Crew

In preparation for the scientific expedition of a lifetime, like the one I currently find myself on, you must plan even the finest of details. In the months leading up to departure, you could often find me running around like a headless chicken, ranting about how many different brands of disposable spatula they are to choose from, or how you can fit 10 pairs of socks into a single boot if you try hard enough.

Despite my extensive planning, when I got around to actually going on the trip, I realised I hadn’t really put much thought into what my daily life would look like, and how the people joining me would play such a significant part. Aboard the Vinson of Antarctica, there were three crew members looking after us scientists for over a month. I would like to tell you a little bit about each of them, in the hopes that it reveals to you why getting to know the crew was something I felt most strongly about writing down.

Alec and Jose

The first crew member, Alec. If you asked a child to draw what they think a sailor looks like, they may have come up with something close. Beardy, windswept and hardy, Alec could move about the boat in high seas with his eyes closed. Often taking an advisory role when tricky manoeuvres were required, you would be easily convinced that this was a tough, no-nonsense kind of sailor that was all about getting the job done.

Alec

Don’t be fooled by this, Alec has more knowledge about the nature we were seeking here in the Southern Ocean than most of the scientists onboard. During the day, you could usually find Alec using his keen eye to point out Minke whales, or craggy islands full of different species of birds to the gang. At night, you could listen to him tell tales of life in the Falkland Islands, and how things have changed there, for both animals, and people, over time. Around Alec, you get the sense that you are in the presence of a safeguard, a protector of life here in the South. These feelings also transferred over to everyone on the boat. If there was ever a moment when you felt unsure, you could look to Alec and know that everything was in safe hands.

Then there is Jose, Argentinian in origin, but with an Italian nature, you would perhaps expect to find him more comfortable chartering yachts for party go-ers in Ibiza than for scientists in Antarctica. Again, look a little deeper and you’ll find that he is exactly where he is supposed to be. Oftentimes, Jose played the role of comedy relief on the Vinson. Chiding us for leaving wet boots laying around the workshop, he would make signs “Boot-free zone!”, “Leave workshop without soggy boot = Happy Jose!”. After a particularly clumsy landing off the side of the dinghy at one of our field sites resulted in nearly all of us getting our feet wet, he put an “EXIT” sign at the bow. After that, every time we’d leave, we’d giggle as we heard “Please follow designated exit sign ladies and gentlemen, thank you!”.

Jose

When things got tough at sea however, funny Jose would take a back seat. At these times, you’d realise that underneath his easy-going nature, there is an extremely skilled sailor waiting to burst into action. Jose knows this boat down to the nuts and bolts and can handle every gizmo or gadget on board with skill and speed. And mark my words, after his shift ended, or a tough situation was dealt with, he would be back, hot beverage in hand just for you, smiling and ready to uplift your spirits again.

Lastly, there’s Kenneth. To fully understand Kenneth, you’d need a book. Speaking of, he already has a cookbook, “The Narinan Cookbook” on board. I have read it from cover to cover and can highly recommend. During one of our many memorable conversations with Kenneth, we trawled through his employment history, finding out that he has been a sailor for most of his life (no surprises there), and has truly excelled in his craft. Perhaps more surprising though, is that amongst other things, he’s also been a successful designer (?!), chef, teacher, and a writer.

Kenneth and Katie

Kenneth’s nature was much like his cooking on board the Vinson, quiet and unassuming but bursting with flavour. Even something so simple as a bowl of porridge, wave Kenneth’s magic wand at it, and you’ll be rewarded with deliciousness. This actually turned out to be one of the most valuable tools I’ve learned on this trip. Figuring out how to feed a group of 12 people fresh, yummy food for a month at sea can really change the way you think about preparing, and cooking meals. Aside from cooking up a storm, Kenneth could also be found dabbling in wildlife photography, doing stretches on the kitchen floor to stay in shape, or chatting about some of his favourite sailing destinations across the world. So, if you’ve thought about doing it, Kenneth’s probably done it already. But, don’t let that stop you from trying, as he’s extremely humble and helpful too.

So there you have it, three expert sailors, of course, but also three truly excellent human beings. As I come to the end of my time on this remarkable journey, when I look back at all the unique, and magical things I have seen here in the South, I seem to have come to a bit of a surprising conclusion. To the crew of the Vinson, meeting and getting to know you all has turned out to be my favourite part.

Katie O’Brien is a NERC GW4+ PhD student at the University of Bath in the UK. She is interested in how animals adapt to their environment, especially in areas where climate change is most noticeable. She is traveling on the Pelagic Vinson to collect data on the adaptations of various penguin colonies across the Southern Ocean region. To do this, she is carrying out the smelly business of collecting poops, known scientifically as guano!