There was a large dump of snow Thursday night so I spent most of Friday digging lots of doors out several times as the snow kept on coming off the roof. In the evening I went into the gym digging the door out before entering and then as the doors open out so much snow had fallen I couldn’t get back out! Fortunately there is a side door which doesn’t get the snow falling off the roof so I was able to get out that way and then dig out the doors once more!

Also the two jet boats needed snow removing as there is more snow forecast.

I also spent a frustrating time dealing with the boats electronics and finally created a block diagram of all the parts to the system and how the instruments all connect up. There is an inexplicable problem with the AIS on Pipit which I thought was going to be solved with a new antennae however, it wasn’t.

The masts holding the radar, DF antennae and AIS Antennae vibrates when the boat is moving so there has been over the years quite a bit of wearing out of the hole in the aluminium that the stainless bolt goes through. So we are making a tophat style washer to solve the problem hopefully.

After scrub out Rob opened up the results of the Antarctic Film Festival and announced them while everyone had gin and tonics in the bar. We did very well getting Best Film and Best Cinematography and were second in Screenplay category.

The other category winners were Bellingshausen Once in Antarctica, Halley The Antarctic Hairstylist and Crozet What if Popeye was a woman. To watch them they are only 5 minutes and are very good go to www.tinyurl.com/wiffa2011