Halley Bay - 2002

• For the first time ever, the relief ship (RRS Ernest Shackleton) failed to reach Halley, and relief was done in February using Twin Otter aeroplanes from Drescher Inlet, 200 miles northeast. More details.
• Fortunately the ship successfully reached Halley the following season, arriving at Creek 2 on Christmas Eve 2002. Relief was successfully carried out 25-31 December. Details in the RRS Ernest Shackleton Diary.

Pictures

Base photo

Photograph by Paul Sharp The Wintering team of 2002. (from the May 2002 Halley Diary) Back Row: Douglas Colliar, Paul Sharp, Mark Stewart, Stuart Macmillan, Kevan White, Duncan Cameron, Lyndsey Bishop, Steve Hinde, Ben Norrish, hiding behind Steve is camera-shy Andy McConnachie. On the bar: Jon Seddon Front Row: Mark Ryan, Cathy Moore, Elaine Cowie, Annette Faux, Mickey Hazell

... and here they are outside
(from the November 2002 Halley Diary)

Photograph by Dave Leatherdale From left to right, back to front: Mark Stewart (Data Manager), Paul 'Sharpy' Sharp (Electrician), Kevan White (Heating and Vent), Stuart 'Shaggy' MacMillan (Chef), Lyndsey Bishop (Doctor) Cathy Moore (Met), Steve Hinde (FGA & WBC), Duncan Cameron (FGA), Andy McConnachie (Gennie Mech), Annette 'Net' Faux (Met) Mickey Hazell (Steel Erector/Chippy), Mark Ryan (Comms Manager), Ben Norrish (Vehicle Mech), Elaine Cowie (Met), Jon 'Student Grant' Seddon (AIS Engineer), Douglas Colliar (SHARE Engineer)

Winter balloon launch

Photograph by Mark Ryan

More pictures by Mark Ryan.

Pictures by Jon Seddon.

Twin Otters on the ice next to Ernest Shackleton at Drescher Inlet, February 2002.

Map of the Halley area.

Map of the Brunt Ice Shelf, September 2002. Click for a larger picture.

The met angels

Other information, anecdotes etc.

• Station Diary
• Jon Seddon
• Lyndsey Bishop
• Fetish Evening from the Halley Diary
• ESA keeps vigil on the Antarctic ice pack

Summer 2001-02

Steve Marshall writes:

Halley was an amazing period of my life, so many great moments and doing the BC job is manic but very rewarding (sometimes!!) I suppose the most interesting time I had was the 2001/2002 season when the E Shackleton was unable to get through to Halley. The weather that season was dire and we just saved the season and the future winter with a last minute airlift with Twin Otters. One Otter arrived completely full of beer!! This is the moment I knew we could allow the team to take on the next winter!! [16 January 2006]

Caroline Lewis's tale:

In 2001/02 only 20 of us came into Halley - by air from Drescher (a bay on the coast about 200 miles from Halley in the direction of Neumayer). This was the first time in nearly 50 years that the relief ship had not been able to reach the Station. RRS Ernest Shackleton got to within 70 miles of Halley on its second attempt, before having to turn round at Stancombe-Wills. Relief was completed over a 14 day period (31 Jan- 13 Feb 02) by 3 x Twin Otters in 42 rotations from Drescher, with the planes landing on the sea ice in front of the ship, where all but the heavy items and fuel could be loaded. The returning 2001 winterers flew out of Halley to join the ship at Drescher. The photo of the summer crew for that year, currently housed in the Drewry building shows the 20 staff plus an empty cargo line. [17 January 2009]

Shane Rodwell:

My first trip south - however spent most of it on the RRS Ernest Shackleton. Eventually managed just 2 weeks on base at the end of the season. [14 March 2018]