Since the Oden left Punta Arenas on December 8, there has been talk about our rendezvous with the U.S. research ship, the Nathanial B. Palmer, also on an expedition in the Southern Ocean of the Antarctic. Some of the scientists and crew aboard the Oden have sailed on the Palmer, or have friends currently on the ship, so they have been anxiously awaiting the day the ships would meet. The Oden is carrying some necessary science equipment to deliver to the Palmer, as well as two science support members who will move to the other ship, and a new science team is moving from the Palmer over here to the Oden. Originally, the meet-up was planned for December 15, but the Oden's schedule changed when we waited out a storm before leaving the safety of the Straits of Lemaire at the tip of South America. Then thick ice slowed us down a little more.
In this age of satellites, and technology, it shouldn't be that hard for two ships to pick a meeting place and arrive there at the same time, right? These are state of the art science vessels, fully equipped with all the latest navigation computers and highly skilled crews, experienced in these Antarctic waters. But the sea ice presents challenges that most people have never thought about. The ship receives satellite images of the sea ice and its approximate percent of coverage, (ie. 80% coverage is 80% of water surface is covered with ice.) But, what I never realized until this expedition is that the sea ice is always moving, so those satellite images are largely obsolete by the time they arrive on the ship's bridge. The ice can move from a slow pace of .2 knots per hour to 2 knots per hour or faster, depending on the wind and the current. And those satellite images do not report the thickness of the sea ice, so the ice can be thinner and easier to break through, or thicker and too time consuming (and fuel consuming) to break through. This is what happened yesterday. The Oden encountered a higher ice concentration and thicker ice than was anticipated, so Captain Mattias Peterson had to veer off the planned course to follow leads, or openings, in the thick ice. Although the Oden can break ice thicker than 2 meters, it requires more fuel and there is no refueling down here, so the ship's course often took a meandering path to get through the sea ice. But the scenery was amazing as we cruised along, so I didn't mind our slow travels.
When the clouds clear, the icebergs' reflections are clearly seen on the calm water.
The colors of the iceberg can be stunning in the Antarctic sunlight.
The 24 hour sunlight during the Antarctic summer shines brightly on the water.
The sun dips slightly lower on the horizon, but doesn't set. The next sunset here will not occur until February.
When we did proceed forward through the thick ice, the Oden's strength and power was truly amazing. Where there was a solid sheet of thick ice, the Oden's bow just pushed through and over the ice while up on the bridge, we hardly felt a thing. Then we watched as the ship pushed a "river" of ice pieces and slush ahead of her until it reached the next area of open water. It reminded me of a lava flow from a volcano or a mudslide after a rainstorm. It also reminded me that ice follows many physical processes similar to soil and rock on land that we are familiar with.
We received word that the Palmer was encountering the same ice "challenges." The Oden's helicopter was sent out to "scout" some better paths through the ice, first for the Oden, and then for the Palmer, who was about 20 miles away. So, although our "revised" schedule had us meeting up with the Palmer for an after-dinner 7:00 pm meeting Tuesday night, when I went to bed after midnight, the big orange and tan ship was still not in sight.
Just before 6:00 am I was wakened by the Oden's movement and some faint music from outside. When I looked out the cabin window, we were next to the N.B. Palmer. The music was a wake-up call for anyone still asleep on either boat. Sadly, I missed seeing the group out on the Palmer's deck, dancing a choreographed performance to ABBA's song Dancing Queen! But I hear someone on the Oden does have it on video!
By this time, most of us were awake and having morning coffee, waiting to see what would happen next. After about an hour of watching the crew use the Palmer's crane to transfer crates, boxes, and luggage between the ships, a gangway was set between the two ships, and suddenly, the Oden was filled with new faces - folks from the Palmer coming aboard to say "Hi" and sight see. I was recruited to give an impromptu tour for some visitors, and they took me aboard their ship for a reciprocal tour. The Palmer varies from the Oden in several ways - but the main differences seem to stem from their origins - the Oden was built as a working icebreaker, then later retrofitted as a polar science research vessel, while the Palmer was built specifically for polar science. The Oden, with its wood floors, lounge, gym, and cinema is very comfortable for its passengers, but the lab areas are smaller and not as conveniently designed as the Palmer's large, well-equipped labs. Conversely, the Palmer's metal, more utilitarian interiors reflect its working science ship design. But, the Palmer did try to win us over with a big gift box of chocolate chip cookies - YUM!
The first ship we have seen since leaving South American waters, the US research ship, Nathanial B. Palmer. The NBP is also on a science expedition in the Antarctic.
After a long night breaking ice to get to the rendezvous point, the Oden tied up to the Nathanial B. Palmer to deliver supplies and transfer some personnel.
Pascy, Room 14's mascot, waves to the Nathanial B. Palmer as she is tied to the Oden for a transfer of supplies and personnel.
Pascy says goodbye to the Palmer - probably the last ship we will see for 3 weeks.
All too soon, the announcement was made for all to head back to their respective ships, we greeted our new shipmates, said goodbye to those leaving on the Palmer, and we were off to our next adventure, our first 24 hour ice station.
Lesson Learned: Sometimes a roundabout path is necessary to reach a desired location