Where am I now?

After far too long enjoying myself, it was finally back to work, and my first introduction to the commercial world of shipping in the North Sea. So no prospects of seeing penguins and albatrosses for the next month, but plenty of oil and gas rigs in their place.

I joined the ship in Kristiansund Norway, and had the bonus of a night in a hotel prior to joining the ship. Kristiansund was a lovely little place, and very picturesque, however I completely forgot to take any pictures. So I'm afraid you are stuck with the at sea pictures, and not a single pretty Fjord in sight.

The first 10 days of the trip were spent with a group of Norwegians who were sent out to use the ship to collect mud samples for shell. It was a nice gentle start to the trip, which was just as well when we were getting within 50metres or so of platforms like the one shown below.

This beautiful picture is of the Draugen Plaform. As you see it only has one leg, but manages perfectly well, and seemed happy enough.

After completing the work for the Norwegians we headed into a small town called Floro to demobilise all their equipment. Floro was also a very picturesque place, with a stunning run in through the Fjords. But you've guessed it, not a single picture there either, so you get to see the DP desk.

The DP or Dynamic Positioning desk is where we do most of our driving from while we are doing work in the north sea. DP is a clever computer system that uses all the ships thrusters, propeller and rudder and puts it all together to keep the vessel either stationary, or moving in exact directions and speeds. It also has the capability to track under water beacons, which lets the ship follow ROV's. It was this function that we have been using for the second half of the trip.

So from picturesque Norway we headed back across the North Sea to Aberdeen, where we were to mobilise the next cruise. This time we traded the mud sampling gear for 2 all singing ROV's and all the associated gear that we were to need for the upcoming work. This time the work was to be pipe line surveys, and inspecting oil rigs and FPSO's (I'll explain what that is in a minute).

So with all the kit onboard we headed north east, which brings me to our current position which is pretty much in the middle of the north sea between Orkney and Norway. We have been here for about a week, working around the Gryphon Oil Field, doing a range of survey work with the clever little mini subs.

Gryphon is an FPSO, or Floating Production and Storage unit. Effectively it does the same job as an oil rig, but is a large ship, as you can see from the picture.

The work has been really interesting and I am finally getting used to taking the vessel to within 20metres of a big ship and not been scared any more. Although I don't think I'll try it when I'm on a normal watch deep sea!

The next picture shows me part way through a hectic 12 hour watch.

The next photo is courtesy of a helicopter pilot, and shows just how small a ship the Ernest Shackleton is compared to the some what bigger Gryphon.

An ariel view will also be the last sight I will have of the ship for this trip, as we are due to do an at sea crew change by helicopter on Monday. Fingers crossed everything goes well, and I will be back in sunny Spain by Tuesday evening.

All good things must come to an end, and after a nice bit of time over in Spain, I finally had to return to the real world. Before I could rejoin the ship I had to attend a few courses to enable me to work around the oil and gas fields of the North Sea. For this I had to head to Norfolk, and the Petans training centre.
The first course on the list went by the name of BOSIET, and was 3 days of general offshore safety, including the joys of escaping from an upturned helicopter in a swimming pool. Not an enjoyable experience, but at least it is done. No pictures of the exciting bits of the course, as I was too busy worrying about drowning to remember my camera. So the best I can offer is the lifeboat training platform.

Next on the list were 3 courses in a row dealing with helicopter operations. First on the list was the emergency helideck team members course. This was great fun, involving 3 days of pretend helicopter crashes and lots of fire fighting.

Then after dealing with what happens when things go wrong, I moved onto 2 courses which enabled me to gain my helicopter landing officers certificate. This was a more theoretical few days of radio procedures and the rules and regs for helidecks and their operation.

So with the courses now out of the way I rejoined the RRS Ernest Shackleton in Kristiansund, Norway on Monday. As I write we are about 1000m from a large oil rig collecting mud samples from the sea bed.
Its great to be back onboard, and even better as the weather is very nice, and the work not too hectic. The slightly worrying thought for the day is that the first time I see an actual helicopter approaching the ship it is my job to be in charge of landing it! North Sea helicopter pilots beware.

Many thanks to Greg for the use of the photos.

All good things must come to an end, and I am now back in the UK after another great few weeks in Spain. The first week was another boat maintainence marathon. And even if I am slightly biased, I think my hard work is starting to pay off and I am slowly returning Fintail to her former glory.

With the hard work done, I was joined by my parents, sister and nephew Dylan. So an end to the hard work, and a chance to finally get out and enjoy a bit of sailing. Dylan celebrated his 3rd birthday with his first of hopefully many visits to Aunty Jo's boat. He seemed to approve, even if his lifejacket is still a little bit too big.

Unfortunately the weather didn't allow for a birthday sail, so his first trip to sea was on the La Manga ferry. Not quite the same, but he seemed to enjoy it all the same.

Later in the week we finally made it out for an excellent bit of sailing, with everyone having a good day.


As for me, I spent a bit more time puzzling over why after getting all the sails up I am still left with a vast array of lines that I have no idea what they do!

It didn't take Dylan long to figure out what the tiller did, and he was very put out when anyone else tried to touch his tiller. Definately a captain in the making, I just hope I can get him to steer a slightly straighter course next time.

And I always knew a day on the water was pretty tiring, but mum and Dylan seemed to suffer more than most!

As for now. I am back in the UK and heading off to Norfolk tomorrow for a few courses. Then finally back to sea in the middle of June. Hopefully for a much less eventful trip than my last effort.

I allowed myself a few days off from sanding and varnishing Fintail, and headed down to Gibraltar for a break. I lived in Gib for 3 years when I was really young, but have only been back for a day trip since. So I was really interested to see how things have changed and if I could remember much. It was also a great chance to catch up with Ruth who was the doctor on the James Clark Ross last year, as she has just started working down there.

My timing of the trip was useless, as the cable car was closed for its annual maintainence. Still, I needed to try and get fit again, and walking up the rock a few times was a good start. This picture was taken from inside the siege tunnels, and looks out to the camp at north front, which is where I lived when I was younger.

Next stop was a trip to lower Saint Michaels Caves. The upper caves are on the normal tourist trail, and whilst very impressive, the cave network below is increadible. Luckily for me, a small group from the hopsital had organised a trip to the lower caves so I had the chance to explore the areas that are normally closed.

What I didn't realise before the trip was that it was going to involve scrambling around through small gaps, up ropes, in pools and lots of sliding on my backside. All very good fun, but jeans and a white t'shirt probably weren't the best choice of clothes!

The trip was great, with some fantastic formations to see, and loads of fun in the scrambling around to see them.


Having done the inside of the rock, the next trip took us on a nice walk up the rock, passing all the major sites. First stop was the Moorish Castle, which gave some great views out across Gib to La Linea.

Then the bit I had been waiting for, and finally a chance to see the apes that I remember so well from when I was younger.

They are just as cool as I hoped, and it was a great end to a flying visit. And don't worry, I have had a haircut since the photo was taken!

As for now, I am back in the UK for the final round of doctors and medicals. Then I'm back to Spain on Saturday to get on with my sanding and varnishing.

I was after a nice calm day to get the sails up on Fintail, and see what all the bits of string do. And you don't get much calmer than this. I never thought that the salt works on the way out to the marina could look quite so impressive.


I also needed some help, and Paul came to the rescue. Not only helping with the fun tasks of sorting out the sails and rigging, but equally happy helping me with the long task of sorting through the tons of gear, with the photo below showing only a fraction of what we faced.

Anyway back to the fun stuff. I know its generally more traditional to put your sails up with a boat at sea, but it was exceptionally handy to be able to have a dry run in the marina. And of course it had the added bonus of been able to wander round, and admire her from every angle.

It's been a long time since I sailed on a gaff rigger, and with no rigging plan it was certainly an interesting morning. However, as the pictures show, we got there in the end. It was also a pleasant surprise to find the sails in such good condition.

All that said, if anyone has any handy hints on how I can get the topsail up, then please get in touch.

So having had a practice run, the next logical step was to head out and see how she actually sailed. The weather was fantastic once again, with a nice breeze which was calm enough for me to get out of the harbour, and just strong enough to get us moving at a few knots.

All in all, pretty much perfect for a first sail. Everything went very smoothly, and with the engine turned off, she sailed better than I dared hope, despite the fact that I was too lazy to get the mainsail up, and felt a bit rough, so it was a pretty short trip.

Of course, the getting out and sailing was the easy bit. The hard part was always going to be the getting back in, and mooring. Fintail has a long keel, which makes going astern an interesting and slightly unpredictable task. For a first effort, I was pretty happy with my attempt. It certainly wasn't quick, but I got there in the end, and even better I didn't even hit anything!

I am now back in the UK once again for more tests and checks. Everything seems to be coming to a close, with all the results good and no problems found. So a frustrating mystery, but with everything checked and me well on the mend, it means I can concentrate on all the sanding and varnishing that awaits when I head back to Spain on Monday.

Fate works in strange ways, and for me it has led to me buying Fintail. I first came across her last summer, when she came on the market over in Spain. It was love at first sight, but unfortunately the timing was wrong, so I had to let her go. Then by a very stange turn of events, she came back on the market a few weeks ago at a much reduced price and I was given first refusal. Needless to say, that I wasn't going to miss out a second time.

So what is Fintail? She is a 28ft gaff rigged, venus ketch. She was built by her previous owner Peter Storr back in Shoreham in the mid 80's/ early 90's. It was always his dream to build a boat and he took 8 years to convert fintail from a tree into the boat that she is today. His achievement was truely incredible, with the hull construction pretty much bomb proof, and his attention to detail was absolutely meticulous. Sadly Peter passed away last year, so Fintail needed a new owner to look after her, and take her on the long passages that she was always built for. So over to me then!

She will certainly keep me busy, as there has been no maintainence done for the last year. So I think I'll be sanding and painting for a while. Fortunately the hull structure is completely sound, so its a great starting point and will keep me out of mischief.

The broker moved her round to her new home for me on Sunday. So she is now less than a 10 minute bike ride from the house in Spain, and only a minutes walk from the cafe that I normally use. Not that I'll have any money to spare on things like lunch in cafes for a while.

I haven't taken her out for a sail yet, as i'm still not on top form, but there is plenty of time for that in the months and years ahead. In the mean time, I am back in the UK to try and get myself sorted. Then I'll be back to Spain to get to work.

I don't like to beg and pleed, but if anyone finds themselves with a bit of time to spare and fancies some sanding and painting in the sun (who knows, maybe even some sailing), then please give me a shout, and any help will be greatly appreciated.

I'll let you know how things go.

In the mean time, I'll leave you with a quote from Fintails intitial survey which I think sums her up quite well.
'A very extraordinary, heavy weather, long-distance, cruising hull. Massively overbuilt for normal use. It appears to have been well thought out and painstakingly constructed'.

Its certainly been an interesting few weeks, and I have now made it back to the UK. I have certainly learnt at least one lesson over the last few weeks, and that is that if you are going to get ill, then a ship in the Antarctic probably isn't the best place to choose as a starting point.

After almost a week at the base at Rothera, I finally managed to continue my journey home, taking a 5 hour flight back to the Falklands in the BAS DASH 7 aircraft.

The flight arrived into the Mount Pleasant airbase in the Falklands, where I spent a night in their medical centre awaiting an onward flight to the UK.
Then for the final leg of my journey I was passed into the hands of the RAF aeromedical unit, for the flight from the Falklands to Brize Norton. The aeromed unit were great and the service that they provided was excellent. So after 10 days, and a ridiculous amount of miles, I arrived back into the UK on Saturday morning.

The planning that has gone into getting me home has been increadibly impressive, and I owe thanks to an awful lot of people who made the journey as hassle free and fast as possible. Particular thanks have to go to the BAS docs, and the crew on the Shack for their support over last few weeks. Cheers guys!

Its been a very quiet few days for me, with no real photo opportunities (unless you really want to see my room from a whole range of different angles).

I arrived at the base at Rothera on Friday evening, and have since been waiting for an onward flight to the Falklands.

Rothera is the British Antarctic Surveys largest base. Currently there are about 80 people on base, which will drop to about 22 for the Antarctic winter. The base is located on Adelaide Island which is on the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula at about 67 degrees south.

The scientists at Rothera carry out a wide range of activities including biology, atmospherics, and geology work. Rothera is also the main base for the BAS air unit, who operate the twin otters and DASH 7 aircraft from the hangar and runway at the base. The planes are only south for the Antarctic summer, and during this time they are used to support the various field parties. The air unit is also the reason I am currently here, as the DASH 7 provides the only alternative to the ships for getting back to the Falklands and the rest of civilisation.

As for my return to civilisation, as long as the weather is good, I will be flying to the Falklands on the DASH tomorrow morning. Then after a night at Mount Pleasant I will catch an onward flight to the UK, arriving into Brize Norton on Saturday morning.

So a final photo of the view across the bay at Rothera.

And just incase anyone did wonder... I have even provided a photo of the 4 walls that I have become so aquainted with over the last few days.

I promised more good pictures, and hopefully I will deliver. My thanks must go out to Jason for the amazing ariel shots, as he was sitting in the co-pilot seat and had a much better view.

My journey home continues well, with the latest leg taking me on an amazingly scenic, 7 hour flight from the base at Halley, across the Antarctic Peninsula, to the base at Rothera.

The transport for this latest leg, was one of the BAS Twin Otter planes.

Not the biggest of aircraft, but as there were only 3 people onboard, I had plenty of room to stretch out and enjoy the view. After take off we had a final glimpse of Halley from the air.

Then it was out across the coast, which gave me a whole new perspective on the pack ice. After a few weeks of crunching slowly through the ice, it was amazing to see it from the air. I was hoping that we may be able to catch a final glimpse of the ship, but she was back doing science work, and too far out of our way.

For the middle bit of the flight, the only view was the clouds. As we slowly headed westwards, leaving the ice shelf and pack ice behind us.

Finally the clouds cleared, and the final hour of the flight was absolutely increadible, as we flew across the Antarctic Peninsula. There really is no point even trying to put it into words. I just hope the pictures do it justice.



Then it was a nice smooth landing at the base at Rothera.

And a totally new view for me, as I am more used to seeing the base from the ship, which ties up at the other end of the runway.

So thats all for now. I have a few days here, then I will continue my journey on Friday as I head back to Stanley on a slightly bigger plane. In the mean time I will see if I can track down some penguins to photograph, as I am getting withdrawal symptoms.

I suppose I may as well get the cheesy picture of myself out of the way first of all.

Another busy few days here, with plenty more great opportunities for photos. The seal tagging continues well. We have now tagged 9 seals, which are busy doing seal type things and providing the scientists with lots of useful data, which is sent back to the UK via satellite each time the seal pops up.
The count should really have reach our target of 10 by now, but this little chap got away.

The ongoing tagging has also provided me with a few more opportunities to get out onto the ice, and add to my ever increasing library of penguin pictures.


And just incase anyone has wondered how we actually go about getting onto the ice? The answer is by using a contraption called a Wor-geordie, which is lifted up by the ships crane.

The seal tagging and science work is now finished for me, as I am on my way home. The ship made her way alongside the ice shelf at a lovely spot called creek 4 this morning. I then disembarked to start my journey home.

So this is my last picture of the Shackleton for the season.

It was then a very sunny snow cat journey to the base at Halley.

Halley is our furthest south base, and it is the first time I have ever had the chance to visit. Unlike all the other British Bases it is constantly on the move, as it sits on a moving ice shelf.
The base is currently in a time of big change, with the current base nearing the end of its life, and its replacement in the process of construction.

The above shot shows the exising Halley V, with the next showing the first completed pod of the new Halley VI

My journey will see me flying out of Halley tomorrow. Heading to the base at Rothera, and then from there onto the Falklands and finally the UK. I'll keep you posted...