We're Off! Traveling Aboard the Ocean Nova

Continuing on with our Antarctic adventures, here's some info regarding our travel and living arrangements in Antarctica. The pictures above are also include some of the views we saw while traveling from one spot to another...

SHIPS
With approximately 200 runners, supporters and staff, the Marathon Tours group took two different ships to Antarctica. The ships were operated by the same company: Quark Expeditions. The ship that departed Ushuaia a day after ours was the Lyobov Orlova. The Orlova was larger than our ship, and was anticipated to travel faster as well. Our ship, the Ocean Nova, was not as large as we had anticipated. We took a picture of it in Ushuaia when it was next to a normal-size cruise ship. Hardly the same size! This turned out to be a blessing and a curse for our next ten days of life at sea.

Our ship had five decks. Deck 2 was used for disembarking the ship as well as had a small gym, library and a doctor’s office, decks 3 was the Dining Hall and cabins, deck 4 was cabins and the Captain’s bridge, and deck 5 was the Panorama Lounge and meeting area. Our cabin was on deck 3. For the first two days after the marathon it took a lot of effort for me to climb the stairs to deck 5, due to sore muscles and especially when we were en route and the boat was rocking.

Outside on deck 5 was the main areas photos were taken. There was an observation deck in the bow, and you could stand along the rails on the side of the ship as well. Outside on this deck was also the storage area for the zodiacs, small motorized rubber boats that were used for taking passengers from the ship to the mainland. Stored next to them were four ATVs that would later be used during the marathon. Finally, the ship was equipped with state-of-the-art emergency equipment for use in evacuations. The lifeboats were very interesting. It was actual a completely enclosed capsule that had a tube slide to use for entering. At no time would a passenger have to actually touch the icy Antarctic waters. Instead of having just a lifejacket, there were also special suit for all passengers to use in the case of an emergency. The suit looked like one for an astronaut and completely enveloped the whole body. It was supposed to be able to help retain heat for more than a 24-hour period. We felt pretty safe being on board this ship.

The staff onboard was phenomenal. There were members of the Expedition crew, led by Laurie and his assistant Jill Parker, a full hotel and catering staff and a licensed doctor. It was an interesting mix of people from all parts of the globe. A lot of the staff was from Canada, but there were plenty of others from Germany, Argentina, France, Australia, Tasmania and other locations. This cruise was the last of the summer season. Most crew members would then take a few months off, or continue working on other cruises around Africa or up in the Arctic.

Since there is obviously much travel involved with life on a ship, we learned quickly that life on board a ship is always run on the Captain’s time and none other. This became important for race day. As is always done, the marathon and half-marathon races were opened to the ships’ crew members if they wished to participate. Since the race was held on King George Island, the location of four research stations from Russia, Chile, China and Uruguay, any brave participants from these locations were also welcomed to join in the running. It was imperative that the race time be told in a very specific fashion. It turns out that most ships entering this area will stay on the same time as Argentina. However, on King George Island there seems to be three different time zones. The Chilean and Uruguayan bases will also stay in the same time zone as Argentina. However, the Russian base, which is literally 400 meters from the Chilean base, stays at -1 hour of Argentina. The Chinese base, about 3 miles south of the Chilean base, is at -2 hours. They run on their own times as they see fit. It was humorous that it took the Marathon Tours crew a couple of years to figure out why any Chinese runners would show up for the race two hours late. Now when logistics are being set with the bases, the crew is very specific on what time they are actually talking about.

LIFE ABOARD THE OCEAN NOVA
Dennis was thrilled to take a cruise to Antarctica. It included so much that he loved: cold weather, lots of good food and being on a ship where he didn’t have to do any work at all, including making his bed. The crew aboard the Ocean Nova did a wonderful job of spoiling us and making us feel comfortable at all times. Every morning we were given a wakeup call from the Expedition Leader, Laurie Dexter, which included the day’s weather forecast, announcements about the day’s activities as well as a humorous and often witty joke or saying.

The ship was our home during our ten-day Antarctica voyage. Dennis and I had a twin-bunk cabin with a small private bathroom. Three large meals were served everyday in the Dining Hall, and we were never left hungry or without a variety of yummy food. Dessert was always a special treat at lunch and dinner. If the three meals weren’t enough, the ship even provided a tea time every afternoon where pastries and beverages were available. Yes, we were spoiled and everyone on board went home with some weight gain, despite the grueling marathon run.

During the days of traveling at sea, lectures about various Antarctic topics were often given by the Expedition crew. These included talks about whale, penguin and seal species, as well as discussions about modern Antarctica and how it was governed by the Antarctic Treaty. We watched some films about whale harpooning and about the first explorers to Antarctica. Dennis has become a true lover of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s adventures and Antarctic feats, and he continues to read books about Shackleton even after we have returned from our trip.

After the marathon we had the opportunity to travel around Antarctica and see many of its wonderful and often hidden coves. We went to various locations such as Neko Harbour, Paradise Bay, Port Lockroy (a British research base), Jougla Point, Deception Island and Whaler’s Bay. Here we were able to see up close and personal the beautiful surroundings of Antarctica and often interact with the wildlife that lives there. The expeditions we took and the lands we did were absolutely phenomenal and ones we will never forget.

Having a small ship was a huge curse for me during the days crossing the Drake Passage, the body of water between Argentina and Antarctica. A small ship meant more rolling and feeling the waves more. Both to and from Argentina we hit storms and rough seas. I learned firsthand that I was NOT born with sea legs. In fact, we are convinced that Dennis holds the sea legs for both of us.

We departed Ushuaia late in the afternoon on March 1. March 2 proved to be my hardest day at sea. I awoke early and took a shower. I laughed as I was in the shower because water was being tossed from the shower all the way across the bathroom and then back again. An hour later we went to breakfast when I really found out I was getting sea sick. I suddenly began to feel very hot, lightheaded and clammy. I asked Dennis to make his way across the room to get me some breakfast from the buffet table, as I didn’t think my legs would hold up through the back and forth motions. He came back with grits and eggs; not the best sea sickness food. I immediately felt terrible and was for the first time thankful for having cabin #313. It was located just two doors down from the dining room. I shot like a rocket for the cabin. Dennis came in to check on me and brought me a lighter meal of fruit and toast.

I spent the rest of the entire day in bed. I had tried taking Dramamine, as well as was wearing my Sea Bands on my wrists. Nothing seemed to overpower the motion of the waves. I again tried to go to lunch, but this only lasted two minutes. I was back in bed with Dennis again serving me bedside. I didn’t even attempt to get up for dinner. Instead I had Dennis bring me the menu, I told him my choices and he graciously served me dinner in bed so I could eat it lying down. He also had the ship’s doctor make a house call to our room at 9:00 pm. Dr. Alex was a saving grace by giving me tablets of Phenergan (a prescription anti-nausea pill), which helped me gather myself back together for the next day at sea.

Once we reached Antarctica, the Ocean Nova’s small size proved to be a blessing. Having a smaller ship meant we could go to some ice-covered places larger ships could not. It also meant we could do more landings. During these landings the ship would anchor and the zodiacs would be lowered into the water from their storage compartments on top of the Ocean Nova. With red lifejackets on would then disembark from an opening in the middle of the ship onto the zodiacs. The zodiacs would then take us to land so we could visit various sights and enjoy exploring Antarctica.

During one of our voyages from one location to another we passed a beautiful sight. We passed another ship called the Europa. It was a tourist ship on a similar cruise as ours; however it was a sailboat! The Europa was originally built in 1911. In 1994 she was fully restored as a barque (a three-mast rigged ship) and now roams the seas of the world in a true seafaring tradition. The Europa was gorgeous to see at full mast. She looked like a ship from Pirates of the Caribbean or from the times of the Boston Tea Party. Dennis was in high heaven. As a lover of sailboats, it was like a dream for him to see a gigantic one glide right by us. The Europa is now his wallpaper on his computer login and he’s already talking about plans to take a sea cruise on the Europa herself.