The Little Things

“Well, there seems to be slightly more ‘missing’ from the right side than the left”. Said with a slightly sheepish look on Hazel's face.

“What exactly do you mean by missing?” I said. This was while I was sitting in the laundry, where we had been for the past hour or so.

One of the few things I didn’t think about before I left for the Sub Antarctic was how I was going to get a haircut. I have a fair amount of hair (albeit short) and if it is not cut at fairly regular intervals my impression of a shaggy Puli dog gets to be rather too good.

Puli dog - or is it Ella?

 It turns out that there are four ways of getting a hair cut on the island: 1. Don’t (not an option), 2. Shave your head before arriving and let it grow till you leave (also not an option), 3. Get an extremely expensive haircut on one of the very few cruise ships that have that facility (not an option in winter when there are no cruise ships), 4. Persuade someone on base that it would be a good idea to try cutting my hair. Somehow I managed to con Hazel into the idea that cutting my hair would be a new and interesting thing to do. She has regretted this ever since. The main cry when she starts cutting is: “Oh dear God I had forgotten quite how much ridiculous hair you have”. Usually by this stage she has cut slightly too much for her to just leave it because, as she says, she does have to look at me. This was the 4^th time that I have managed to con her into cutting my hair and, as we both decided, definitely the last. She has done a remarkably good job every time and I now look vaguely human again (any lack of humanity is not due to the hair cut). The only thing wrong with this arrangement on my side is that for the next week I have to endure her looking very carefully and critically at her handiwork every time she sees me. This time I seem to have passed muster rather quicker than before.

I finished my last blog expressing the hope that my time in the engine bay may have been coming to an end. Unfortunately for both Erny and myself this does not seem to be the case. We have been struggling with problems with the damn port engine of Pipit for a week and a half now and both of us are getting rather fed up. Neither of us have any idea what the trouble could be and both wish ardently that it would just bloody start working. Anyway, moving swiftly on……

Having a hair cut is one of the little things that you never think would be an issue till it is. One of the little things that I did worry about was running out of things. Due to wise ordering of food by the previous doc and some excellent bargaining and deal making by Hazel, our food stores looks extremely healthy, much healthier than they did when we arrived at any rate. Therefore running out of food has never been an issue. Running out of drink has been more of a concern. This season we had rather more visiting scientists and other teams than anticipated. This meant that our bond (drink store) did get rather depleted by the middle of winter,  necessitating an extra order from the Falklands which was gratefully received a couple of months ago. However we seem to currently only have one bottle of tonic on the entire island which could be slightly tricky since gin has not yet run out. I intend to attempt to have some brought in on HMS Richmond when she arrives for another visit next week.

One thing that was NOT a little thing that we very nearly ran out of was loo roll. Now the previous BC (base commander) made a careful calculation of usage, number of sheets per person per day etc, but again we had rather more visiting scientists and others than anticipated. Loo roll is NOT repeat NOT something you want to run out of, that would not be a little thing, that would be a rather major event. Luckily, again, we managed to get resupplied from the Falklands a few months ago and we unloaded a rather large stack to audible sighs of relief.

As you can see it is the little things on base that matter, not the seemingly big things such as having to provide the boatshed to act as a helicopter hanger. Those things are fine, but run out of tonic and loo roll and things could get ‘interesting’. It is also the little things that one misses from home: fresh milk, rather than having to make up milk from powder and water before making a cup of tea; sleeping in a real bed rather than a bunk bed; having fresh fruit and vegetables at your finger tips; having a dog to rest his chin on your foot when you have cold feet (how do they always know?);

 not having to do scrubout on a Friday at 1530.

Other than sit and think about the little things this week, and when I have not been in an engine bay, I have been busy taking Pat and Sarah on holiday to Sorling. Unfortunately we couldn’t pick them up again due to inclement weather but luckily Sorling is stuffed full of spare food so they are happy. I also took Jo out to three ships conducting transhipping in the bay (this was a surprise as we thought all transhipping had finished). When we went out the anemometer reading was well within limits and the conditions in the cove were fine so we were very happy to go out. As soon as we reached the ships conditions had changed and I had to make the decision that not only was I not happy to put Jo on the pilot ladder, I was not actually very happy to go near the pilot ladder at all. In the end we hid round the back of the three ships in a nice calm lee while Jo did some quick signing of documents that were then put in a dry bag and hauled up the stern of one of the ships on a line that the crewman seemed determined to throw at my head. We were all quite happy to return to base after that.

On Thursday we had Big Base Scrubout which was basically a spring clean. We cleaned behind fridges, along skirting boards, I scrubbed doors etc. The base now looks sparkling and ready for the season ahead.

Today Hazel, Micky and I went towards Glacier Col for a rather windy walk. We found that the ice cave had collapsed over the winter which was a surprise but otherwise it was a lovely walk. 

Ice cave before

 

Ice cave after

We hope to be able to nip out and collect Pat and Sarah tomorrow morning, unfortunately this will necessitate us leaving base at 0630 which seems to be the calmest time at the moment. 

Local traffic hazard

A Weekend Away

Scree has its own smell. I haven’t smelt it since the beginning of the winter when the snow covered the stuff. It is the smell of adventure and a little bit of fear but it is a good smell.

After another long week of tinkering with Prion’s engines Erny and I brought her up to nearly full power and speed. She smokes like the devil at low revs but at high revs it clears and all in all Erny and I are very pleased with her. Just when I thought I could relax I discovered that one of Pipit’s banks of batteries is dead. Luckily I don’t think that will be a big job so I finished the week pretty relaxed.

Hazel and I looked at the weather and decided that we would try and get over to Harpon on the weekend. We did an early scrubout on Friday and headed off. The weather was perfect, sunny and not too much wind. We made good time over Echo Pass and while we got a little disorientated getting down to the hut (neither of us had been to Harpon over Echo Pass before), we got there in very good time. We wandered to Lyell Glacier which is covered in moraine, so much so that it doesn’t really look like a glacier until you get to the face. We then wandered up in the other direction and looked at the Ellies (Elephant seals). We have discovered that the Ellies over in Harpon are much tetchier than the ones round us; this is not surprising, since they never see people but it was a little surprising the first time we got chased by a female. Both Hazel and I at different times went to the beach to go to the loo and were chased into the tussock by a big bull Elly who most decidedly did not want us on his patch of beach. 

Coming down scree

Trail-breaker making steps

From Echo Pass

Lyell Glacier

 Having come over ‘fast and light’ we had rat packs for dinner but we seem to mind these far less than anyone else on base. I think this comes from both of us having eaten them at varying times on expeditions. We even have favourites. We don’t have my favourite on base unfortunately but we do havae the next best thing: chilli con carne, it rehydrates very well (very important, you do not want powder at the bottom of your rat pack). With a mug of wine and then a hip flask of whiskey we sat outside the hut admiring the stars and the half moon reflecting on the water. I even saw two shooting stars streak across the velvet sky.

Saturday dawned a little misty but that soon burnt off and we headed up the valley next to the Lyell Glacier on the hunt for Lyell Lake. After wandering along the moraine field for an hour or so we decided we wouldn’t be able to continue the way we were going so we climbed up into the high tops and decided to try for Glacier Col.

Morning mist

 We had lunch tucked behind a rock because the wind was picking up but with an amazing view of this incredible giants playground that we are just allowed to wander round in. It was at this point that the contours of the map changed from surveyed contours to estimated contours so we made sure that we were slightly more conservative in our navigation. We didn’t make it to Glacier Col but we did summit on a peak that looked down on base as a speck in the distance and Lyell Lake (our primary objective) at its foot. It was incredibly windy, with the mountain trying to blow us off,  but the views were worth the tightening I get in my tummy every time I get near a summit on ridges (with or without wind trying to knock me off).  We got back down and went a different route back to the hut but still didn’t quite make it there before the shower of rain hit us. It was only a spattering though and we were soon snug in the hut.

On the peak             (photo: H. Woodland)

  We had thought (from looking at the hut indent) that there was a sufficient supply of loo roll in the hut but we arrived to find this was not quite the case. Now this would have been fine except that Hazel had a streaming cold and required a fair bit of loo roll for nose blowing purposes. On the hunt for more loo roll we discovered both soups and puddings as well as extra ration packs (no extra loo roll unfortunately but I do want to reassure everyone that we did not run out, we just got a little close). Since it was Saturday night we decided we would have a three course dinner of thick pea soup followed by beef stroganoff,  finishing off with a ‘cheesecake’ created by Hazel from ration pack biscuits, rat pack chocolate chip pudding and a tin of peaches we had left there when doing hut checks. It was incredibly rich but surprisingly delicious. What with the other half bottle of wine and some more whiskey from my hip flask, it was a lovely evening.

During dinner we had noticed that the wind was picking up. I went outside to brush my teeth to find my legs stopping one of the (metal and not exactly light) snowshoes that had been wedged near the door from flying away. Unluckily we were too late for me to rescue one of my gaiters that had been hanging up to dry - we think it now might be on the Busen Peninsula. This wind increased until the entire hut shook with the force of an express train. Both Hazel and I were convinced that either we and the hut were going to be taken away to the land of Oz, or that the roof and/or a wall was going to be blown away. It was so strong that I made sure my bag was to hand and Hazel considered getting her bivvy bag and putting it in her sleeping bag so that at least she could be warm and dry if the roof did come off. What with that and poor old Hazel’s cough neither of us got a very good night’s sleep.

We awoke (or came out of a doze) on Sunday morning to find the wind had not yet abated and when we looked out of the window we could see winds of up to about 50kts  screaming across the water. We were very worried at first in case any pups had been washed away but we were pretty sure that none were, which made us very relieved. As we were eating breakfast we watched two males have a fight so intense that when they went into the water the sea suddenly became red with blood. It is incredible to see these fights and the huge amount of blood produced and then to see these monsters lying on the beach with bleeding cuts and know that really they are OK and keen to continue with fighting and mating.

Luckily the wind died enough for us to consider leaving the hut. We then did our morning sched; everyone off base has to do a sched (scheduled communication) in the evening to give plans for the next day but the Doc and the Base Commander have to sched in at 0900 as well to make sure that everything on the base is OK. After cleaning the hut we set off along the beach. We had decided to go along our side of the peninsula and then cross back to the base side via Boulder Pass. We wandered up the beach saying a friendly hello to any and all seals we passed, not always getting as friendly a hello back. We decided we definitely wanted to be on the tussock side of seals in case they did charge - I do not want to find myself running into the sea with a heavy pack being chased by a big male seal!

Coming down Boulder Pass (photo: H. Woodland)

Peek-a-boo!


At about midday we came upon the ridge just above Papua beach. We sat down in blustery conditions prepared to be drizzled upon during lunch but just as we started putting marmite on our oatcakes the clouds cleared and the sun started to blaze. We spent the next two hours alternately dozing and enjoying the view. As long as we were lying down the wind didn’t touch us and it was lovely. It is only on South Georgia that one sunbathes in sallopetes and primaloft jacket with just one’s nose peeking out, but it definitely works. After our much needed nap we slowly headed up Boulder Pass. The top of the pass was as lovely as ever with frozen lakes covered in snow and a wonderful view into Bore Valley. Once we came down the pass into the valley we met Micky, one of the builders, and wended our weary way home.

All in all it was a lovely weekend and all the better for the wonderful weather and it being the end (hopefully) of my troubles in the engine bay. Now we just have to think up another excuse to go away for the weekend.

Nest building

The Week I Wish Never Was

Last week was perhaps one of the more unpleasant of not only my time on South Georgia, but ever. I will not go over it but all I have to say is that I thoroughly dislike engines and engine bays at the moment.

On Monday we took the mail out to the Richmond and then said goodbye to her. I then proceeded to work with Erny while Hazel and Jo got ready to go on the holiday I was meant to be on, until engine problems intervened. On Tuesday we dropped them off at Sorling in some of the most beautiful weather we have had all year. They had a fantastic holiday which I was very pleased about. I got back to work and struggled with those blasted engines on Prion.

Finally on Thursday we had worked on her enough to be able to take her on a short, gentle sea trial. Joe, Erny and I took her out and pottered around at 1200rpm maximum. We returned to base and Erny and I worked till supper time changing injectors and testing compression. After that we had to leave her for a couple of days.

We collected Hazel and Jo from their holiday looking rather sunburnt but very happy which was lovely. It was very nice to have them both back on base. That night the builders arrived and we started to do cargo early on Saturday morning. They took two diggers and started to try and open the track to Grytviken but it seems that there is more snow than they are used to at the beginning of the season so it took rather longer than it should.

On Sunday I got off base for the first time in two weeks and we went to see the state of the pupping beaches across the bay. When we were last there two weeks ago there were 4 pups; on Sunday there were about 75, all barking and suckling and rolling around in the sand trying to stay cool. It was the most wonderful sight. It made me remember why I am really here, not to be in engine bays but to enjoy this amazing place.

You can't see me .....

Sand bath

Chinstrap

The wind on the hill

Lenticular

The ground was littered with pups

That heartsink moment

It is 0200 on Friday morning. I am standing in the engine bay of one of my boats; I am cold and wet despite my drysuit. I am exhausted physically and emotionally and know that I still have several more hours of work ahead of me before I can find my bed. However finally I am no longer waist deep in water. Then it starts to rain!

No, this is not the start of a film I have just seen. This was my world on Friday night. Sue who was on lates (the one who does the rounds to make sure everything is ok) woke me up at midnight telling me that there was something wrong with one of my boats. We went back down to the jetty and she was very low in the water. There was at least one alarm going off in her and I wasn’t sure what was happening. I opened the engine bays and my heart dropped like a stone into my boots. The engines were covered in water, covered! If they weren’t bolted down they would have been swimming.

1m³ of sea water weighs about 1 metric ton. The engine bay has space for about 2.5m³ of seawater. I immediately sent Sue to wake Erny (the mechanic and Rod, the BC) and got into my dry suit. I found a bucket and started bailing. Erny arrived and we started to pump the water out. After what seemed like forever (but was in fact only about 45 mins of me bailing furiously before the pump started pulling water) we started winning and I found that the water intake pipe on the seawater pump (which drives the water round the engines to cool them) had popped off. Erny and I had been working on the seawater pump and I obviously hadn’t made properly sure the pipe was on so when we tested it, it must have popped off and we didn’t notice. We reattached it and drained the boat. Then we started the real work. Just a hint: diesel engines don’t like swimming. We found that water had got in everywhere. Not just water, salt water. We worked furiously to drain the water and contaminated oil from the sump and put new oil back in. The engine takes 12l of oil. We drained 30l of water and oil from a single engine. I kept willing it to be a nightmare and to be able to wake up in my own bed but unfortunately that didn’t happen. We finally gave up trying to start the engines at 0400 when we discovered that there was not enough power in the batteries.

Friday morning heralded the arrival of HMS Richmond. I then spent the next two days helping her boat to ferry 80 naval personnel ashore each day. Every break I got I was back in the engine bay with Erny and Joe the sparky. While working like a demon I was luckily able to enjoy the naval visit. Hazel and I were invited to Carse House by Pat and Sarah to have dinner with 5 people from the ship and on Saturday night we were invited aboard for ‘penguin racing’ - horse racing but with penguins. It was a fun night and a fun visit and they are back at the end of October so hopefully we will be able to do more with them and I won’t have this engine looming over me.

I was meant to be going on holiday to Sorling with Jo and Hazel this week but that was not to be. Today I dropped them off in the most glorious weather we have seen in a while and returned to my poor engines. I hope they have the most wonderful time. If the weather stays as it is forecast they should have.

We have had to change both alternators, both starter motors; take out and check the injectors on each engine, check the valve clearances and tomorrow we will be checking the timing belt. It has taken 5 days and we just put them into gear at 1600 today. The worry is that if we get them up to power and something seizes they could explode, either inside or more dramatically. We are doing everything in our power to stop that from happening.

On a more cheerful note: Elephant seals have started coming onto our beach. We have had two births and are expecting many more from the very pregnant females lounging around. The males are beginning to get a bit antsy and we are all waiting for the first ‘flipper of love’ moment.

Last weekend was the last of the winter. This week will see the return of the builders to the island. I am looking forward to it and am hoping that I will be out of the engine bay by the time they arrive. Wish us luck.