Testing the Fuel Scoots

By Anton Bowring: The sea ice cleared the bay overnight so that we could land the support team at 8am as usual. The crane is busy unloading full drums and re-loading the empties. Up the track towards the depot lines, work continues to prepare the living caboose and the science caboose for the Ice Group to move in. The big job is getting the padded tea cosies to fit over each caboose tightly and…

(Please note this update was written late last night, and relates to events which happened yesterday. Due to comms limitations over night, we could only upload it this morning) We remained nosed into the ice shelf by our unloading site all night. It was very calm and the ship remained in position without buffeting. Today started as usual. At 8 am the basket was swinging over the ship’s side and…

Another successful day. By this evening we had all the fuel sledges (scoots) secured with fuel bladders full. The cry went up late this evening that we were “flubbered up”! However, we still have another 300 drums in the hold which will be used to lay a depot up to the plateau. This includes a significant margin in reserve. In one or two places the incline will require the Caterpillar bulldozers…

The latest stop frame video from the ice, courtesy of the irrespressible Geoff Long. In it we see the “flubbers” being filled with fuel from the drums, which are being continuously craned onto the ice from the ship’s hold, and then being towed off to the base. Note how a line of shadow drifts slowly across the snow at the bottom of the screen. Not sure what it is, but it shows off the tim…

Last night we remained hove to in the pack ice. It was a beautiful night with a pink sky reflecting on the ice around us. At 8am we were back at the unloading position and the first team went over in the crane basket so that discharging could start afresh. Today, we continued to transfer fuel from drums into the large rubber bladders we call ‘flubbers’. We also unloaded more fuel sledges (scoots)…

A video of the off loading of equipment at Crown…

Today we started work again at 7am. Having moved away during the night, this morning we took up a different position alongside the ice which required teams to go ashore in a steel ‘man-basket’. Today more Caterpillar spares were unloaded and we continued with unloading fuel drums and bladders (flubbers). All went extremely well. The only minor mishap was that one flubber fell off a pallet as it…

By Expedition Co-Leader, Anton Bowring: Private expeditions of this size and scale are rare. In order to achieve this level of operation, you need lots of planning, fundraising and good people handling every aspect of the project. It takes time. From the trustees in London who have the responsibility for proper and diligent management to the part-time volunteer, this is ultimate teamwork. Sinc…

Update from Anton Bowring… “Today has been very successful. By this morning virtually all the sea ice had drifted out of the bay. There was just one floe with an inquisitive group of penguins observing us in the morning sunshine. We manoeuvred the ship slowly to the head of the bay and pushed the bows into the low ice shelf. By driving the ship gently ahead with the autopilot set, the ship has…