Edisto (AGB 2) - Naval Cruise Book

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eeiisto and easlwena' baffle the pack . . . ana' are rewarded with a clear channel

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During the first days of the new year we continued breaking out the channel making about 100 yards every hour. Periodically we were forced to suspend operations to steam up and down the channel in order to keep the newly broken ice from refreezing. This Was necessary because, if and when the south wind ever sprung up, we knew that it must be instantly taken advantage of to move the ice out to sea. On 6 January we penetrated to within 1000 yards of the base. At this point, leaving EASTWIND on station we headed out to sea to rendezvous with USNS ALATNA, a small tanker bringing diesel fuel for Mc Murdo's winter needs. On this day too the wind shiften around to the south and began to pick up. It began to look as if all our icebreaking had not been futile. The next day we escorted ALATNA back to McMurdo and, finding the channel choked with outgoing ice, began to tow her to the mooring site. The weight of the ALATNA combined with the ice through which we had to pull her proved to be more than the winch could handle so we cast off the tow and resumed icebreaking. The ice began to flow out more rapidly than before and soon ALATNA was able to proceed to her unloading area to begin pumping thou- sands of gallons of oil through flexible pipeline snaked across the ice to the oil tank at the base. me mania mud U friend HMNZS ENDEAVOUR, a New Zealand survey vessel, arrived in the- Sound on9 January startling us with her tiny proportions and wooden hull. She had crossed the ocean from Wellington through scattered ice and appeared no less battered than EDISTO. We found her crew an unusually jolly lot and invitations soon arrived aboard for exchange visits between the ship's crews. We were able to provide her with a good many ser- vices which she, because of limited space, did not have available. Our barbershop trimmed their hair and the ship's store dis- played all its srateside glitter. For a few hours at least the New Zealanders were in what to them seemed the lap of seagoing luxury. More importantly, ENDEAVOUR'S limited fuel and water supply was topped off with our help. While this was going on many of EDISTO's crew paid visits to the Com- monwealthers where they imbibed in spirited conversation and conversational spirits.

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, if - .. fi , 'I' - Q 5- a, A,,,,,,w.- ' .13 ,W S ALATNA finished refueling and left for New Zealand on 12 january, EDISTO, after having escorted her as far as Cape Bird, re- turned to McMurdo Sound to unload our reefers and deck cargo which had been brought aboard in Lyttleton. Although the wintering over base did not offer many of the attractions desirable in a liberty port, it was now accesible and a mostwelcome change from shipboard routine. Despite fluctuating prices and the familiar Made in Japan markings We fell on the sailor's usualsouvenir resources and brought lighters, ashtrays, mugs, etc. with penguins on them. It did not take us long to become completely at ease, skipping from mud-rutted street to street. Visualizing how small and close this would seem to the hardy Winter- overs after several months in complete darkness made the shipboard life seem a little more attractive to some. During the long winter months the only