9.30am AEDT Saturday 04 January 2014
Aurora Australis released from tasking in Antarctica
Xue Long’s attempt to manoeuvre through the ice early this morning was unsuccessful. Xue Long has confirmed to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) it is beset by ice.
The Master of Xue Long has confirmed to AMSA that the ship is safe, it is not in distress and does not require assistance at this time. There is no immediate danger to personnel on board the Xue Long. The Xue Long has advised AMSA it has food supplies for several weeks. The Aurora Australis was placed on standby by AMSA’s Rescue Coordination Centre Australia (RCC Australia) last night to remain in open water in the area as a precautionary measure.
The Masters of both Akademik Shokalskiy and Xue Long agree that further assistance from Aurora Australis is no longer required and they will be able to provide mutual support to each other. The Aurora Australis has been released from search and rescue tasking by RCC Australia early this morning and continues to make its passage to the Casey base to complete a resupply. It will then continue to Hobart. RCC Australia will maintain regular contact with the Xue Long and Akademik Shokalskiy.
Next year they plan to go to the arctic Circle where they will encounter islands overpopulated with non-vegan polar bears.
P.S. I feel sorry for the crew of the ‘Akademik Shokalskiy’ if their own food stores run low and the are forced to eat granola and soy from their passengers. The fights over the non-egg vs. egg vegan food supplies will be bitter and stupid.
New video for Spirit of Mawson: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03SWGkxt72A&feature=youtu.be
h/t Rogue Staffer
(apologies if these have already been posted)
Sing along with the Ship of Fool – to the tune of “We/re all going on a summer holiday” :
Today’s Financial Times has a scorching article :
http://www.thegwpf.org/ft-antarctic-debacle-biggest-setback-campaigners-climategate/
Isn’t leaving the Akademik Shockalsky behind littering? Will Turney’s ecotourism company pay a fine for that?
Under the warm blue world
The snow dragon waits for summer
To melt her frozen wings
Insider information from the rescued scientific passengers who infamously sang and partied while others risked their ships and more to rescue them, suggests that they have a new musical revue routine to greet the Australians at the Casey Antarctic base from which the Aurora Australis was wrenched half-unloaded for the rescue.
On arrival at the remote base, a chorus line on the fore deck will sing and dance to the rhythm of “Casey cha cha cha, thaw thaw cha cha cha”. It’s intended to break the ice in an otherwise frosty reception.
stan stendera says:
January 3, 2014 at 11:09 pm
Every one here at WUWT persistently misspells the expiation leaders name ….
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
The correct spelling is Chris(tmas) Turkey
Thanks WUWT, this story has been the Christmas present that keeps on giving, highly amusing, especially the drongo who said they had ‘done’ good science. He reminded me of one of those pop-science trivia guys you see on TV who precedes 100% of their answers to any interviewer question with the word, “So” … even when it sounds completely contrived. Anyway, I’m sure more weather recalcitrance by our favorite planet will appear soon to make them look even sillier.
@ur momisugly Beer Holiday.
“The snow dragon waits for summer”
It’s summer now in the Southern Hemisphere. Maybe some of the ice will have melted by the end of summer.
AA is free and clear…
http://www.sailwx.info/shiptrack/shipposition.phtml?call=VNAA
And I suspect that if I were to listen in to either the conversations among Chinese polar scientists or between the crew members of the Xue Long I would learn some very colloquial expressions that are not covered in my Chinese textbooks.
“John Anderson says:
January 4, 2014 at 2:18 am”
That’s a twin contra-rotating helicopter. The “wash” from the rotors must have been intense. Reminds me of the Chinook.
@RoHa LOL I know as an Aussie. It’s for a lame poem, but still technically correct. They are waiting for the the summer to melt the ice, it’s just summer right now. Anyway, it’s an irony overload for all of us 🙂
The Russian ship Akademic Federov left Cape Town bound for Antarctica a month ago on a heading of 171 degrees, but I can’t find an up-to-date position for her as a satellite position costs.
But I guess they just wait until the ice conditions change and the Chinese ship breaks free on her own and can then help the Shokalski.
http://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/ships/273412710
My haiku needed a seasonal element. Sheesh I come to this random website as a haiku hack and it turns out everyone’s a skeptic 🙁 j/k
Ah, the gratitude:
from the BBC story on Xue Long now being stuck; http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-25598705
“Andrew Peacock, an Australian doctor and photographer who was rescued from the Russian ship, spoke of his fellow passengers’ frustration aboard the Aurora over the latest delay in their journey home, according to the Associated Press.
“So our time down south is not over yet and we are going to be delayed in our return to friends and family by some time yet, which is frustrating,” Mr Peacock said before the Aurora was given permission to continue.”
Arrogance? Stupidity? or simple self-centredness?
Thanks to a link from Sera above I have found the Federov and although it is at Antarctica it is a long way West of the Christmas turkeys ex boat. So I guess the Chinese boat must wait to free itself.
http://www.sailwx.info/shiptrack/shipposition.phtml?call=UCKZ
“So our time down south is not over yet and we are going to be delayed in our return to friends and family by some time yet, which is frustrating,” Mr Peacock said
Well I guess the chinese and russian crews they’ve left stuck in the ice are a bit “frustrated” too.
Perhaps the aussie teams at Casey and Aurora Basin ice core project are a bit “frustrated” by lack of the supplies and equipment.
It’s amazing just how self-centred these bunch of tourists are. They really seem to have no conscience of the inconvenience and danger that they have causes others.
Joe Chang says: January 3, 2014 at 10:06 pm “Fresh milk keeps 2 weeks max. ”
Begs the question, modus ponens, affirming the antecedent, of fresh.
USN ultrapasturized milk keeps properly flavorful for much longer. Some cooks didn’t trust it and donated the 5 US_gallon plastic bag ‘cows’ (with one teat) as small arms targets thrown overboard and sunk.
The AA is on the way
https://secure3.aad.gov.au/proms/public/schedules/voyageTrack.cfm?season=1314
Do you suppose they’re singing
Casey, Jones, steamin’ and a-rollin’
Casey, Jones
You never have to guess
When you hear the tootin’ of the whistle
It’s Casey at the throttle of the
Cannonball ExpressSpirit of Mawson ExpeditionFingers crossed for all the mariners who have been imperilled by this jaunt. May they return safely to their loved ones.
I am sorry about the lack of sarc-tag, but I didn’t think I needed one. I just know that if I were to being using a vehicle in an hostile environment, it would work and the engine would be purring like a kitten.
I used the example of Todd Palin as it is generally accepted by the media that he is quite dumb, like all those on the political right. Yet, in spite of his having a much lower intelligence than the scientists on this expedition, he would be able to strip and rebuild an engine with ease.
I know I said that I was going to publish a blog a few days ago ‘shortly’, but the New Year brought several unexpected visits to my home.
Please feel free to view the blog at http://wp.me/pOWA1-bM
Ill paste my conclusions here, but truly, Anthony, and the mods and anyone else interested, needs to view it.
“Every one here at WUWT persistently misspells the expiation leaders name ….
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
The correct spelling is Chris(tmas) Turkey”
– Personally I vote for ‘Professor Captain Turkey’.
Im hoping my previous comment didn’t get lost in the nethers. I knew I shouldn’t made a live linky.