Tools in the Antarctic

Visited a previously abandoned (1962) British research station in Antarctica last week called Port Lockroy. The station has been preserved much as it was in the 1940's/50's as a museum (since 1996) and now hosts UK university under graduates (volunteers) and expedition ships in the Summer months. Ignoring the usual penguin rookery stink (fish-ish) the place is worth a visit to see how these scientists lived in what then was the ends of the earth. The workshop was interesting and had a range of mid twentieth century tools that most of us older gents are familiar with. See pics. No Titans unfortunately! (sigh).


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Doggie, don't leave your story there....How did you get there, how long did you stay, what else did you see....I have been fascinated with the polar expeditions and how the blokes did what they did in such alien and terribly hostile conditions

Yes please, do tell, I'm interested as well. It must be a dry climate as I don't see any rust on the tools!!!!!!!:?
Kryn

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Originally Posted by chambezio

Doggie, don't leave your story there....How did you get there, how long did you stay, what else did you see

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Well Chambezio the Antarctic trip started with the third bottle of Jaimeson's Run at a cadet reunion nearly two years ago on a table of old men who used to be eighteen together but now are retired seamen. We had not seen each other for forty years. One had just finished returning a ship to a Norwegian owner and got talking to the new skipper about what the company did with their little passenger ships. Arctic and Antarctic was the reply. Always wanted to go there says my mate. Me too says I. How will we do it says another. Presto. It's on. Anyway took eighteen months to cook (wives on the internet) and we left in mid December and got back a couple of days ago. Went via South America through Ushuaia, Falklands, South Georgia, Elephant Island and the Antarctic archipelago and back via Cape Horn over sixteen days (including Christmas and NY). Made about twenty five landings in zodiacs at various places saw 5,000,000 penguins, seals, shags and whales. The usual galaciers, snow, icebergs, sea ice, many abandoned whale stations (1880's) etc. Best trip ever and wives didn't get seasick (very important) despite a few days of weather in Drakes passage (thanks to patches). Best part was sailing with old mates after all these years. They didn't look eighteen anymore (especially after squinting into the weather for fifty years) but they were the same people I remember. It was great.

Sounds like a great adventure. Something I would like to do too. I have been in sea ice in Canada and the Baltic but not the real polar reagons. Something else for the bucket list. That workshop had the feel of a ships carpenters workshop. Pretty run of the mill tools and paint splattered everywhere. Chippy would have had his own set of good tools for fine work but would never let anyone else lay hands on them.
Regards
John

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Originally Posted by orraloon

. Pretty run of the mill tools and paint splattered everywhere. Chippy would have had his own set of good tools for fine work but would never let anyone else lay hands on them.John

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Pretty true John. There was lots of fine wood work to be maintained too apart from the usual carpentry to keep the station together. Ships, boats, dog sleds, snow shoes, instrument bases and boxes,back pack frames, balloon baskets and heaps of other stuff were all wood at that time and still in evidence about the place today. In addition, some of the whale stations still had barrel making (coopers tools) and european work benches and a shaveing horse still in evidence. There must be a power of now collectable stuff abandoned everywhere down there. In the super dry air nothing deteriorates very much if it is out of the weather. At least some countries are making an attempt to preserve their heritage.

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Thanks for the report Doggie.
By the sound of it you all had a great time. Your wives are more easily talked around things than mine. Mine would have to be the original "Wet Blanket"

I read some where in the days of sail a ship headed into the Cape Horn area only to find strong gale after gale and abandoned the attempt after a couple of weeks making no headway against the storms. They went around the Cape of Good Hope and got to their destination that way. Whether or not it is true, I don't know, but it makes for a good story.

It was very common for sailing ships to do that. Most captains would give it a good go for 6 or more weeks (to look like they were serious) and if progress was not there then go the long way. I think Bligh was one on his way to Tahiti with the Bounty.
Regards
John

Interesting stuff, my bro was on Macquarie for 14 months.
He took 100s of photos, they had a darkroom etc.
The patterns are interesting, doubt if they had a foundry down there but plenty of time to make stuff I guess.
H.

Doggie,

That's tops! What agreat story. That's how I feel when I'm with my old army mates. That workshop looked like it was straight out of a Charles Hayward book. Tough conditions for a woodworker. Not only would you have to bring your tools, you'd be bringing timber too. Not many trees in Antarctica.
Did anyone spot the anachronism in photo 3?

Thanks again for a great post.

Cheers,
Virg.

The light globe?

The light globe and the paint was Antarctic White! :D

Phillips head screws.

What a great story. Throw in pirates, a case of rum, a whale and a mysteriously missing man on day 12 and it's would make a good short story!