12.12.2012-17.12.2012 - Preparation of the cruise ANT-XXIX/3

12.12.2012 (Wednesday). Jan Haelters of the BMM informs me that there is a blog (in Dutch) on the current Polarstern expedition occurring just before our own cruise. Just have a look at: http://www.natuurpuntbovenschelde.be/reisverslagen.aspx

Indeed, the Polarstern usually makes two successive expeditions each winter (i.e. Antarctic summer) and she is already in the 'far south' for a first expedition. I took a look at http://www.awi.de/en/infrastructure/ships/polarstern/where_is_polarstern/ 
and recorded the following plot:

17.12.2012. I receive a confirmation of the booking of my hotel in Punta Arenas. It now appears that Chantal De Ridder misunderstood the situation concerning the transportation of the biological samples and her situation is not yet settled. She will have to urgently solve the problem, presumably alone with World Courier.


(Cédric)

22.11.2012-11.12.2012 - The blog is online

(Preparation of the cruise ANT-XXIX/3)

22.11.2012 (Thursday). I receive the printed copy of the Expedition Program (the so-called blue booklet).

Cover of the expedition program (the so-called blue booklet)

24.11.2012 (Saturday). Conclusive test for my Sigma objective macro, but I realize that the shop sold me close up macro lenses of the wrong diameter (67 mm instead of 72 mm) and one lens is damaged.

25.11.2012 (Sunday). First tests of my GOPRO camera. Rather disappointing but it is only a first test. There are also problems for stabilizing the GOPRO on my head.. GOPRO is selling specific helmets but they are very expensive. In looking on internet, I see that cheap sport helmets can be used for that use instead.

26.11.2012 (Monday). I find and buy a new helmet to be used as stative for the GOPRO camera during field work. It is also more confortable than the helmets already put in our boxes.

27.11.2012 (Tuesday). It was possible to immediately exchange the 67 mm macro lenses by 72 mm lenses. They had them in stock! The guy of the shop was very worried by his mistake. I see at http://www.awi.de/en/infrastructure/ships/polarstern/where_is_polarstern/ that the Polarstern has just arrived in Cape Town (South Africa). There will indeed be another Polarstern cruise, starting from Cape Town and terminating in Punta Arenas (the cruise ANT-XXIX/2) just before 'our' cruise (ANT-XXIX/3).

05.12.2012 (Tuesday). Meeting with our IT department for starting the present blog. They suggest me to use Tumblr. I make a test but I am not at all satisfied.

07.12.2012 (Friday). I receive a message from the AWI claiming that they have not received my medical forms. I reply them that they told me the contrary two months earlier.

10.12.2012 (Monday). The AWI re-confirms me that everything is OK concerning my own medical forms. ...but Marie has not respected the dead lines of her medical forms, which are not yet sent. I have no idea how the people of the AWI will react. The blog is re-started, this time on blogspot, which is more flexible and more appropriate than Tumblr. 

11.12.2012 (Tuesday). I try to take contact with a hotel in Punta Arenas. I receive an automatic e-mail reply. I will have to wait before receiving a confirmation of my booking.

(Cédric)

01.11.2012-21.11.2012 - Cameras and Kafka's whims

(Preparation of the cruise ANT-XXIX/3)

01.11.2012 (Thursday). I order my flight tickets via Opodo. Expensive: about 1500 euros. Departure on 16.01.2013, arrival at Punta Arenas on 17.01.2013. Return flight on 24.03.2013, arrival in Brussels on 25.03.2013. Flights: Brussels-Madrid, Madrid-Santiago, Santiago-Punta Arenas and Punta Arenas-santiago, Santiago-Madrid, Madrid-Brussels. Both complete travels = about 24h.

03.11.2012 (Saturday). I went to Globe Marine (Uccle) and was looking at the video camera system GOPRO (to be fixed on my head or helmet. Not cheap (around 400 euros with protection against splash) but this could be very useful to give the "live feeling". Not yet bought but I am seriously considering to buy it.

05.11.2012 (Monday). I tell Marie to urgently order her flight tickets. Otherwise their price will skyrocket. I download some old dictionary French-English and English-French in pdf format from Archives.org, because we will have to write quite a lot of things on board (the blog and the cruise report) and we had not the place for taking dictionary on board and limited access to Internet.

06.11.2012 (Tuesday). Discussion with Jiska Verbouw and Charlotte Degueldre (outreach department of RBINS) on the creation of the present Antarctic blog and on outreach issues. They will put a small introduction page on the website of RBINS (in Dutch, English and French) with a link on the blog itself (in English only). The blog itself should be uploaded on 'Blogspot' and should include this logbook (treating events before, during and possibly after the cruise). It will be to me and Marie to upload the pages from the Polarstern. Marie Verheye will probably also contribute to the redaction of the second part of the blog. I speak with Jiska and Charlotte about my idea to buy a GOPRO video camera and they are rather enthusiastic to the idea. Such videos could be used by RBINS or by television chains at my return from Antarctica. In two or three weeks, I will have to give to Jiska and Charlotte an improved version of the journal (with style corrections and removal of some too personal aspects). World Courier informs me that the priority samples will be sent from Cape Town to Germany and (as internal European transport) from Germany to Belgium. This would mean much less red tape for me and I am very happy with that.

13.11.2012. Julian Gutt send me an e-mail telling this. "I just discussed again the transportation of dangerous goods (...). (1) AWI will not organize transportation of dangerous goods e.g. by World Courier. (2) It is not allowed to store ethanol in a freezer or fridge, not on board Polarstern and not at home in the lab due to safety reasons. Before AWI offered to be in charge of the transportation of frozen material you asked to store ethanol samples in the fridge (Dorte [Janussen]) and at room temperature (Cédric). Would a solution be to store these ethanol samples at room temperature on board until Polarstern returns to Bremerhaven? If you would agree we have to check whether there is a place on board of approx. 1 qm to fulfill this requirement. (...)". And in a second e-mail " I did not yet write that we find a place for which we get the guarantee that the ethanol samples will not be stowed outside in a container with full sunshine on in in the tropics on the way home. I will ask for an opportunity to keep it reliably at normal room temperature and will inform you". So the issue of the non-priority biological samples is not yet solved.

16.11.2012 (Thursday). I buy the GOPRO video camera for filming scientific activities on deck during the expedition.

18.11.2012 (Sunday). First tests of my new camera Nikon D5100 (with the normal objective), at the Belgian coast. For macrophotographies, my objective Sigma (yet to be tested, will be mandatory.

20.11.2012 (Tuesday). Examination on my laptop of my first photographs and videos made with my camera D5100 proved to be very conclusive. The quality of the videos is impressive.

21.11.2012 (Wednesday). Julian Gutt send me an e-mail telling this. "Dear Cedric, concerning your request to store ethanol samples of a total of 0.7 cubic metres at room temperature from ANT-XIX/3 until the return of PS to Bremerhaven, I got the o.k. of the AWI logistic department, just the place, where to store the material has to be discussed on board with the cargo officer." So, a solution for the non-priority samples is dawning as well.

(Cédric)

21.09.2012-31.10.2012 - Kafka meets Ubu...

(Preparation of the cruise ANT-XXIX/3)

21.09.2012 (Friday). The AWI asks me a fourth printed and signed version of the forms for the dangeous goods.

24.09.2012 (Monday). I send a second e-mail to World Courier for the transport of the specimens back to Belgium. The relevant person is absent until 08.10.2012. However this is not extremely urgent.

28.09.2012 (Friday). The medical service of the AWI informs that my health situation is considered as acceptable for the mission.

15.10.2012 (Monday). World Courier gives me a more precise estimation of the price for bringing specimens in alcohol and DNA extraction products from Punta Arenas to Brussels. I am afraid by the price (2600 euros). It seems there is no other alternative. I inform Thierry Backeljau (the head of our department) of the situation. World Courier also told me that I have to contact the Chilian ministry of fisheries and the Belgian 'Agence Fédérale pour la Sécurité de la Chaîne Alimentaire A.F.S.C.A.'   [Federal Agency for the safety of the Food Chain A.F.S.C.A.] for import/export autorisations if the specimens have to be exported from Chile.

17.10.2012 (Wednesday). I send an e-mail to the AFSCA to know if I need an import permit.

18.10.2012 (Thursday). I send an e-mail to the Chilean ministry of fisheries (SERNAPESCA) to know if I need an export permit. The AFSCA informs me that the form sent to me by World Courier is outdated. They sent me the link to the good one. In the afternoon, the SERNAPESCA informs me that I do not require an export permit from them. On the other hand there are further complicated red tape problems on the Belgian side for the import of material (to be treated next week).

23.10.2012 (Tuesday). I do a "Demande d'autorisation pour l'utilisation des sous-produits animaux pour la recherche" [Request for authorization for the use of animal by-products for research] by e-mail to the "SPF Santé publique, la sécurité de la chaîne alimentaire et de l'environnement" [Public Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment] as requested by the AFSCA on 18.10.2012. If they don't reply me today or tomorrow I will phone them. I really hope that this Kafkaesque series of administrative rerquests will come to an end. The 'SPF Santé publique, la sécurité de la chaîne alimentaire et de l'environnement' asked me to fill a very complicated form. Part of it has to be filled by Thierry Backeljau (the head of our department). Thierry is very surprised that we have to fill such complicated documents. He asked me to contact other colleagues, who have recently transported biological samples from distant countries. They told me that we could transport such material by cargo or as extra-suitcases and to have with me an order of mission signed by the director of RBINS and a document signed by AWI proving that I am in legal possession of this material. I just have to remove most of the alcohol from the vials. However I must say that I am more than skeptical, especially because alcohol is considered as a dangerous good (flammable). A colleague told me that he brought his specimens in 6 L UN barrels that he put in metal cart, that he use as travel bagages. He put padlocks with numbers that the custom officers can open. He put 2 barrels per cart.

29-30-31.10.2012 (Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday). Kafka meets Ubu, but a solution is dawning. Endless discussion and exchange of contradictory messages during the whole day (by e-mail and by phone with Gritta Veit-Köhler (Senckenberg Institute, Frankfurt am Main), World Courier Germany, World Courier Belgium, and Julian Gutt) concerning the transport of the samples. No bad will between people (quite the contrary) but a very complex situation. It now appears that the DNA extraction products and the priority samples will be sent by World Courier from Cape Town  (where the Polarstern will land a few months after the ANT-XXIX/3 cruise) to Europe (Frankfurt or Brussels: not yet clear) (to be paid by us) along with samples of Dorte Janussen (Senckenberg Institute) and Freija Hauquier (University of Ghent). It will remain expensive but less than previously estimated (about 1600 euros if I have well understood). The samples should be put in 6 liters UN barrels and not in the big barrel. World Courier Germany asked me if the UN marking is well present on the barrels. I replied them that they are already on board of the Polarstern and that it is impossible to me to check it de visu. So I phoned to the firm where I bought the barrels (VWR). The lady of VWR checked her own catalogue and confirmed me that the mandatory marking is said to be present on the barrels (but she did not look at the barrels herself). So the situation is theoretically solved but a slight doubt persists. A surprise when I will open the boxes on the Polarstern... I am now said that the non-priority biological samples in alcohol will be transported later on in wood boxes by cargo by the AWI (transport paid by the AWI), also from Cape Town. It is not yet clear which red tape I will have to ask to our ministries but a solution to the transport of the samples is dawning. Chantal De Ridder (colleague from the Free University of Brussels, ULB) intended to transport her own samples in liquid nitrogen with her in the normal airplane. This looks very risky. Indeed, there are rumors that in Chile the pilote has the right to refuse to transport freight if he decides so, even if the company allowed the transport. She will try to join us for the transport if it is not too late...

(Cédric)

10.09.2012-11.09.2012 - Second transportation to

Bremerhaven

(Preparation of the cruise ANT-XXIX/3)

10.09.2012 (Monday). We drive to Bremerhaven with the second series of boxes. We leave Brussels around 07:15 and we arrive in Bremerhaven just after 13:00. We go to the custom office of Bremerhaven (where everything is done in 5 minutes) and then we go to the shed of the AWI. The van is quickly unloaded. No superheavy box this time. When leaving the international part of the harbour, the guys of the customs ask us some questions and then leave us to go. We go to the hotel. The owner of the hostel tells us that we have to be very careful because there are control for cars parked at the wrong place. Five minutes after we move the van, the controllers arrive and start to distribute generous fines to other cars... I go to the office of Christoph Held for discussing of the mission. Then, as I have some spare time, I visit the U-boat of WWII of the harbour of Bremerhaven and the maritime museum. A big and very interesting museum. Unfortunately it was already late and I had not the time to see everything. There are every kinds of foreign restaurants and snacks in Bremerhaven but it is difficult to find restaurants serving normal German dishes. So I was very happy to find a restaurant where I could eat a 'Schweinesteak mit Gemüse und Pilzen'.

11.09.2012 (Tuesday). I pick up a box of extraction products for Charlotte Havermans from the freezers of the AWI. We left Bremerhaven around 09:00 and arrive at Brussels around 16:00. A long part of the voyage occurs under the rain, sometimes serious rain showers.

(Cédric)

05.09.2012-07.09.2012 - Closing the last boxes...

(Preparation of the cruise ANT-XXIX/3)

05.09.2012 (Wednesday). I scan the last useful books to be put on a hard disk in our boxes. I also look for literature on Neptune on internet as there will probably be a line crossing ceremony during the cruise and we will need relevant documentation.

06.09.2012 (Thursday). We put the padlock on our last boxes and trunks. Yassine Loufa informs me that we will never receive the new pipettes in time, according to an e-mail of the company. We will put old pipettes in the boxes and use the new ones in Belgium. I do the very last purchase to be put in the boxes: fine permanent pens. At 13:30 the heavy boxes are put downstairs by the workers of our Institute. I start cleaning my office and the technical room. Indeed during the preparation of the boxes, we have accumulated an incredible amount of dirts and garbage of every kind.

07.09.2012 (Friday). In the afternoon, we go to Sertrans for the custom formalities of the second series of boxes.  We have to pay 100 euros a second time.

(Cédric)

03.09.2012-04.09.2012 - First transportation to Bremerhaven

(Preparation of the cruise ANT-XXIX/3)

03.09.2012 (Monday). I arrive at the RBINS at 7:00, where I meet the driver of the institute (Guy Jaumonet). We drive to Bremerhaven. A small rainshower and after that fine weather. The GPS of the car says "meuhhh" like a cow each time it overreaches the speed limitations. Very bucolic... We arrive in Bremerhaven around 13:30. We first go to the custom office. Just a form to be signed. Then I go to the shed of the logistic department of AWI. They remove all the boxes (including the very heavy one with the pieces of rail) (500 kg) and put them together, very professionally. I give them some documents concerning the packing list and we are gone. Then I go to the scientific builing of AWI (some kilometers farther west). I briefly discuss with Christoph Held and Julian Gutt. Julian told me that he is himself drowned with boring little tasks concerning the cruise. He shows me the huge list of e-mails concerning ANT-XXIX/3 he received so far. Then I pay a visit to my colleague Shobbit Agrawal (a PhD student of Christoph Held). When he has finished his work, we go to a pub close to AWI and we drink a beer on a terrace. We discuss on all and everything. We were facing the cinema of Bremerhaven. When looking at moovie posters, Shobbit told me that, as long as most people are interested in such stupid movies, the world cannot go right; it is symptomatic of the dysfunction of our society. I found his opinions very pertinent. The weather is sunny and it is the first time in my life I see Bremerhaven with a fine weather. I finish the day in an Italian restaurant close to the strange church of Bremerhaven.

Van of the Royal belgian Institute of Natural Science with our boxes.

Our boxes in the van.

Appoaching Bremerhaven

The Custom office of Bremerhaven.

Unloading our boxes.

Unloading the ballast for the traps. The weight of the cage is about 500 kg.

The lander for our baited traps in the shed of the Alfred Wegener institute (AWI).

The main research building of the AWI.

04.09.2012 (Tuesday). We drive back to Belgium. We got some small problems when approaching Maastricht because the GPS map was outdated. So, we get a unique opportunity to admire some very interesting or rather very uninteresting landscapes from both sides of the German/Dutch border. Once in Belgium, I find an e-mail telling me that I have to change once more my packing list of dangerous goods. Indeed the bottles of alcohol did not arrive isolated but were grouped in packages of 6 and 3 bottles (which was highly predictable). I write a new packing list with 3 items, after having written one with 16 items, after having written one with 1 item. Stay zen....

(Cédric)

31.08.2012-02.09.2012 - Loading the van

(Preparation of the cruise ANT-XXIX/3)

31.08.2012 (Friday). The boxes for the first travel are put in the van of the Institute. Not so easy as there is a box of ballast (old train rails) weighting about 500 kg. We go to Sertrans for custom formalities (100 euros). When back at my office, I receive an e-mail from the logistics department of the AWI telling me that they are not happy with my packing lists, that I have to change them and to re-write them in another form and send them all the stuff again, both by e-mail and by postal mail.

Ballast (old pieces of rails) for the metal frame supporting the baited traps.

01.09.2012 (Saturday). I do my last visit to the several stores. I have difficulties to find the right spare bolts and nuts (30 x 6 mm inox) for the Rauschert dredge. I have just enough. Maybe I will have to take some more in my suitcase when flying to Punta Arenas. I finally found really good rubber for the sheet protecting the net of the Rauschert dredge. Really good quality, much stronger than those bought previously. However I will not replace them. No time. They will be used as spare rubber sheets.

Rauschert dredge with its net and protection rubber sheet fixed on its metal frame (photograph taken during a previous cruise).

02.09.2012 (Sunday). I test my new small waterproof Rolley camera Sportsline 99 (to be used on deck). Very performing for a cheap camera!

(Cédric)

24.08.2012-30.08.2012 - Construction of the dredge - 

filling the boxes

(Preparation of the cruise ANT-XXIX/3)

24.08.2012 (Friday). Luc Trevels informs me that the frame of the new dredge will be ready on Monday morning. I was hoping to have it on Friday, but I realize that constructing a frame for the dredge is not an easy task and it has to be made carefully. Marie checks if we have everything for DNA extraction. Almost everything is OK. We are just waiting for the nucleospin extraction kit and the new pipettes we have ordered. I put the white-gray-white code on all our boxes and items (the boxes of each team of scientist has its own colour code). I make a photograph of all our boxes and items.

25.08.2012 (Saturday). I buy the last small items (mostly for me). At home I prepare my personal items (clothes, books,...), which I want to include in the cargo.

26.08.2012 (Sunday). I go to the Institute to put my personnal goods in the box 33. I realize that despite improved sewing two nets for the dredges are not fastened strongly enough. I still improve the sewing.

27.08.2012 (Monday). Gilbert Claes (the head of Logistic at our Institute) told me that it would be better to move the boxes on Thursday afternoon than on Friday morning. I put a bit more silicone glue on the sewed parts of the net of the Rauschert dredge. Henri Robert is back and willing to help me with the radio beacon and the flash. It seems less complicated than I feared. Charlotte Havermans brings me the missing identification sheets on lysianassoid amphipods. I scan some scientific papers, which we did not have in pdf-format and which could be useful during the cruise (pdfs weight nothing). Around 14:00 I receive the frame of the new Rauschert dredge made by Luc trevels. Good job but 4 small rings are missing. Luc used the older dredge as model and did not see the small rings, which were completely hidden by the net itself. Luc promises me to fix them for Tuesday morning. I realize I have not sent the documents for the dangerous goods. Urgent! One of the form is complicated. I need the help of Henri. He will be there tomorrow. I told Marie that it is urgent to bring her clothes and personal effects to be put in the boxes.

28.08.2012 (Tuesday). The metal frame of the new dredge is now OK. After discussion with Henri Robert I complete the declaration of dangerous goods and the IMO document for dangerous goods. I send to the AWI logistic department a pdf and a printed copy. Yassine Loufa (technician of the Department Invertebrates) proudly brings me a parcel with the new flash. So, it arrived in due time!!!

29.08.2012 (Wednesday). I have e-mail discussions with Christoph Held concerning the dangerous goods (absolute ethanol) and the frozen fish to bring on board (which will be used as bait for the traps). I fix the plates of vinyl and the net on the metal frame of the dredge constructed by Luc Trevels. Not an easy job, especially for fixing the bolts and the nuts. It took me nearly a whole day. As concerns the net, I first fixed it inadequately and I had remove it and to do everything a second time. Claude De Broyer told me that he could have some spare field clothes for Marie. Marie brought some personal clothes. I realize I will have to go once more to the store for last minute furniture. This will be for tomorrow and tomorrow is another day...

30.08.2012 (Thursday). Some useful clothes (belonging to RBINS) are provided to us by Claude De Broyer. They are put in the boxes along with the personal clothes of Marie. I scan some useful documents. Boxes and trunks for the first travel are removed form the cellar and from the corridor of the 7th floor. They will be put tomorrow in the van of RBINS.

Closed metal trunk

Closed carton boxes with the buoys for the lander

(Cédric)

22.08.2012-23.08.2012 - The packing process continues

(Preparation of the cruise ANT-XXIX/3)

22.08.2012 (Wednesday). The packing process continues.

23.08.2012 (Thursday). My colleague Charlotte Havermans informs me that she still have some of the identification sheets for amphipods at home but that she will bring me them on Monday. I continue to classify and identify the pictures of the former cruise ANT-XXVII/3 made by Henri and Charlotte and integrate them in our photographic data base. Photographs are often very usefull tools for field identification.

Metal trunk with its content.

Descriptive sheet of one of our boxes

(Cédric)

21.08.2012 - Radio beacons and Epimeria

(Preparation of the cruise ANT-XXIX/3)

21.08.2012 (Tuesday). Good surprise! Henri Robert informs me that we still have two radio beacons (nobody else knew where they were). This is a great relief for me. I print illustrations of known but yet undescribed species of amphipods of the genus Epimeria, as a guide for identification. All the closing boxes have now their provisional, or definitive packing list, their number and their padlocks. The epinet for the AGT is finished. I bought a handbook on my new big camera (Nikon D5100). I had to put new labels to most padlocks. I send the provisional bill of small expenses to Thierry Backeljau (the head of our department).

Photograph of a common but still undescribed species of Antarctic Epimeria collected during a previous cruise.

(Cédric)