Ship arrived in port this morning. 3 days to load stores, marine cargo,
workboat and 12 containers of assorted crap (AKA scientific equipment)
before we pull the pin for sea trials.

For you guys interested in moorings, we're putting a few down in 4800m
of water. Top of the string is 1000m under the surface. I may get time
to take some pix when we dump them but usually I'm too busy. Hopefully
we'll recover some we dropped last year.

Back shoreside sometime in January if all goes well. If it goes
pear-shaped, we'll either be back earlier, or a lot later.....

Have a good Christmas & New Year. I know the climate sucks this time of
year for most of you, but so sad, too bad. It'll be perfect when I get
into Fremantle, West Aus, after which I'm heading to the Margaret River
wineries, Albany and Esperance where the water is crystal clear,
there's granite headlands and perfect beaches, and almost no people.

After that I'll return to Hobart and enjoy the perfect late summer &
early autumn sailing conditions.

For those who've never seen an emperor penguin except on TV, or watched
a sperm whale get ready to dive, or seen a big pod of minke whales
cross your bow while weaving in and out of scattered floes, or conned a
100m ship down an ice lead under a crystal blue sky - I hope you enjoy
your office jobs, because I get paid for this.

Bye for now.

PDW