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Port Lockroy. Click for larger image
Report 14 February - Team B on board Pelagic at Port Lockroy
Sun 14th FebYesterday evening we had a great dinner party at Lockroy. Unbelievable -ongelooflijk- that a Saturday night in the Antarctic can be like this. We were with sixteen people in the base and inside it was hot like a sauna. It was very cosy with the little stove on and tilly lamps burning. Everyone had amazing stories to tell. Like the two young Australian climbers, Duncan and Dave who had just returned from their expedition to the top of Mount Francis. At 9258 ft, it is the highest in this area and part of the Trojan range of mountains on Anvers Island. The two got a lift to the Antarctic on one of the cruise ships. In the middle of a bay they were dropped of with their zodiac, tent and equipment and with just that they wander around and climb mountains in the region. The ascent on Mount Francis took them 3 days, the climb down 2 days.
Prior to this climbing-project they tried to cross the peninsula over to the Larsen ice shelf, but their warming and cooking equipment did not work properly because of the bad fuel they got in South America. All their equipment got wet and cooking a meal took sometimes up to 8 hours. Stuck on the ice, they changed their plans and went for another goal:Mount Francais. Now they stay for a few days at an old hut in Dorian Cove ,just around the corner from this bay.
Amongst the rest of the guests were the two sailors from the yacht Berserk (which means something like 'completely mad'), the 21 year old Norwegian captain Jarli and his first and only (American) mate Dave. These courageous men survived a hurricane on the Drake in their tiny old boat (9metres). Jarli has dreamt of sailing around the world since he was 15. He managed to get this small boat and in the spring of last year he left Larvik, his hometown in Norway, and set sail to the south on his own. He travelled via Africa and Brazil and decided to go to the Antarctic once he had reached Tierra del Fuego. He had not planned to take any passengers along but in Puerto Williams he met Dave, a 30 year old writer and journalist who ardently wanted to go to the ice as well.
He had heard about Jarli and succeeded in finding him just ten minutes before Berserk's planned departure time. Dave had never sailed before. But after this beginners course sailing to the antarctic, you can consider him to be a professional for sure. Before he left his hometown Los Angeles he had a well-paid job and good prospects for his career, but he gave it all up to do what he really wanted to do: travel to the south.
So far he has not for even a moment regretted his decision, because he has been incredibly happy ever since the day he left. With glittering eyes he told us about their crossing of the Drake. Caught in a severe storm, they totally lost control over the boat, rocking on waves that reached three times higher than Berserk's mast. He said he was not a religious man, but for him this crossing has been a major religious experience of trusting in some bigger power, whatever, whoever that may be. He actually felt safe even in the dangerous situation they were in. These two men are living examples of the idea that if you really want something, you can do it. Just take the first step and start working on your dreams. Don't keep hanging around, thinking of all the reasons why you might not succeed. You will find yourself happy, even when you don't reach your goal, simply because you do the things in life your heart is longing for. Hallelujah, here we almost have a gospel and yes, these guys were mad but also very inspiring.
Right now we are entering Dorian Cove. Nigel Milius, the British researcher from Lockroy, came along. We will assist him in a penguin count of the chicks that live in the colony in this area. Tomorrow you will hear more about the results.
The Belgica Voyage 1898-1899
Second and last episode of the Gerlache
story (1898-1899). On the 15th February 1899, Adriaen de Gerlache reached
the pack-ice zone with his vessel the Belgica. At first they managed to cleave
through canals, lakes and narrow strips, but on the last day of February they
got stuck in the ice.
On board disagreement reigned. De Gerlache's intentions were called in
question. Why did he go this far south, risking this icy imprisonment? The
whole crew worked on freeing the vessel from the ice, but they did not succeed.
The multinational party aboard would be the first to undergo the darkness and
cold of an Antarctic winter. The strange thing was that the ship was still
moving westwards, though it was stuck in the ice because it drifted with the
pack ice. The vessel was ill-equipped to face the winter, there were just a few
lanterns, no fresh food and there were not enough stoves to dry out the water
that seeped down into the hull.
After the 17th May, deprived of all daylight,the men aboard became irritable
and morbid. Due to the lack of fresh food an epidemic of scurvy hit the crew.
In this situation Dr.Frederick Cook took the lead to keep up the morale aboard
the ship. He knew that the men should eat fresh meat to stay healthy enough to
endure the winter. De Gerlache had already tasted penguin meat but it had such
a terrible taste that he would rather not eat it. Dr Cook however asked the
captain to see penguin and seal meat as a medicine and to eat it as an example
to the others. De Gerlache agreed unwillingly.
Cook also tried to take the men's minds off their plight by organising games,
but it didn't seem to help much. Some men attacked each other, one man even
stepped overboard announcing his return to Belgium. By the 23rd July the
sunlight returned at last and with it some optimism grew in the hearts and
heads of the crew. There were however several more months to come before the
Belgica could move again. In October they saw some lakes forming in the ice
around them, but their hopes were dashed as they were frozen over again in
November. The 31st December brought a happy shout from the crow's nest. There
was open water in sight, 640 metres ahead. One of the crew suggested they saw
and blast a channel to free the Belgica. They worked tirelessly for the whole
month of January. With just 30 more metres to go, at the end of the month the
wind changed and squeezed the sides of the channel together.
This setback caused even de Gerlache to show signs of resignation- because
February was the last month of the antarctic summer. After that the weather
would quickly get worse and the Belgica and her crew would probably not survive
another harsh winter. However, on the 15th February the ice started moving
again. The vessel rose and fell on a swell and the channel they had been
working on for so long had opened up again. The engine was started and although
slowly, they could at last move again under their own power.
It took another month to get out of the pack-ice but on the 14th March the
Belgica was free again and set sail to Belgium. The channel where de Gerlache
(and we aboard Pelagic) sailed through was named after him and all survivors
got medals from the king of Belgium.
A special compliment was paid to Dr. Frederick Cook by the crew members
themselves. About him they noted: 'his behaviour won the respect, indeed the
admiration of us all...he was the most popular man on the expedition...upright,
honorable, capable and conscientious in the extreme-such is our recollection of
Frederick Cook.'
Kirsten Kuipers
| Weather and Position Data | |||
| 1. Date | 2. Time | 3. Posn Lat | 4. Posn Long |
| 14/02 | 09.44 local | 64°-49.68S | 63°-29.37W |
| 5. Compass Heading | 6. Wind Speed | 7. Boat speed | 8. Wind Dir |
| 48° | 1 Knots | 0 Knots | -120° |
| 9. Pressure | 10. Air Temp | 11. Sea Temp | 12. Cloud Type |
| 991 | +4°C | no data | cirrus |
| 13. Cloud cover | 14. Precipitation | 15. Sea State | 16.Comments |
| 60% | none | anchored | |