01.08.2012-15.08.2012 - In search of lost time

(Preparation of the cruise ANT-XXIX/3)

Beginning of August (date lost). The transformator of the dissecting microscope to be brought on Polarstern proves to be no longer functional. The problems does not result from a broken lamp or fuse. My colleague Pierre Dumont checks it. Apparently there is a problem with the coil and the transformator is probably definitely broken. Pierre Dumont accepts to loan me a transformator for one year.

At another unrecorded date, a copy is made for the keys of all the padlocks for our boxes and metal trunks.

07.08.2012 (Tuesday). Julian Gutt gives me confirmation that he received my message of 30.07.2012. On the other hand I have received no reply from Cord Drücker (AWI) concerning the dates of transport. So I call him by phone. He confirms me that the dates are fine.

08.08.2012 (Wednesday). Purchase of material for the cruise. A lot of difficulties to find rubber polar boots. After lots of driving and research, I find them and buy them.

09.08.2012 (Thursday). Julian Gutt informs me that I got a second berth for Marie. This is a fantastic news, because our planned work really requires two persons. This will also be a unique opportunity for improving the formation of Marie as a marine biologist and an amphipod specialist.

10.08.2012 (Friday). I am a bit in panics with the amount of work for preparing the parcels to be brought on Polarstern (the material MUST be ready for 30.08.2012).

11.08.2012 (Saturday). Purchase of material for the cruise. I finally found an adequate flagpole (light, strong and long) (the previous ones were either too heavy or too flexible). I bought a small waterproof camera Rolley Sportsline 99 (for taking photographs on deck) and a foot for the big camera Nikon D5100.

12.08.2012 (Sunday). Working on Sunday at RBINS. I construct a new net for the Rauschert dredge and finish the construction of a new kind of epinet  to be tested on the Agassiz trawl. The construction of the net of the Rauschert dredge was very hard. I sewed three to five times each side of the net with a nylon cord and then put silicone glue on the connections. I did not finished the job completely at 18:00 and had to come home.

New net to be mounted on the metal frame of the new dredge (under construction)

13.08.2012 (Monday). I finish the net for the Rauschert dredge. My colleague Claude De Broyer confirms my feeling that the sewing of the other net is not strong enough. He proposes the help of his sister in law for sewing it more strongly. I try to construct rope connections to fix the ballast to the lander for the baited traps, as my colleague Henri Robert did during previous cruises. However I am not a handyman as good as him and I will have to use another method. The technician/welder Luc Trevels of our Institute kindly provides me a chain instead, which he cuts it into small pieces at the right dimension. One of our furry helmet, which was in the office of my colleague Charlotte Havermans, has disappeared and I suspect that it has been stolen!

Furry helmet similar to the one, which has ...evaporated.

14.08.2012 (Tuesday). I realize that during a previous expedition, two essential screws of the photographic board have been lost (the board has to be disassembled each time for the travel). Marie helped me to put the labels of the expedition on the boxes and trunks (a very time consuming task). This label is now on every box (usually 5 labels per box!). However not all the boxes have already received their number. Indeed each box and trunk has to receive a number, to be measured and weighted. An inventory of its content and its value has also to be made.

Example of label for one of our metal trunk

15.08.2012 (Wednesday). Normally free day in Belgium and the sun is shining but I go to the Museum. I construct small dishes with a black background for doing pictures of amphipods on board. The hotel in Bremerhaven replied for my booking for September 10th but not for september 3rd. I start to have pain in my back. Very tired at the end of the day.

Constructing dishes with black backgrounds for photographying small Antarctic organisms.

(Cédric)