Engines and Ellies

So starts the last month of my time in South Georgia. I am not going to dwell on it too much but since I woke up this morning remembering that fact I thought I would share it.

Last week Erny and I decided that Pipit’s port engine was so far gone that we had to remove it and change it for the spare one. This meant we spent Tuesday and Wednesday undoing and removing every bit of wiring, piping, hardware and everything that attached the engine to the boat. We also made some swift calculations about how heavy the engine was (1 ton) and what would be able to lift it (the JCB). On Wednesday it was the moment of truth and Joe carefully lifted the engine out using the JCB. It swung gently and with careful handling by Erny and myself we made sure it didn’t graze anything as it came out. We then took it into the boatshed, set it down on some stands and started the work of transferring everything that we had borrowed from the spare engine back over to the new engine. This included the starter motor, alternator, turbocharger, radiator cap and other bits and pieces. We also removed some fancy electronics which the spare engine has since it is a new engine which the other 3 don’t have. This includes glow plugs and a fancy coolant temperature sensor. We don’t actually have a mode for glow plugs in the starter system on the jetbaots because we keep the engines warm anyway so it would just have been confusing. All we have to do now is change the mountings from the old engine to the new one (which doesn’t have any on at the moment) and then we will be ready to replace it. I am not sure when this is going to happen since we need a calm day to ensure the boat doesn’t move around too much and the forecast is not good for the rest of the week but we will figure it out. 

Where the engine was

Slightly nerve-wracking ........

 While working out on the boat we were kept company by some Ellies. There was one big male who kept swimming around the boats checking out what was going on which was pretty cool. There are also now weaners (pups who have weaned) littered about the place. I thought they would all wean around the same time but we still have pups being born and suckling with their thick black fur and weaners in different stages of moult all together. There was one weaner who lay exactly where we get onto the boats. She just slept and didn’t seem to notice whenever we walked past (or sometimes over) her. She was very sweet so I named her Nellie the Ellie and she has been very companionable. 

Checking on our work

Nellie the Ellie

Sleeping Nellie

 On Friday Hazel and I took Jo out to the last transhipping of the season. We had to go out in Prion. She still smokes a huge amount but once I get over that embarrassment it is quite cool, we have our very own smoke machine and Jo climbs up the pilot ladder out of it just like a stuntman in a film.

After that we had to go and pick up Rod and Nik from Sorling where they were staying after coming back from St Andrews. I decided that I was sick and tired of the jetboats so we went in 2 RIBs. It felt very good to be in a RIB again and I very much enjoyed the trip over and back. Just as Hazel and I were about to beach to collect them I noticed a large shape swimming under my bow. It took me a couple of seconds to realise that it was a male Ellie swimming under me, he obviously hadn’t noticed the boat and since we were only in about 3 feet of water I had to go into reverse so as not to hit him, which luckily I didn’t, and I noticed him a little later watching with interest our doings as we got them aboard.

On Saturday Daniel took Hazel over to Maiviken to show her how to count penguin eggs since he was heading off to Prion Island on Sunday to count albatross chicks. I followed them at a gentler pace with the new Museumees. It was their first walk on the island and boy did they have a good day for it. The cloud in the morning had hung low and the whole place looked a little cut off at the knees but then the sun burnt the cloud off and we were treated to one of those spectacular days where the sun just makes everything even more magical than normal. The view as you pop up over Deadmans Pass always takes my breath away but I love watching it through new people’s eyes as they experience the glory of South Georgia for the first time. We went down and joined Daniel and Hazel, who had finished their work, and we all had lunch sitting pretty close to the penguins. It was Josie’s birthday and she was rather bowled over by it. I have to say sitting in the sunshine eating with penguins is one of the things I am going to miss about this place, even the smell of the guano. 

Maiviken from above

 After lunch Hazel and I decided to try and get onto the ridge to the right of Maiviken. Very sensibly, looking at the rather nasty scree slope they would have to tackle, the museumees said no thank you and went down to the beach with Daniel to see the seals. We scrambled up the scree (I had forgotten how much I dislike scree slopes) and eventually, after much sliding and cursing, got onto the top of the ridge. It was a spectacular view down to the other side of the peninsula and beyond, out to sea. We saw a yacht come in and she looked miniscule. 

On top of the ridge

 We wandered along the ridge to the end and there sat and relaxed for a bit, alternately chatting and dozing and just enjoying the view. At 1600, knowing we had to sign in back on base by 1800, we finally decided to wend our way back. Wend was the word along the top, not so much on the scree slope. I managed to scree surf which sounds much better than it actually is, I was not sure I would be able to stop. We made it down in one piece and headed home for a Halloween themed Saturday night cook.

On Sunday the weather was miserable so I messed around in the Chippy Shop, Jo Hazel and I watched ‘Creation’ about Darwin and then we and Nik had been invited to dinner at Druken Villa (the museum residence in Grytviken) where we had a lovely evening full of laughs and jollity. All in all it was a great end to the week.

This Saturday Jo and Nik leave which is going to be very sad. We had better make the most of our time together. 

The funky clouds have started