Incising a channel through French Passage sounds like a vaguely medical procedure, but in this case is in fact a dramatic rescue. (Or rather, rendering assistance.) The itinerary for today, posted late last night optimistically announces Zodiac excursions in Paradise Harbour and Neko Harbour. Ha! At 6 this morning, Bill woke us with the news that an icebreaker had come 42 miles (is this number galactically significant? cf Douglas Adams’ ‘Hitchhiker’s Guide’) to our assistance. Ironically, the expedition leader (one Geoff Green) had been ‘dissed’ by Bill at dinner last night, and here we are, beholden.
The Polar Star is an ex-Swedish military ice-breaker, but the skipper is very experienced in ice work, hence his confidence in bringing her so close to the Vavilov. The ‘assistance’ caused some damage to their rear railings and a light with the prow, since the Vavilov is much bigger. The manoeuvres to get the Polar Star in line took three hours and Heaven knows how much fuel. The young people (12-18) from eight countries on board had to forsake their excursions for us, and what’s more, still had to attend lectures! The weather worsened, with winds of [blank] knots and snow. The crew valiantly struggled to get the prow into the rubberised notch on the stern of the Polar Star, led by 3rd mate Sacha who we’ve met on the bridge. Safety procedures were treated rather cavalierly, with hard hats hung on bits of machinery and cigarettes lit and flicked nonchalantly – until the portside hawser snapped to sobering effect. Thicker than my biceps, they failed spectacularly to knot it – three seamen fumbling like grannies with a dead cobra. Pretty soon, they uncoiled reserve rope from one of the auxiliary reels and it became clear that these hawsers are probably rated for tying up to stabilise the ship at docks, rather than towing several thousand tons of steel and provisions (relative values uncertain!) Eventually, the two ships hitched into position and with both engines working in tandem, broke through a particularly chunky area to make slow progress back through the Penola Channel to the Lemaire. It took about six hours to plug through in single file, since the ropes both broke again about half an hour after starting, because when the Polar Star got too far ahead, i.e. about ¼ mile, the ice closed up and froze between us, so it had to reverse and clear the way. The cracks which open in the ice ahead of a ship breaking through are called ‘leads’ and as well as creating a route out, allow Zodiacs to get back to the ship, as for us at Vernadsky.
By contrast to our North?South passage, the Lemaire was cloudy, wet, and dull. As we broke into open sea, waving farewell to the Polar Star (I wonder how much that’ll cost?) fog is closing in, but the sea is mercifully clear of ice, and not an iceberg to be seen…from this window at least. Bill has just announced that we have set course for Deception Island, 142 miles away, a volcanic island in the South Shetland Islands. We shall see. (Route via Penola Straits and Gerlache Strait & Petermann Island). Right now is an auction of ship’s items, such as a mounted section of the snapped rope; a bound volume of our daily ‘Nautical News’; and spectacularly, for $850, the actual chart used by the Captain for this voyage. In total, over $2.8k was collected, with bids way out of our league (or indeed any of the Brits). The bidding was dominated by rich Aussie widows, as were the prizes. All in aid of Save the Albatross. We’ll give a donation and get a badge! For some reason I remember a sign in Brazilian customs. ‘Seeds, cheese etc. may not be imported. Or ham*’ (*except one ham per person, if certified as over 8 months old). (Would that be at the risk of prosciutto-cution??)
I have been comparing journals: Libby has hand-stitched hers in various blue papers, some handmade, including extracts from the briefing publication onto dark coffee leaf paper. She will transcribe items from her day book, a sumptuous leather-bound notepad with replaceable inserts. Tanya, a primary school teacher from Minnesota has a calf-bound notebook and an accounts record that is meticulous and ridiculous. How will she record or justify the $300 she spent on a ship’s calendar? (She also has stunning false nails with bands of cream, cerise and gold glitter. They offer stark contrast to her bad haircut and plain features.) A rather geeky young man sketches and writes around his sketches. Another woman does watercolours. Several have notebooks for the novice.
I forgot to mention the props. Yesterday, we arranged the little cake Sue and Bob Flintoff gave us with a belly-flopping penguin, a bottle of Chilean bubbly, my diary and two glasses on the foredeck. Many used our props for their 2005 Christmas card!