Weekly report LIMPICS ANT 2009/10, No. 6
Time period: 8. Feb to 11. Feb 2010
Capetown, 11. February 2010
After finishing our field surveys we continued on Monday and Tuesday this week to pack our freight back and prepare some items for overwintering at Neumayer. Most difficult items were, again, the streamer winch and the compressor. Because of their weight they could not be lifted into a container by a Pistenbully crane. Instead, these items had to be transferred to Neumayer II, where the heavy-duty cargo crane was on duty for dismantling the old station and laboratories. We did not hurry with the packing, as according to the weather forecasts we were to be flown to the Russian air field Novo only on Wednesday.
During packing we did some final test of the seismic telemetry system to decide whether it could be left at Neumayer or if it had to be shipped back home, as we did not use it this season. Shortly after lunch we were done with packing and closed the containers for good. Just in time, as an hour later the call came to be ready in four hours. The weather conditions improved enough to make a flight still on Tuesday to Novo. So we packed in a hurry and left with the BT-67 "Lidia" in the evening to arrive at Novo shortly before midnight.
Wednesday started with a light wind, which increased over the day to almost stormy conditions with considerable ground drift. Our flight on the IL-76 was supposed to leave in the late evening to Capetown. We spend the day at Novo with some walks around the station, the hospitality of the Novo staff and the delicious food of the Russian cook(!). There is nothing but a true Soljianka as a starter when a drift is blowing outside. By the afternoon the wind increased almost to storm strength, making it impossible for the second group of passengers from the stations Neumayer and Troll to get to Novo with Lidia. Instead, it was decided on shot notice to pick them up at Troll with the IL-76. So we left Novo some time around ten, flew to Troll, where the weather conditions were considerably better, and finally took off to Capetown around midnight to arrive their on Thursday morning in warm summer weather.
This closes the series of weekly reports from our expedition. In retrospect, despite the delay of the ship's arrival, things developed more favourable for our scientific programme than expected in January. The first operation of a vibroseismic truck in Antarctica and successful measurements at Halvfarryggen were only possible by the enthusiastic and motivated dedication of all team members and the support at Neumayer, to all of which I express my highest gratitude.
With regards from Capetown,
Olaf Eisen and the LIMPICS team
