Ice, the ‘Bear Necessities’

Sometimes life at sea can seem pretty miserable, working strange hours and being away from home for so long, (I have now been at sea for about 5 months). Then something magical happens and you remember how special it is to come to sea and what a privilege it is to be able to visit these environments. Yesterday, as I prepared to sample a call went out that an Ice Bear had (lees verder…)

Moon Pool Sonata

Of course every ship is different but there is something special about Amundsen that makes her unique among all the ships I have ever sailed on. Now Mum don’t panic, but Amundsen has a big hole in her hull! It’s ok we’re not sinking. No, this is a marine architectural feature called very romantically the ‘Moon Pool’. To me this conjures up romantic images (lees verder…)

Op weg naar de Amundsen 

Now I begin the next stage of this adventure as I travel from the tip of Chile to the Amundsen Gulf in the Canadian Arctic. The ship I leave behind is the Polarstern and I miss her and the scientists and crew of ANTXXIV/3 terribly. The tragic events of that cruise will forever be etched into my memory and I will never forget those friends we lost. On all cruises strong bonds are formed between shipmates but more so in particular when hard times (lees verder…)

Video Erwin & Claire

We’ve packed our seasickness pills and warm socks and in just few weeks time we will meet the German ship Polarstern in Cape Town and set sail for Antarctica. This cruise will take us to the German Research Station Neumayer where finally I will realize my ambition and visit that continent of Earth that I’ve only ever seen in news reports. Along the way (lees verder…)

Winkeltherapie

Ny Alesund is een erg afgelegen plaatsje en dus zou het vreselijk onhandig zijn als je je tube tandpasta of je snoepvoorraad vergeten bent. Gelukkig voor ons wetenschappers, en ook voor de duizenden toeristen die ieder jaar langskomen, is er de ‘Svalbard Butiken’, de Winkel. De openingsuren zijn niet zo ruim als die van een gewone supermarkt – twee keer per week is hij een uur open – maar hij heeft wel een goed assortiment van de kleine dingen die het leven prettiger maken. (lees verder…)

Shoes

Enter any building in Ny Alesund and the first thing will find is racks and racks of shoes and slippers. You would be considered very rude if you ventured any further inside without removing your own outdoor shoes! This is because in Ny Alesund there are no concrete pavements to walk upon and in winter you will be tracking through snow whereas in spring and summer there are dirt tracks. Of course during the melt season, which is happening right now, this problem (lees verder…)