February 28, 2008 - Sailing to Antarctica: Mutton Cove
by Kate Laird

66 : 00 South 065 : 39 West. It's a day of change. We are doing what we call the "long portage," leaving the cruise boats and madding crowd behind. The day gradually turns from hazy to gray, but a pale robin's egg blue sky in the south continues to draw us forward.

The snow is deeper, the icebergs are huge, and there is no wind. We motor. It's colder.

What we don't have in scenery we get in humpback whales. One pair are particularly curious and they circle the boat, their white flippers showing sea green right by the boat.

A humpback whale alongside Seal (in a previous year).

Last night we were treated to a tour of the Ukranian Research station, Vernadsky - the whole lot purchased from the British in 1996 for £1.00 on the condition that they continue to monitor the ozone and other geo-physical experiments. The other research stations have a more biologically-centered focus, so their role in Antarctica is somewhat unique.

They "receive" us after nine pm and a young member of the thirteen-man team is given the job of giving us a tour. His English is much better than our Ukranian and we are able to understand the gist of what they are doing.

At the end of the tour, we retire to the bar, a leftover from the Brits with a fake Tudor beamed ceiling. We are served homemade vodka and some elegantly shaped bananas and oranges. It is done with great generosity and warmth and we are charmed.

Tonight, we are in Mutton Cove, a little hidey-hole with a few Adelie penguins. This has great sentimental value for Tony and Coryn, for whom this was their turning-around point when they sailed here on their yacht Taonui nearly ten years ago. Then, they had to push through ice to get here and awoke to five inches of snow on the deck. We shall see what morning brings for us. Tonight we are at 66 degrees south "and a titch" according to Tony. Tomorrow we hope to cross the Antarctic Circle. (Posted by Pam)

For more about Seal see http://www.expeditionsail.com.