The whole "package" of preparations, excitement, packing, and some anxity all come together when I board the little boat that drives us out to the Oden, lying in Tromsøfjorden in Northern Norway. The fjord is as flat as a mirror and we slowly approach the more than 100m long icebreaker. The hull is massive and towers up above us when we make a little loop around the ship.
Once aboard I receive short but crucial instructions (e.g. what not to flush through the toilet!), get shown our cabins (that I share with two other girls) and catch up with friends/colleagues that I haven't met since a while. Lots of energy and also lots of chaos; it's crowded with a French camera group, photographers, people finding their way and equipment being installed. You can notice that people are trying to adjust to the idea of being here for the seven weeks to come, some with still fresh goodbyes to families and kids in mind. After dinner we receive a short welcome by the captain, the first mate and the two chief scientist onboard our trip, Örjan Gustafsson and Igor Semiletov.
The plan is to take off tomorrow afternoon, a bit earlier than planned to test a technical engine failure that is now supposedly fixed. Better to double-check before we enter the Barents Sea!
The plan is to take off tomorrow afternoon, a bit earlier than planned to test a technical engine failure that is now supposedly fixed. Better to double-check before we enter the Barents Sea!