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Victoria University Antarctic Research Expedition Science and Logistics Reports 1981-82: VUWAE 26

NARRATIVE:

NARRATIVE:

Pyne and Cattley arrived at Scott Base on October 16, four days behind schedule, due to a hold on flying because of communication problems caused by sunspot activity. The first three days were spent servicing the IH-500 tractor, work that had not been anticipated. The refitting of the Wannigan for scientific use had been started by the winter over personnel but was unsuitable and was removed. The base carpenter, Pyne and Cattley spent a full week refitting and securing the Wannigan to the sledge. By the time this work was complete we were a full week behind in our planned schedule.

The remaining preparatory work which included issuing and testing the normal field equipment and testing our scientific equipment was therefore rushed. We had allocated three to four days for testing the scientific equipment alone, but this became impossible and consequently we decided to leave for the field with some equipment untested. In retrospect we were lucky that only one major item of equipment (the underwater camera) did not work because of this.

On November 4 Pyne, Ward and Cattley (K5) departed Scott Base at 0950 hrs. for Cape Royds. At 1800 hrs. we reached Cape Evans and remained there for the night. Numerous thin snow drifts between the Erebus Ice Tongue and Cape Evans slowed us down considerably. The following day we completed the traverse to Cape Royds. During this leg of the trip, we became stuck in deep soft snow out from the Barne Glacier.

On November 6 we prepared the sampling equipment for a coring attempt in 850m deep water 10km northwest of Cape Royds. This involved adding 400m of extra wire onto the winch and transferring all the equipment onto the toboggan-pulled Tamworth sledge. This was necessary because we anticipated that the ice would be thinner out towards the centre of McMurdo Sound. We were not prepared to risk the heavier tractor and sledge with Wannigan without first checking the ice thickness. As it transpired the ice thickness at the sample site was 1.2m and sufficient to carry the tractor. The next two days were spent in actual collection of the sample, cleaning and repairing the equipment and preparing to begin the "across sound" traverse.

On November 9 we departed Cape Royds for a rendezvous at Cape Evans with the dog team carrying our mogas resupply and the penguin census group, Colin Monteath and Lindsay Main, who joined us for three days at Cape Evans.

Between November 10-16 we traversed a line westwards between Cape Evans and the Strand Moraines to continue the sea-floor sampling programme. On November 12 Brent Alloway joined us and Monteath and Main left on the same helicopter for the Wright Valley. Peter Barrett joined K5 on the 13th. K-2 (Lands and Survey surveyors) joined us on the 16th for one night before continuing to Butter Point, we obtained cores 2 through 10, 5A and 8A along this line, arriving at the Strand Moraines on the 16th.

By this tune we needed a resupply, and repairs to the IH-500 and toboggan. On the 17th, Cattley, Pyne and Ward drove back to Scott Base to institute repairs and manufacture replacement weights for the sphincter corer. We spent 4 1/2 days at Scott Base, leaving there at 4.30 p.m. on the 22nd, and arriving at the Strand Moraine camp at 10.30 p.m. During this time, Barrett and Alloway recorded tidal measurements and attempted several core and grab samples. Sample #11 was taken by orange-peel grab during this time.

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November 23 and 24 were spent travelling the 85km to Cape Roberts. On the 24th Barrett and Pyne took the toboggan back to Butter Point to assist K-2 (surveyors) in the sea ice movement survey, but were able to rejoin us that evening at Cape Roberts. The following day we began the Granite Harbour sampling programme. Three cores (12 through 14A) were taken along a line extending from Cape Roberts to Cape Archer. On the 29th and 30th cores 15 and 16 were taken within Granite Harbour. On Tuesday, 1 December, Barrett was lifted out by helicopter for his return to Christchurch, and Paul Fitzgerald joined us. The 2nd was spent travelling out of Granite Harbour to Cape Roberts. On the next day, the Tamworth sledge and toboggan were loaded with the sampling equipment, as the IH-500 and Wannigan could not cross the 2 1/2m lead 1km seaward of Cape Roberts, and Pyne, Cattley, Fitzgerald and Alloway travelled 5km offshore for core 17. We then moved to Dunlop Island after picking up fuel at Cape Roberts.

On the 4th we moved from Dunlop Island to Marble Point, where two full fuel drums were stockpiled on the land. That evening while still at Marble Pt. we received a radio broadcast from the O.I.C. Scott Base for all Kiwi field parties in the McMurdo area. The message required that all field programmes be prepared to move all personnel and essential equipment back to Scott Base as soon as possible. No clear statement explaining why this was necessary was given but "the inability to support science field parties from McMurdo Station" was quoted. A final decision about the withdrawal of field parties and Vanda personnel would be made on the Sunday evening (December 6) by the O.I.C.

We decided to continue to Butter Point that evening to meet the K2 surveyors. Because of the broadcast we were all committed to returning to Scott Base with K2. Originally we had intended to send only the togoggan back to base to bring back a part needed for the tractor so that the work at Cape Chocolate could be cone. The next day before leaving for Scott Base we successfully sampled in front of the Ferrar Glacier snout (core 18).

If we had been told that the problem of support concerned only helicopters (from which we were independent) our original intention to move to Cape Chocolate would have been possible. The Sunday decision which required us to return to base but to finish work that was enroute came too late.

December 8 to 14 were spent cleaning and returning gear, packing cargons and samples for transport to New Zealand, as well as preparing equipment for Pyne, Fitzgerald, Alloway and Lindsay Main to take to Mt. Feather.

We had hoped to complete the sampling programme at Cape Chocolate by togoggan. Unfortunately the only other toboggan available at Scott Base was an old OMC which was considered unreliable for a journey of this length. The total equipment load was over 2500 lbs, and was considered too great for our single toboggan to pull, so this part of the programme remained uncompleted.