Conditions: Extremely wet and windy
Air Temp: 1 deg C
Sea Temp: 0 deg C
Wind: 10 to 50 knots during today
Sea State: Moderate to very rough
Visibility: Good
Barometer: 996mb and falling
Latitude: 67 deg 48 mins South
Longitude: 68 deg 04 mins West
Friday February 2nd, 2001
1700 hrs: The anchor dragged last night – just as everyone was making for their bunks after dinner. It had held just fine all afternoon, but then off we went out into the very deep water close by. The sea bottom is glaciated rock – with no covering – and it was almost impossible for an anchor to get a good grip, even Seamaster’s big one.
This morning when it happened again we decided to leave for Honeycomb Island, about 25 miles away to the southeast. The very cold katabatic wind increased with every mile, until it was finally coming directly from the island at 50 knots.
Seamaster was continually covered in spray as she dug her bows right in and shovelled the water back over everything. The sea spray froze on the masts, the rigging, the lifelines, the ropes.
And all the time we had to avoid the icebergs and the broken ice. The broken ice is a greater threat in many ways – and difficult to spot amongst the white caps and foam on the surface of the sea. So two of the crew were keeping a good lookout from the cockpit – in full Antarctic gear – and advising me which way to steer to miss the lumps.
In the end we turned around and found an indentation next to an ice cliff where the wind was light, but the seas still a little lumpy. The trouble here was that we were totally out of all communication, and as we are endeavouring to test a live video link for a United Nations Environment Programme interview with delegates in Nairobi later in the week, this was not an acceptable anchorage. Back up with the anchor and off towards the place we left first thing this morning.
1730: Since starting to write this the katabatic wind has returned with a vengeance – suddenly, with no warning – and the sea is nearly white, so we have turned back for the indentation in the cliffs once more. A rolling night with little wind will be preferable to one with a dragging anchor and the wind howling through the rigging.
Our satellite communication is working right now, but in another 30 minutes we will be behind the mountains again. This means we will be out of contact until the weather improves – hopefully in the next day or two.
I must go. There is ice to avoid and an alternative plan to put into place in case we have to leave in the night if the weather changes.
Kind regards,
Peter.
Sir Peter Blake
"Having vision is not enough. Change comes through realising the vision and turning it into a reality. It is easy to espouse worthy goals, values and policies; the hard part is implementation."
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