The day after republic day went with restoring all the setup back to normal and other activities. The ship was making progress in the fast ice. By the night of 27th, a message has already been received that the ship has made considerable progress and might moor close to the island by next morning. I was in night shift and kept curiously walking up to the interspace and looking at the sea trying to find he ship. After a few such trips, at around 02:00 AM Bharati time, I saw the ship at a corner behind another island. I was elated for I dont know why and for a while I kept roaming the corridors from the interspace to control room and back. After few trips, I felt as if the ship wasnt moving that fast. I was probably expecting for it to move at the speed of a motorboat because thats all the exposure I had until then. Few hours passed by and @04:00 AM, the ship was closer but not enough to moor. Slowly the morning persons in the station woke up and I had more company. Finally in the morning, the ship has moored at the island.

The Arrival

Laying the wooden planks
PC: Karthik Eswar

On Ship Deck

Its close...

Shramdaan

Post shramdaan lunch

PC: Dr.Sukumar

Station T-Shirt distribution
PC: Dr.Sukumar

PC: Dr.Ashwin and his drone

TechBean Sys. T-Shirt distribution
PC: Dr.Sukumar

Members of voyage could now walk up to the station and vice-versa. We had more sorties, and at an increased frequency given that the ship was close. More shramdaan, more members, more activity and more energy. Also the installation activities have sped up now that the material has come from ship. Summer Scientific teams were out on fields they couldn't collect samples from. Everyone was occupied and life here hasn't been so overwhelmed by activity until now. But there were challenges among voyage operations, to get 2 vehicles from the ship to island. The vehicles were heavy for the heli to transfer them. Any ideas how to do? Yes, the sea is still frozen but the polar days have made it thin. The leaders of station and voyage discussed and planned the activity using temperature and thickness information apart from the vehicles' weight and dimensions. And the entire team supported them in their efforts. One of the vehicles had tyres while the other was a crawler crane. The ways to distribute the weight impact were thought about taking into consideration the feasibility with the given situation. And 2 time slots and plans have been finalized for both vehicles. The vehicles were primarily here for antenna installation activity but would also support expedition requirements to their capacity. With great support from station and voyage members including the leaders, scientific and logistic teams who worked together, the missions have been accomplished. While all the brainstorming and planning happened, sorties and fuel transfer continued by the day.

After successful accomplishment of crane transfer

Masti post shramdaan

In the ship

Torchy goodbyes

Removing the wooden planks

There? is a clear blue sky

Sendoff in ship

Dr. Sukumar's goodbyes

There is nothing but ice

The ship left its mark

Friends bringing tea post shramdaan

Thats all of us, before departure
PC: Karthik Eswar

The last transfer

And its leaving

Most of the operations were completed within a few days including the vehicle operations and fuel transfer. We had a celebration in the station with all the members. And the polar days were gone. But we didn't yet have dark nights. Our nights went straight from twilight to dawn. I am yet to see this continent in the darkness of night, which I haven't seen so far. After 9 days, the ship was scheduled to depart to Indian Bay at Maitri station on 05 Feb' 2018. Some last day transfers were done at the ship and transferred to station through pisten bully. An evening party was arranged at the ship after the last shramdaan after which the ship would depart. The station members bound to return by voyage have shifted to the ship and the winter members who have arrived by voyage shifted to the station. Everyone bid farewells and station members left for the station. In a few hours, the ship was ready to leave and goodbyes were waved with mobile torches from both ends.

When the ship leaves, there is a sudden emptiness in the station because after long, its just a 23 membered team that is left behind. We all assembled and counted the months that lay ahead for us. We talked and laughed, then dispersed. The next morning, we all assembled for regular morning meeting and guess what? the ship was still there at just a few kilometers away. We had so many questions as to why and what and how, the shipe had only taken few hours to cover the distance and now when the sea ice is weaker, it's still here. After few hours, we received a message that the ship had met with an accident not long after departure and would now return to the island and the members would move from the ship to station as soon as it moors. The station leader immediately sprung into action identifying teams to work on food and accomodation arrangements as the immediate measure. What happened next, is a story for another week.