December 9, 1999

The James Clark Ross pulled alongside the Laurence M. Gould.

Despite a very late night of festivities--well into the wee hours--there was a lot of work to be done before the Gould's scheduled departure at 4:00pm. In addition, the Ross was due to arrive by mid-morning in addition to the three more Twin Otters that didn't make it the previous night from Rothera. I awoke and found that Steve had already transferred the rest of my gear from the ship. The recording equipment was stored in one of the science offices in the Bio Lab--a nice end unit with a view. I busied myself with unpacking and checking on getting a computer and my work station set up. I also took advantage of the few remaining hours of shore leave to interview Dave DeMaster and Craig Smith about their project. They were very happy with the cruise and the success in sampling. This bodes well for the future four cruises.

Using a crane to transfer crew members to the deck of the Gould.

As the Gould was laden with cargo to be retrograded to Punta Arenas and the US, the James Clark Ross entered Arthur Harbor. Her horn pealed off the glacier across the sound as she passed by Janus Island, mythical gatekeeper to the harbor. The Ross' captain arranged with Captain Sanamo to pull alongside the Gould, and crane over the crews who would then be shuttled up the glacier to their waiting airplanes to Rothera. It is one heck of a commuter run!

As the last of the last of the Twin Otters buzzed overhead with a wave of the wings, the hold on the Gould was being shut. She pulled out at 4:00pm, sharp and headed north for the Drake Passage. The Ross lay at anchor in Arthur Harbor. The ship is too large for mooring at the pier and unfortunately, the sea ice precluded a shore visit.

After dinner, I took advantage of the stillness and parting clouds to enjoy some midnight sun in the Station hot tub. This amenity sits right outside the Bio Lab, amidst various saltwater aquaria. I settled in for a long soak with a wonderous view across the harbor to the blue terminus of the Marr Ice Piedmont. It was probably the most relaxed moment of the trip...