A stitch in time saves nine

28/03/2024

Following his latest stint at the base, Al Fastier – our conservation project manager at Port Lockroy – explains why prevention is better than cure when it comes to looking after heritage in Antarctica.

As the old saying goes, a stitch in time saves nine.  

First recorded in Thomas Fuller’s 1723 book, the phrase is a sewing reference. It implies that repairing a small rip with one stitch means a tear is less likely to get bigger and need more – or nine – stitches later on.

The saying applies not only to repairing clothing but also to maintaining historic Antarctic bases. As the saying implies, if no maintenance is undertaken, things will quickly fall into a state of disrepair.

Conservation carpenter Pete Townsend (Credit: UKAHT/Al Fastier)

Like our homes, which need regular maintenance, so do historic buildings. This requirement is amplified in Antarctica due to the extreme weather including cold temperatures, gale-force winds and snow accumulation. To protect the conservation work that has already been undertaken at Port Lockroy it is critical that Base A gets inspected and maintained on a regular basis. This is why UKAHT has developed an annual maintenance programme specifically for Port Lockroy. 

It is important to keep the buildings weatherproof and structurally sound to protect both the structure and the artefacts they contain. The base needs to be kept safe for visitors to enter, including having doors that operate, floors that can be walked on and waterproof cladding in place to stop snow and meltwater ingress. Unlike artefact conservation where the object only requires stabilisation, Base A needs to be kept in good working order.

Conservation carpenters Pete Townsend and Al Fastier (Credit: UKAHT/Laura Büllesbach)

This season’s team were tasked with completing maintenance work along with their responsibilities to operate the shop and post office and monitor wildlife. To enable them to do this, they received maintenance training as part of the pre-deployment induction.  

Pete Townsend and I – the Trust’s carpenters – spent January at Port Lockroy undertaking structural repairs to the bunkroom roof. The damage was caused by last year’s record snowfall. Temporary emergency repairs were undertaken last year but wouldn’t last forever. This season the repairs were future-proofed and made permanent. Deferred maintenance was also undertaken to the subfloor to keep the building structurally sound. The Port Lockroy team enjoyed supporting the carpenters whenever they could to help and learn more about building maintenance.

General assistant Lisa Ford repairs a window frame (Credit: UKAHT/Al Fastier)

This year, Pete and I installed Starlink to improve the communication system. It worked well and allowed the team to communicate with the UKAHT office in Cambridge and with friends and family. At some point, I reflected “back in the day” on how early explorers had no communication with the outside world; then in the 1940s when it was only via HF radio; then in recent times with expensive and limited satellite coverage. With Starlink, today’s communications provision is outstanding.   

As carpenters, we also surveyed Base A and collected data on the building’s construction and fabric. This information will be used to support the design team's work, which includes a structural engineer and heritage architect, tasked with developing conservation methodologies that outline the repair specifications. This team also signs off on the work completed to ensure it meets the required specifications.

Wildlife monitor Jérôme Viard pitches in (Credit: UKAHT/Laura Büllesbach)

Reports are required for each conservation task to support the sign-off procedure. As I always say, the task is not complete until the paperwork is done. We could often be spotted completing paperwork in the Nissen Hut when the weather was too harsh to be working outside.  

Along with the maintenance, it is important to collect monitoring data including interior temperature and humidity levels which are recorded on data loggers at Base A. This gives the design team a better understanding of the building’s interior microclimate so informed decisions can be made around future visitation, artefact locations and conservation methodologies. 

In summary, conservation work in Antarctica is an ongoing battle to minimise building decay, disrepair and destruction. The best line of defence is to undertake ongoing maintenance and monitoring which is part of UKAHT’s annual implementation plan. 

As the old saying goes, a stitch in time saves nine.

– Al Fastier, Conservation Project Manager at Port Lockroy