After two days rest in Potters Cove, the South-Aris team are now anticipating the rendevous with the M/V Molchanov, which is scheduled to take place tonight at 2300 GMT. The Australian Greg Mortimer, Everest mountaineer turned tour director, is calling the shots on board. Our HF radio schedule with him last night confirmed that they were crossing the Drake Passage yesterday and their first stop-over will be Penguin Island, just down the coast from Potters Cove and Jubany Base.

After giving the tourists their run ashore to see a chinstrap penguin colony, the ship will drop anchor near Pelagic to effect the transfer of the Tom Crean from their aft deck. They will then immediately leave us to our own devices and continue with their 10 day cruise of the Antarctic Peninsula.

Yesterday, we decided against the proposed meeting off Elephant Island after analysing the weather. To say the least, it is not auspicious. Chunks of ice hitting the hull of Pelagic late last night signaled a change in wind direction from northwest to northeast as the brash ice in the cove was 'changing sides.'

The roar of 40 knots in our rig in Potters Cove confirms our own weather maps and also underpins a custom forecast by Bob Rice's 'weather window' consultancy which we commissioned three days ago.

Bob Rice is famous for his weather forecasting for projects as diverse as around the world yacht racing (Peter Blakes ENZA Jules Verne record), the National Geographic 'Sea Tomato Expedition' in 1988 ( rowing from Tierra del Fuego to Antarctica) and many hot air balloon record attempts. From his office in New England, he will make detailed computer predictions using data not normally in the public broadcast domain. When Bob says its 'no go,' it really is no go.

The current situation in the Drake is dominated by three deep low pressure cells, one at 952 mb, making the entire region in Bob's word's 'dynamic'. Inspite of Potters Cove being relatively sheltered, the hand-over could still be challenging in the high winds and resulting short choppy sea.

The crew of the Tom Crean are busy today, writing letters back home and packaging up film and other bits of correspondence. These will be delivered to Ushuaia when the Molchanov docks there in 8 days time.

Later tonight with the 'Tom Crean' tethered astern Pelagic, the South-Aris expedition will have started in earnest. The crew will be waiting for a spell of settled conditions for the 120 mile passage to Elephant Island.

Skip Novak