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| The Alexandra Shackleton in a modest swell |
The first 24 hours are smooth and slow in light air making 1 knot over ground. Though five in a 22 foot lifeboat loaded with gear for an 800 foot journey is pretty grim. They are being shadowed by the support vessel Australis. but the Caird replica has no GPS - its sextant and compass for them. Expedition Blogger Jo Stewart reports from Australis:
At the moment, their greatest challenge is adapting to the ridiculously confined space below deck. It’s a tiny place (not unlike a children’s cubby house) so accessing food supplies or making your way to the cockpit is a mission that requires great patience and a healthy sense of humour. Stepping on bodies and crawling over each other is something they’ll have to get used to. Getting comfortable is impossible, which also makes resting near impossible and sleeping solidly completely out of the question. Without giving anything away, the Australis is radioing through twice a day to take note of where the AS crew think they are positioned (according to their navigational instruments – a compass, chronometer, sextant and the stars) to compare against their actual position. Today’s reading shows they are only a little off the mark. Nothing to be concerned about at this stage, however the cumulative effect of being ‘a little off the mark’ over 800 nautical miles could become a factor as this expedition unfolds.
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