Log Entry No 1 - 25th Nov 07. (Discoverer)

DICK PATTISON - EXPEDITION LEADER

After months of preparation and not a little hard work, deployment of the Antarctic team is now well under way. The lead elements  (Andy Mills, Louise Mathias, Sam Kirby French, Steve Ayres, Martin Carey, Chris grant and Rob Hadfield  met at Upavon,. have arrived in the Falkland Islands whilst the rear party in the UK is completing the final pre departure by administration in the UK.    Arrival in the Falklands marks a significant stage in our plans and brings the Antarctica closer but in reality a great deal of work remains to be done.  

From the Falkland Islands, Sam Kirby French takes up the story.

Our deployment late on the evening of 15 November from RAF Brize Norton ran smoothly and thankfully the “Movers” and ground staff turned a suitably Nelsonian blind eye to our baggage weight total.   Once through to Departures the team managed to sneak into the VIP lounge only to find the minibar empty . . . 18 hours later escorted by a Tornado F3 fighter jet we touched down in Mount Pleasant Airfield, home to the British Garrison and Headquarters British Forces South Atlantic Islands, whose staff have been so helpful in providing support to our endeavours (and whose help is going to be critical in the next few days).

Falklands view.

The Falklands islands are something of an anomaly with an undeserved reputation mostly contrived by the imagination of those who have never been there. But for the imaginative take parts of the Outer Hebrides and The west coast of mainland Scotland mix them with Dartmoor, add a curious blend of “Britishness” and an ambience of rural life taken from an untroubled and friendly community, add plenty of sheep and a breath taking range of wildlife from penguins and dolphins through to Upland Geese and Terns. Mix well (and here the South Atlantic wind can be very helpful) and you have something of the essential ingredients. Finally decorate with a large military complex and a small cathedral city that looks as if it’s been plucked from somewhere in the far North West of Scotland and you start to come close.

The next morning clad in our crew uniform of bright red expedition tops, suitably briefed and equipped with two landrovers courtesy of the MT we set off to Mare Harbour to locate both Discoverer and our stores that had been despatched by sea and air as long ago as September. Somehow the one is meant to fit into the other but before we can even begin that task there is a great deal of preparatory work to keep us occupied. It was straight down to work consolidating the expedition stores to be sorted from transit containers and packages into yacht stowage bundles, preparing Discoverer for her passage south and of course networking with the Garrison.

Regular readers of these logs will know that Discoverer hit a deep depression and major blow shortly before she arrived in The Falklands and whilst both ship and crew emerged with credit, both require some running repairs. The Skipper (Andy) read out a long list of jobs to get Discoverer ready for sea, tasks were dished out and we were soon all hard at work.  Since then e-mails and phone calls to the project office have initiated the gathering of spare parts from JSASTC Gosport. Our successful networking combined with the willingness of people to support our venture means that in addition to our own team of Andy, Chris, Rob and Martin we have the welcome support of a wave of plumbers, electricians and shipwrights.

LTTA & BAAE Office Staff.

Concurrently Steve and his team located the expedition ISO (shipping) container in the port. Full of mountaineering equipment and inflatable boats, it was unpacked and distributed into several other containers kindly lent by 460 Port Troop. This means the expedition now has three stores on the Quayside – mountain equipment, inflatable boats (MIBs) and yacht stores. To this has been added the air freight, which arrived two days after us. The multiple boxes were collected and added to the expedition store. Much sorting, testing and packing remains to be done.

Another essential complex task close to our hearts is vittaling the yacht. The value of food being so much more than nourishment but the challenges of variety, volume and storage mean compromises and imagination will be essential ingredients. Some are concerned that Discoverer’s fridge, freeze (and microwave) have all been removed to maximise stowage space but the more savvy recognise that we will be living in a 67 foot fridge surrounded by a very large freezer. No doubt we will return to the subject of food regularly.

Everyone has been working hard and is looking tired (and a little sunburnt) but morale is high. The comedy moustache growing competition has started with Martin and Rob vying for the lead.

Sam  Kirby French.

Meanwhile back in the UK the main body have departed and will shortly arrive in MPA to help tackle the above and other preparatory tasks in the Falklands. Three members of the Antarctic team, Richard, Richard and Richard remain in the UK. Richard to be known as Doc has returned from Thailand and will be delighted to know that our medical plan has been approved.  Richard to be known as Richard has survived a major domestic interruption and we all wish his son, Will, a speedy recovery from a particularly complex broken leg.   Richard to be known as Dick is buried under a pile of papers and looking forward to the refreshing, relaxing flight to MPA. However we have now successfully completed the approvals process; the final aspects of the Army’s scrutiny have been completed and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (who oversee the UK’s compliance with the Antarctic treaty legislation) have both given the green light to deploy.

John Crompton and Jim Smith will remain in the project Office to provide the vital rear link that acts as the focus for all expedition issues and interests and gives us, the deployed team and our families, the confidence and reassurance that our interests are in safe hands.