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Teaberry Express

FINN(COM) Daily Record: Thursday, 13 May 2004

May 14, 2004
by J. Brock (FINN)

3FINN (COM) DAILY RECORD: THURSDAY, 13 MAY 2004

Compiled by J. Brock (FINN)

Note: Tomorrow we find out what Endurance did at St. Helena.

Tristan da Cunha

HMS Endurance arrived on the morning of the 22 March to be greeted by an island shrouded in mist. The lower 200 feet of the island was visible on arrival, which shortly decreased to 100ft. The tasks that HMS Endurance had agreed to assist the administration with, namely assessing any illegal fishing activity were performed and the hydrographers were set ashore to perform some of their magnetic tasking. The CO was given a short tour of the settlement Edinburgh, before returning to the ship to host 25 local personnel for lunch in the wardroom. The afternoon saw the ships cricket team ashore to play the Tristinians, at cricket, or at least that was what we thought. They didn’t seem to be expecting us so we managed to spend a couple of hours playing ourselves and managed to get enough of a match for the selectors to assess the talent on board wrt to selection of the A team for the next match – St Helena. Others managed a short time ashore to stretch their legs and visit the local gift shop. As ever matelots managed to come away with T-shirts, and passport stamps. Happy with their days activity, all were back on board for the evening by 1830 as the weather worsened.

Unfortunately the weather continued to worsen overnight so that the island was no longer visible at all, and by morning it was apparent that no boat transfers were going to be possible in the sea state, and so the visit was curtailed and having not even glimpsed the top of the island.

The weather continued for the day and the next, but by Wednesday the sun had once more made it out and the traditional Wednesday sports afternoon was given over to the game of ‘Brighter cricket’.

Played on the flight deck with the traditional black masking tape ball, in teams of 6 brighter cricket is another adaptation of a regular sport for that multipurpose court the flightdeck. A fun afternoon in the brightish sunlight was had by all and the eventual winners were again the…

The rest of the week has passed in a frenzy of activity, there is a lot to prepare, both short term, for our next visit, and longer term for our summer refit. We are expecting a number of visitors shortly in part to discuss the refit, and in part to talk to the Ships Company about a variety of other topics. Consequentially we are trying to get everything organised and ready whilst at the same time giving the ships company the wind down that they well deserve after a busy 3 work periods. It was with this in mind that the ship had a random Sunday routine on Saturday. Much appreciated by all except the S&S who, snowed under with refit plans were unable to be prised away from their desks for long enough to muster a team for the interdepartmental flightdeck row. This event involved teams of 5 rowing 5000m in 1000m bursts as fast as possible. Won by the flight, with the executive a close second this provided a brilliant excuse for the rest of the Ships Company to bask in the sun in the name of supporting their department. Finally it is hot. We had all been hoping thereat this would have happened 10 days ago, but now that it has we are making the most of it. The same afternoon an all comers clay pigeon shoot took place from the quarterdeck. Let’s just say that the pigeons are in no danger from us! All in all a good afternoon was had by all and there was some much needed recharging of batteries.

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Upcoming events and items needed for ADF

7 May - QUIZ NIGHT, 1930 at Two Boats School, ₤10.00 per team (5 member). A great time was had by all last year, so come out and join the fun. Curry and refreshments will be served. If you would like curry during the break contact David at 4432 by Thursday evening the 6^th of May.

16 May - CAR RALLY, ₤10.00 per car. We are planning a Bar-B-Q and refreshments afterwards and need an estimate of who will be staying after the rally for the Bar-B-Q. Please let David know at 4432 by Friday the 14th of May.

MILE-OF-COINS: Saturday the 15^th of May. Hold onto your change and look in the Islander for start time and location.

Ms ASCENSION AND BABY COMPETITIONS: Please contact Catherine Leo at 6830 for more information.

FISHCAKE COMPETITION: ₤25.00 Prize for the winner. See the Islander for additional details in the weeks to come.

CAKES: Calling all bakers. ADF needs your cakes. Last years cake stall was a great success. Thanks to all who contributed. We again, need you to donate a cake for the cake stall.

STALLS: We’re planning the stall area and need your input. Everyone needing a stall or thinking about having a stall needs to contact David or Rich. A counter will be provided for display. If you need a table (limited supply) or anything extra (electric) we need to know now. Sorry we don’t have the manpower to make up signs and posters for the stalls. Stallholders are asked to provide their own signs or posters.

ADF AUCTION: We are in need of items to auction. A few items have already been dropped off at the Vicarage. Please have look around and see what you can donate.

For more information please contact Chairman: David Higgins, 4432 (fax 6155), Secretary: Rich Tochtrop, 2538 (fax 2599) or Canon Clive Duncan (6431).

AS SEEN FROM THE SPACE STATION:

Today's CEO targets, in the current LVLH attitude no longer limited by flight rule constraints on the use of the Lab nadir/science window, except for the shutter closure and condensation-prevention plan (limited to 90 min. in 24 hours), were Andean volcanoes, Peru (drill cores from ice caps on tropical volcanoes are revealing environmental histories thousands of years long [temperature, amount of precipitation, dustiness, source of rainfall]. One of the largest ice caps, Quelccaya [a Quechua name], was under ISS' track on the east side of the Andean plateau, and has been the object of expeditions and coring), La Paz, Bolivia (looking just left of track), Lake Poopo (nadir pass. Shooting dry lakes surrounding Lake Poopo will help understanding of the hydrology of this high desert plateau. Crew was also asked to look for any dust plumes since the high Andes are a dust source in southern winter. Handheld imagery has been responsible for the recognition of this global dust source, one of the main sources in the southern hemisphere. Looking right towards the driest parts of the plateau), Falkland Islands (this is an oceans "sea-state site" [internal waves]. However, the site was included for interest and for the crew's orientation, even though the phase of moon is not yet right for internal waves. The Falklands lie just south of track), Tristan da Cunha, S Atlantic (looking right for this small group of volcanic islands that are home to a few families), and Palmerston Island, Central Pacific (looking slightly right of track. Coral reef mapping is the subject of interest).

CEO images can be viewed at the websites.

YOUNGSTERS TO GO IN SEARCH OF WHALES:

Youngsters from the Falklands Conservation Watch Group are hoping to take to the seas on Saturday for a day of Whale spotting. There have been sightings of Sey Whales in Berkley Sound recently. If the weather is good enough, the youngsters will be heading out in a launch to see if they can glimpse at the creatures for themselves. Sarah Clement (SC) told me this:

SC: We very luckily have been offered to take 12 members of the watch group to Berkley Sound to see the Whales. FIC have very kindly agreed to take the Children. It’s a fantastic opportunity and we are looking forward to it. If it’s rough, we won’t be able to go. Due to the limited number of children that can go on the launch, we have pulled some names out of the hat and phoned the lucky people who get to go. In the future, hopefully, any watch group members that haven’t been lucky enough to go this time, will be able to go and do something similar.

SG: You say they are in Berkley Sound. Have there been sightings there recently?

SC: For the last couple of weeks the launch crew have seen them around and I think various people have been lucky enough to go out and see them.

FIDB AGENDA:

The agenda has been issued for next week’s Falkland Islands Development Board. Members will discuss a range of issues from the mobile toilets to the Reindeer and Beef herds. They will also hear a budget review in the closed part of the meeting. The board meets at 0900 on Tuesday.

LATEST ARRIVALS IN GOVERNMENT:

The latest Gazette has details of all the staff comings and goings in recent weeks. Among the appointments are Geoffrey Stevens as Government House Chauffer, Craig Paice as Water Superviser at PWD and Janet Austin as Legal Secretary in the AG’s chambers. The only resignation was from Hayley John at FIGAS, with Val Tristram at PWD and Neil Gobeous in the AG Department both completing their contracts.

HARBOUR AND SHIPPING NEWS:

A number of vessels came into Pt. William yesterday. The Golden Touza was in for a health inspection, the Argos Vigo dropped off two observers, and Baffin Bay dropped off one. Beatrix Nores is still transhipping to Frio Hamberg. Tamar FI arrived into Stanley this morning and is now alongside East Jetty discharging cargo. The Global Pesca 1, which was due in around midnight last night with a medical onboard, should be arriving around lunchtime. Catches have dropped slightly for the 15 vessels fishing in the Zone.

TRAVELLER’S 25,OOO-MILE JOURNEY:

An electrician from Norfolk has returned home after spending £10,000.00 of his own money travelling to six continents in search of birds – a route that included the Falkland Islands. Paul Jaffray saw 1,196 species of birds and travelled around 25,000 miles on his trip. He took 12 weeks off work for the journey, which started with the dream of going to Antarctica and just kept on growing. He began with Gambia, working his way east around the world until he hit South America and then headed South to the Falklands and then South Georgia. Mr. Jaffray hasn’t been put off. His local paper says he continues to continue travelling and see 1,000 species of birds for the next 3 years on the trot.

GIB TALKS:

The Spanish Minister of Affairs is to push joint sovereignty for Gibraltar when he meets UK Foreign Secretary in London on May 20^th. He says he will be aiming for dialogue on sovereignty.

(100X Transcription Service)