A Southern Christmas 2001 - Day 9 (fuelling Casey)

 Here we are at Day 9 of our Antarctic Mission. If this is your first time on this site, please go back to the beginning (HERE)  - otherwise read on...

Monday 24^th December 2001

Casey Base, Australian Antarctic Territory

Aurora’s mission here at Casey is to complete several assignments which include re-supplying the station with fuel and provisions, taking on board Return to Australia (RTA) waste and unaccompanied luggage, delivering the dozen or so winterers who will occupy the station for the next 12 months and providing a passage home to the 40 or so expeditioners who have spent the past three months to a year at Casey.

Of these tasks, the most critical and sensitive is the delivery of sufficient fuel to get them through the year. Aurora’s task, anchored as she is in the middle of Newcomb Bay, about one kilometre offshore is to deliver via hose line over 600,000 litres of an extremely low-wax fuel oil known as SAB (Special Antarctic Blend) which has been formulated for use in extremely cold conditions. Obviously, given the extreme sensitivity of the environment this is one job where care and attention are paramount.

The hose unwinds from a large hose reel on the shore and its end is ferried out to the ship via the inflatable rubber boats (IRBs), also known as Zodiacs. These dynamic little craft, powered by 35 KW outboard motors provide a great service for both scientific and operational activities. Once the hose is connected to the vessel fuel transfer begins and continues for the next 24 hours or so.

Throughout the day, as the pumping continues, two Zodiacs, each with a two-man crew continually patrol the 1,000 metres of hose between ship and shore. The biggest danger to the hose-line is caused by small icebergs (known as bergy bits) which continually threaten the hose-line as they drift toward the shore under the influence of the constant northerly offshore wind that challenges the operation.

Having both confessed to some prior experience in small boats, Yann and I are listed for duty between 0400 and 0800 on Monday morning. We present ourselves to the bridge at 0345 and after a quick trip ashore where we exchange our polar gear for Mustang flotation suits, are each assigned an IRB where we are teamed with a more experienced crew member from Casey station. I am partnered with a surveyor named Tom from a firm of Australian consulting engineers working on the new aircraft landing strip project. Yann is teamed with Chris, a pink haired communications guy from Hobart, known as Pepé who is also an experienced boat-hand.

For the next four hours, our task is simply to keep the bergy bits away from our precious hose line. The term bits is misleading. Some of them are the size of a small house. The smaller ones can be pushed ashore or grounded in the shallows away from the hose line with our Zodiacs acting as tugs. If this isn’t possible, we manhandle the line out of the water and physically lift it over the ice. Smaller bergy bits can be pushed under the hose.

Our biggest problem arises within the first half hour of our shift when the motor in the Zodiac I am sharing with Tom decides to call it a day at a time when one of the house-sized bergy bits is drifting towards the hose line at an alarming rate. The four of us try hard to lift the line over the berg, but the berg is about 3m high, and it isn’t going to happen, particularly with one of our craft disabled. Pumping is stopped and the line is filled with air. With much maneuvering and great work from Pepé, the line is finally lifted over the berg and down the other side. Our efforts to restart the motor are successful in that mystical way that only outboard motors and lawn mowers demonstrate, and we have fewer problems for the rest of our watch.

The time passes quickly, and we forget about the freezing water and leaking gloves, and the snow and icy wind which is driving into our faces. It is exhilarating work, and it’s great to be alive. Pumping finishes just as our watch ends. In total 630,000 litres has been pumped ashore in about 22 hours with not one drop spilled.

Breakfast tasted good this morning.