I have been telling people I am going back to Antarctica as it is easier than saying South Georgia and explaining to all the americans that it is in fact an island in the southern ocean Not one of the United States!

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (SGSSI) is a British overseas territory in the southern Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote and inhospitable collection of islands, consisting of South Georgia and a chain of smaller islands, the South Sandwich Islands. South Georgia is 167.4 kilometres (104 mi) long and 1.4 to 37 km (0.87 to 23 miles) wide[1] and is by far the largest island in the territory. The South Sandwich Islands lie about 520 kilometres (320 mi) to the south-east of South Georgia.[1] The total land area of the territory is 3,903 square kilometres (1,507 sq mi).[2]

There is no native population on any of the islands, and the only present inhabitants are the British Government Officer, Deputy Postmaster, scientists, and support staff from the British Antarctic Survey who maintain scientific bases at Bird Island and at the capital, King Edward Point, as well as museum staff at nearby Grytviken.

So here we are a map of South Georgia and for more information go to wikipedia

Thursday and Friday I spent in Cambridge dealing with odds and ends including filling my pbox (personal box) with food, clothing, mountaineering stuff and hardwood etc. Chest xray and delivery of calendars to BAS staff. Friday was spent learning how to use AMOS which is the BAS inventory/maintenance database used on all the stations and ships. Now back in London getting yet more chores done that weren’t finished in the US before I left. Next week I am up at Cambridge again learning to drive a teleram.

Have a great weekend.

Field course is complete. It was on the windy and rainy side but everyone survived lessons in abseiling, primus stoves, tilley lamps, pyramid tents, jumaring, white out search and rescue etc. All good fun.

Now we are back in Cambridge with a ‘stimulating’ course in databases tomorrow and after the weekend off will be back once again to do a JCB Teleram course. All fun and games with BAS.

Photos by Sam Crimmin (South Georgia Dr to be)

In a bid to get my customers/friends out on their boats for more than racing I had my leaving party on Angel Island and it was miraculously a beautiful sunny day.

It was sad to be leaving San Francisco after such a short time at home. I won’t be back till 2012. I did enjoy seeing everyone and the food that people brought was very good indeed – thank you. I also received some very interesting looking books and DVD’s to read and watch in the winter down south.

I wish I had taken more pictures of the festivities. Thank you so much to David and Scott for being the chefs and doing such a great job at the BBQ with the salmon, pork, burgers and sausages. Their great help allowed me to spend more time with everyone. Also thank you to Bill and Alice Helvestine for ferrying people in HeyAlice across Racoon Straights saving us the ferry tickets 🙂

See you guys all in 18 months….