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| Journey to Antarctica: I'm learning to live in a world where everything is in constant motion | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| I woke up this morning when I slid, head-first, into the wall at the end of my narrow bunk. A moment later, I began sliding the other way. A second or two after that, I was heading back towards the top of the bunk. | I woke up this morning when I slid, head-first, into the wall at the end of my narrow bunk. A moment later, I began sliding the other way. A second or two after that, I was heading back towards the top of the bunk. |
| The Shokalskiy has been steaming across the Southern Ocean and, since last night, it has also been rolling from side to side in the water, at times leaning at 15 or more degrees, either side of the vertical. The resulting shuddering, lurching and ever-changing perception of gravity is something similar to the feeling you get sitting in an airplane during a patch of heavy air turbulence. Our patch of turbulence (read: rough seas and strong winds) has so far lasted a day and a half, without any respite until we reach land. | The Shokalskiy has been steaming across the Southern Ocean and, since last night, it has also been rolling from side to side in the water, at times leaning at 15 or more degrees, either side of the vertical. The resulting shuddering, lurching and ever-changing perception of gravity is something similar to the feeling you get sitting in an airplane during a patch of heavy air turbulence. Our patch of turbulence (read: rough seas and strong winds) has so far lasted a day and a half, without any respite until we reach land. |
| Inside the ship, everything that can move, moves. Cups and books slide backwards and forward across tabletops, curtains open and close themselves, coats on the walls hang at alarming angles. Unless they are screwed to the floor, chairs slide from side to side under desks or, when they are fed up with doing that, fall over. My cabin is next to the ship's dining room and more than a few times the metallic crash of pots, pans and cutlery hitting the floor has pierced through the bass-heavy background hum of the engines. | Inside the ship, everything that can move, moves. Cups and books slide backwards and forward across tabletops, curtains open and close themselves, coats on the walls hang at alarming angles. Unless they are screwed to the floor, chairs slide from side to side under desks or, when they are fed up with doing that, fall over. My cabin is next to the ship's dining room and more than a few times the metallic crash of pots, pans and cutlery hitting the floor has pierced through the bass-heavy background hum of the engines. |
| The ship lurched around far more today than at any time since we left port in Bluff, New Zealand, yet the number of people complaining of sea sickness has steadily dropped. The main annoyance with the ship's movements now seems to be that walking around has become a dicey and unpredictable business. | The ship lurched around far more today than at any time since we left port in Bluff, New Zealand, yet the number of people complaining of sea sickness has steadily dropped. The main annoyance with the ship's movements now seems to be that walking around has become a dicey and unpredictable business. |
| Wander down a corridor along the length of the ship and you will crash into the wall several times and, every few stumbles, you might fall through an open cabin door and need to make hasty apologies to the people inside. | Wander down a corridor along the length of the ship and you will crash into the wall several times and, every few stumbles, you might fall through an open cabin door and need to make hasty apologies to the people inside. |
| Taking a shower has become a game of chasing a wandering stream of water around the cubicle while keeping a firm hand on something steady, in case the ship lurches particularly violently. Being covered in slippery soap from head to toe adds, you can imagine, an unnecessary element of jeopardy to what should, by rights, be a boring daily ritual. Carrying hot drinks from the bar to another part of the ship is a medical hazard waiting to happen. | Taking a shower has become a game of chasing a wandering stream of water around the cubicle while keeping a firm hand on something steady, in case the ship lurches particularly violently. Being covered in slippery soap from head to toe adds, you can imagine, an unnecessary element of jeopardy to what should, by rights, be a boring daily ritual. Carrying hot drinks from the bar to another part of the ship is a medical hazard waiting to happen. |
| The movement does eventually become part of the background, though. A muscle memory develops to anticipate the ship's oscillations and keep you upright. Any sense that the ship is about to lurch in a particular direction and the muscles in your leg on that side will tighten without any conscious input. Typing these words, I've lost count of the number of times my right hand has automatically reached out to brace me against the wall as my chair tilts to the side and the computer slides across the table. | The movement does eventually become part of the background, though. A muscle memory develops to anticipate the ship's oscillations and keep you upright. Any sense that the ship is about to lurch in a particular direction and the muscles in your leg on that side will tighten without any conscious input. Typing these words, I've lost count of the number of times my right hand has automatically reached out to brace me against the wall as my chair tilts to the side and the computer slides across the table. |
| The bumpy ride since leaving Bluff is the result of swells up to 5 metres high coming up behind us. Far from being a bad thing, these waves have been useful for our Antarctic journey, propelling the ship along faster than the engines could have managed by themselves. | The bumpy ride since leaving Bluff is the result of swells up to 5 metres high coming up behind us. Far from being a bad thing, these waves have been useful for our Antarctic journey, propelling the ship along faster than the engines could have managed by themselves. |
| And we can count ourselves lucky that we haven't hit any storms – yet. | And we can count ourselves lucky that we haven't hit any storms – yet. |
| This wasn't the case in the original Australasian Antarctic Expedition. Writing in Home of the Blizzard, expedition leader Douglas Mawson wrote how, after leaving Hobart at 4pm on 2 December 1911 aboard the Aurora, the weather turned nasty almost straight away. | This wasn't the case in the original Australasian Antarctic Expedition. Writing in Home of the Blizzard, expedition leader Douglas Mawson wrote how, after leaving Hobart at 4pm on 2 December 1911 aboard the Aurora, the weather turned nasty almost straight away. |
| During the night the wind and sea rose steadily, developing into a full gale. In order to make Macquarie Island, it was important not to allow the ship to drive too far to the east, as at all times the prevailing winds in this region are from the west. Partly on this account, and partly because of the extreme severity of the gale, the ship was hove to with head to wind, wallowing in mountainous seas. Such a storm, witnessed from a large vessel, would be an inspiring sight, but was doubly so in a small craft, especially where the natural buoyancy had been largely impaired by overloading. With an unprecedented quantity of deck cargo, amongst which were six thousand gallons of benzine, kerosene and spirit, in tins which were none too strong, we might well have been excused a lively anxiety during those days. | During the night the wind and sea rose steadily, developing into a full gale. In order to make Macquarie Island, it was important not to allow the ship to drive too far to the east, as at all times the prevailing winds in this region are from the west. Partly on this account, and partly because of the extreme severity of the gale, the ship was hove to with head to wind, wallowing in mountainous seas. Such a storm, witnessed from a large vessel, would be an inspiring sight, but was doubly so in a small craft, especially where the natural buoyancy had been largely impaired by overloading. With an unprecedented quantity of deck cargo, amongst which were six thousand gallons of benzine, kerosene and spirit, in tins which were none too strong, we might well have been excused a lively anxiety during those days. |
| It seemed as if no power on Earth could save the loss of at least part of the deck cargo. Would it be the indispensable huts amidships, or would a sea break on the benzine aft and flood us with inflammable liquid and gas? | It seemed as if no power on Earth could save the loss of at least part of the deck cargo. Would it be the indispensable huts amidships, or would a sea break on the benzine aft and flood us with inflammable liquid and gas? |
| Many of those aboard the Aurora, including Mawson, suffered severe sea sickness. During the storm, sea water breached one of the fresh water tanks, spoiling the contents for good and leaving the members of the expedition on a strictly limited water ration. | Many of those aboard the Aurora, including Mawson, suffered severe sea sickness. During the storm, sea water breached one of the fresh water tanks, spoiling the contents for good and leaving the members of the expedition on a strictly limited water ration. |
| The wind increased from bad to worse, and great seas continued to rise until their culmination on the morning of December 5, when one came aboard on the starboard quarter, smashed half the bridge and carried it away. Toucher was the officer on watch, and no doubt thought himself lucky in being, at the time, on the other half of the bridge. | The wind increased from bad to worse, and great seas continued to rise until their culmination on the morning of December 5, when one came aboard on the starboard quarter, smashed half the bridge and carried it away. Toucher was the officer on watch, and no doubt thought himself lucky in being, at the time, on the other half of the bridge. |
| The deck-rings holding the motor-launch drew, the launch itself was sprung and its decking stove-in. | The deck-rings holding the motor-launch drew, the launch itself was sprung and its decking stove-in. |
| […] | […] |
| During the heavy weather, food had been prepared only with the greatest difficulty. The galley was deluged time and again. It was enough to dishearten any cook, repeatedly finding himself amongst kitchen debris of all kinds, including pots and pans full and empty. Nor did the difficulties end in the galley, for food which survived until its arrival on the table, though not allowed much time for further mishap, often ended in a disagreeable mass on the floor or, tossed by a lurch of more than usual suddenness, entered an adjoining cabin. From such localities the elusive pièce de resistance was often rescued. | During the heavy weather, food had been prepared only with the greatest difficulty. The galley was deluged time and again. It was enough to dishearten any cook, repeatedly finding himself amongst kitchen debris of all kinds, including pots and pans full and empty. Nor did the difficulties end in the galley, for food which survived until its arrival on the table, though not allowed much time for further mishap, often ended in a disagreeable mass on the floor or, tossed by a lurch of more than usual suddenness, entered an adjoining cabin. From such localities the elusive pièce de resistance was often rescued. |
| Robert Scott's 1910 Terra Nova expedition also sailed through the treacherous Southern Ocean, leaving from New Zealand, and the great explorer wasn't immune to the storm conditions. Writing in his account of the expedition, second in command Lord Mountevans talked of a wind that “rose that afternoon [1 December] and a gale commenced at a time when we could least afford to face bad weather in our deeply laden condition.” | Robert Scott's 1910 Terra Nova expedition also sailed through the treacherous Southern Ocean, leaving from New Zealand, and the great explorer wasn't immune to the storm conditions. Writing in his account of the expedition, second in command Lord Mountevans talked of a wind that “rose that afternoon [1 December] and a gale commenced at a time when we could least afford to face bad weather in our deeply laden condition.” |
| Their ship was also overladen with supplies and the heavy weather meant that they had to consider lightening their load. | Their ship was also overladen with supplies and the heavy weather meant that they had to consider lightening their load. |
| Quite apart from this, the huge waves which washed over the ship swamped everything and increased the deck weights considerably. Ten tons of coal were thrown over to prevent them from taking charge and breaking petrol cases adrift. In spite of a liberal use of oil to keep to keep heavy water from breaking over, the decks were continually swept by the seas and the rolling was so terrific that the poor dogs were almost hanging by their chains. | Quite apart from this, the huge waves which washed over the ship swamped everything and increased the deck weights considerably. Ten tons of coal were thrown over to prevent them from taking charge and breaking petrol cases adrift. In spite of a liberal use of oil to keep to keep heavy water from breaking over, the decks were continually swept by the seas and the rolling was so terrific that the poor dogs were almost hanging by their chains. |
| One dog was drowned and washed overboard and two ponies died. The engine-room became flooded and a human chain of the ship's crew had to clear the water out with buckets. | One dog was drowned and washed overboard and two ponies died. The engine-room became flooded and a human chain of the ship's crew had to clear the water out with buckets. |
| It was a sight that no one could forget: everybody saturated, some waist-deep on the floor of the engine room, oil and coal dust mixing with the water and making everyone filthy, some men clinging to the iron ladder-way and passing full buckets up long after their muscles had ceased to work naturally, their grit and spirit keeping them going. | It was a sight that no one could forget: everybody saturated, some waist-deep on the floor of the engine room, oil and coal dust mixing with the water and making everyone filthy, some men clinging to the iron ladder-way and passing full buckets up long after their muscles had ceased to work naturally, their grit and spirit keeping them going. |
| Next on the itinerary for the Shokalskiy is Macquarie Island, a lonely slip of rock in the ocean between New Zealand and Antarctica (although the island is Australian territory). There, we are promised penguins – thousands and thousands of them including King, royal, gentoo and rockhopper – all clustered on the beaches. | Next on the itinerary for the Shokalskiy is Macquarie Island, a lonely slip of rock in the ocean between New Zealand and Antarctica (although the island is Australian territory). There, we are promised penguins – thousands and thousands of them including King, royal, gentoo and rockhopper – all clustered on the beaches. |
| Highlight of the day: Realising that the multiple-layer specially-chosen technical fabrics all did what they said on the label. I was warm and windproof for a long time out on deck, even as the wind and rain raged. | Highlight of the day: Realising that the multiple-layer specially-chosen technical fabrics all did what they said on the label. I was warm and windproof for a long time out on deck, even as the wind and rain raged. |
| Lowlight of the day: Getting drenched on the deck by an unexpected wave crashing over the side of the ship, as I stood there being pleased about not feeling the cold. | Lowlight of the day: Getting drenched on the deck by an unexpected wave crashing over the side of the ship, as I stood there being pleased about not feeling the cold. |
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