The waiting is over.

The JCR arrived at the wharf at 8.00am on Saturday 27 December and the slightly heroically named process of “relief” will began. Christmas isn’t really big deal here but “relief” is.

The JCR is the first ship to bring cargo and fuel into Rothera this year. There certainly hasn’t been any suffering here to relieve, but we are completely out of blu-tac and whiteboard pens.  Having watched the speed and efficiency with which the boat is being stripped of it’s cargo.  If I had a boat full of food, beer and fuel I wouldn’t leave it at the wharf here.

Earlier this week we had a special meeting after lunch to brief us all on the plans for relief. Teams have been assigned to various roles and the process explained to everyone.
The 20 members of the 2014 wintering team were be invited onto the JCR for dinner on Saturday night. The Rothera bar will be operating shortened hours and bar stocks will be minimal during relief.

The years food order is on the ship and this is being unloaded and moved upto the store rooms in Old Bransfield House.

The ship also has bulk fuel that will be pumped into the bulk storage tanks over by the hanger. The tanks in the fuel farm are split between Avtur(Aviation Fuel) and MGA (Marine Gas Oil). The Avtur can be pumped directly from the farm tanks into aircraft on the hangar and is also used to fill drums that are sent out to various fuel depots such as Ski Blu and Fossil Bluff. The MGA is used for the base power generation.