Back to Antarctica 2022 Season Blog

Port Lockroy team members Kit Adams and Lucy Dorman, along with Conservation Carpenter Tank Adams, are finally travelling to Port Lockroy as we approach almost two years away from Antarctica. They will carry out essential assessments and repairs to our sites as well as lay a power cable to connect Bransfield House to the solar array installed on the Nissen Hut. The team will also install a new weather station funded by our Big Give campaign and get to work on the penguin survey. While Penguin Post Office isn't reopening in its usual capacity for now, Kit and Lucy will be handling any post that arrives at Port Lockroy. Follow their journey below.

Back to Antarctica 2022 Season Blog

Port Lockroy team members Kit Adams and Lucy Dorman, along with Conservation Carpenter Tank Adams, are finally travelling to Port Lockroy as we approach almost two years away from Antarctica. They will carry out essential assessments and repairs to our sites as well as lay a power cable to connect Bransfield House to the solar array installed on the Nissen Hut. The team will also install a new weather station funded by our Big Give campaign and get to work on the penguin survey. While Penguin Post Office isn't reopening in its usual capacity for now, Kit and Lucy will be handling any post that arrives at Port Lockroy. Follow their journey below.

2022: Blog | Roof painting with a view

01/02/2022

One of the significant tasks on our work list this season was to paint the roof of Bransfield House as this was last done in 2018-19 when the Conservation Team were onsite. To quote Tank, "preparation is the key" so first we had to scrape off plenty of sheathbill droppings and flaking paint, give it a good stiff brush and then wash it down with some precious fresh water. With a fortunate break in the weather, we had a glorious day for painting and pushed on into the evening to finish the job with the impressive backdrop of the Fief mountain range.

For Kit and I who have been at Lockroy before it gave us a different island perspective and a great view of the penguin highways which still criss-cross the island. The highways have become so deep now that from ground level you just see the top of the penguin’s heads as they pass through.

Pictured: Tank and Kit busy at work on the roof of Bransfield House

For Tank it was the chance to work on another historic roof and he shared stories and photos of working on roofs in the Ross Sea region of Antarctica, including the unusual design of the battens on the roof of Shackleton’s hut at Cape Royds.

The roof of Bransfield House is felt held down with wooden battens and we use a heavy bitumen waterproof paint to give it the best weatherproofing. Many future visitors probably won’t notice the roof but it is still gleaming and we are all proud of a job well done.

Lucy Dorman, Base Leader 2021 - 2022

Many historic expeditions and explorers, including the men of Operation Tabarin (a top secret mission to Antarctica during World War II) have followed this same route to Antarctica. Whilst I set sail on a modern ship, the 14 men of Operation Tabarin left Stanley on 2 small ships, one of which was not ice strengthened. Not only did they have the dangers of a polar expedition in front of them, but also the potential threat of enemy forces during WWII.

This film captures the 134ft HMS William Scorseby at sea in Feb 1944 (Reproduced courtesy of BAS Archives, Ref AD6/16/1944/1.1).

We, like our polar ancestors, are now heading South through the furious 50°'s and eventually to the screaming 60°’s, where the winds batter the Southern Ocean, with terrifying intensity. I cannot begin to imagine what it would have been on The Scorseby, with the men of Operation Tabarin in such weather. I am hoping to experience some of the beauty and wonder of Antarctica's wildlife on my journey there. With perhaps a small bit of Antarctic adventure thrown in. Although perhaps I should be careful what I wish for!

Follow the team's progress on social media using #BacktoAntarctica

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