27 Feb 2013

Ross Sea Farewell

We are now headed northbound again and it is with sadness that we leave the Ross Sea for 2013. It is a timely departure however as winter is coming on fast and yesterday we passed through an extensive area of refreeze.

We made the tough decision to abort our attempt to get to Cape Adare. This decison wasn't made lightly but the forecast indicated gale force winds and high seas for the region, with heavy ice and currents in the vicinity of the Cape. That is not a place you want to be in a gale. We were hoping for four out of four historic huts, but we got to three which is a pretty good effort. There were many other highlights we will reflect on as we travel north. Sea time is useful to fill in the gaps of our knowledge with lectures and documentaries.  Yesterday our doctor gave a fascinating presentation on the medical aspects of the British (Scott) and Norwegian (Amundsen) expeditions to the South Pole. There will be more lectures as we journey towards Campbell Island.