Saturday, October 20, 2007

coz I'm a wanderer...

Rachel is writing a blog! She has already posted messages and images, and will probably be more dedicated about keeping it up than I will be. The address is
www.rachelhazellisaway.wordpress.com so it might be more worthwhile checking there to see how things are going with us. We will also be sending updates every now and again to the UK AHT website www.ukaht.org

The talk today with the crew has been about the extent of the ice cover. Apparently Bransfield strait is full of ice (with one tabular iceberg the size of Elephant Island), there is 9/10ths ice cover all around Lockroy and it isn’t looking likely that we will be able to land at all. Rachel asked our First Officer what the Nordnorge could cope with and the answer was 1 or 2 tenths ice, he said the ship was fragile ‘like an eggshell’, which wasn’t immensely reassuring! So we may well have another week up to Ushaia and then have to come back down. We will have to see what happens when we get nearer. Last year it was completely clear at this time.

We have had superb weather, hot and sunny and very calm. This morning I saw my first albatrosses, following the ship. Wandering – they are HUGE – and black-browed. Also the little cape petrels are everywhere. It is so warm that I really can’t imagine that we are heading towards ice! although we have a way to go yet.

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