfer the stores or mail. Part of Endurance’s role in the Antarctic is the surveying of the coast of the Antarctic continent (as well as the remainder of South Georgia’s coast), and this is driven by the increasing number of cruise vessels that are taking passengers down to view the ice. Over the summer months thousands of people will come down on cruise ships to experience a once in a lifetime view of the ice, and to set foot on that is for many of them the final continent. At a cost of approximately £5,000 for a cruise to South Georgia, and £10,000 for the Antarctic, this is a growing industry, and our surveying is key to this. On departure from the Falkland Islands the weather was calm enough for us to trial our new Forward Looking Echo Sounder (FLES), in a well charted area, before using it for real in the less well charted waters of South Georgia and the Antarctic. Whilst doing this we came across a Ukrainian Sail Training Vessel (Tall Ship, phot), and felt lucky to be in a solid centrally heated warship ourselves driven by engines operated from inside rather than sails that could only be reached by climbing the rigging! FLES trials completed we set off Saturday afternoon, destination South Georgia. En route the opportunity was taken for many training serials, from machinery breakdown drills and Standing Sea Emergency Party (SSEP) exercises to man overboard drills conducted in the driving snow! Another reality check and final reminder that the warm weather part of the passage is over for a good while. The passage to South Georgia is anticipated to take 4 days, as such it is the last opportunity for whole ship entertainment before the 4 week long work period. Never ones to pass up an opportunity the ships entertainment committee had scheduled in a ‘Pub Night’. The whole ship attended the ‘pub’ for pub style food (pie and chips) from 1900, the senior rates bar opened up with draught beer, and CCMEA Luya opened the nights entertainment with ‘Every breath you take’ by the Police on the karaoke machine. Although a little slow to get going the karaoke took off after about an hour with some startlingly good performances and some hilariously bad ones. As the evening progressed inhibitions dropped away and some talents came to the fore. In impromptu charity event occurred towards the end of the evening, when hhh one of the BSES students offered to auction off his hair for charity. In total the gullible Ships Company raised £750 for the privilege of removing 7 Mohican style spikes from bbb head . The finale itself began as a dramatic performance on Karaoke of Freddie Mercury’s Bohemian Rhapsody and finished a s a whole ship sing along. A great night in all.
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