13:00 Meeting to discuss station locations – although an outline route was thought out well in advance of the cruise , plans often have to be adapted in the field as weather , ice and other sampling issues get in the way . We are about to start the 3 rd of 7 legs and we realise that we may need to increase the scope of this leg to take extra measurements . The consortium leader ( Toby Tyrrell ) and I look at some charts together and consider various options – can it be done ? I spend the next 2 hours on my mapping software measuring things out and calculating distances that can be covered at the ship ’ s average speed of 10 knots . It will be tight !
16:00 Check emails . This is often the most effective means of managing daily housekeeping things on board such as the consignment of waste drums and the calling of meetings . There is also the odd mail from BAS , Cambridge saying that someone has left their car lights on – not much I can do to help there I am afraid .
17:30 A bit of exercise . For those still with energy amongst the heavy workloads , the Ship ’ s Purser , Richard , runs circuit training in one of the cargo holds . It is often cold and noisy and the ship does lurch in heavy seas or pack ice , but Richard makes it fun and it ’ s a wonder how high you can jump when the ship is going over a crest of a wave – just don ’ t try and jump again 2 seconds later when you in the subsequent trough and you have miraculously gained about 4 stone in weight .
19:00 Circulate the itinerary for the next day detailing what sampling activities will be happening when , and what to number to the respective stations . I try to post this up in as many handy places round the ship as possible but there will always be someone who will ask me what is happening next !
20:00 Check in with the bridge once again that all is well
20:30 Write the daily cruise narrative about the sampling events , weather , locations , and other various issues . Then send an email home to my family , as my eyelids start to droop .
21:00 Crawl into my bunk and think about reading my book , which doesn ’ t happen yet again as the urge to sleep starts to overpower me ….. now what was it that I forgot to do today …….
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