After a short period in the harbor of Punta Arenas, the German research icebreaker Polarstern will start for its next Antarctic Expedition. More than 40 scientists, students and technicians will be working on board until the middle of April.

The two days stay in Punta Arenas were used to get all preparations done for the upcoming 12 weeks on sea. Containers were put on board or taken off, provisions were topped up and the fuel tanks were filled with 2,800 tonnes of diesel at the bunker pier "Cabo Negro" — rnough to keep the "Polarstern" running for 12 weeks and more.

On February 1st all scientists and technicians finally arrived in Punta Arenas, and all were on board Polarstern by the next day. Passports were checked and collected by the first mate Steffen Spielke: They will be kept until the arrival in Cape town in the middle of April. On board, participants were running from one deck to another in search of their cabins.

In late afternoon of February 2nd, Polarstern started its Antarctic Expedition ANTXXIII/9, which will lead the ship the furthest east it has ever been. A short introduction of the safety regulations on board given by the 2nd mate Frank Niehusen completed the welcome ceremony prepared by the Expedition leader Hans-W. Hubberten. We now know where life jackets are found and what to do in case of an emergency — questions nobody wants to think about now but which must be answered before the cruise starts.

For most of the crew, mates and the captain, the approaching expedition has become somewhat of a routine. For most of the scientists and technicians, however, it is the first contact with the Antarctic continent, and the journey itself is a big adventure. of course, experienced scientists like Conrad Kopsch from the AWI Bremerhaven have told the rest of us lots of stories from the old days and from former expeditions.

Strait of Magellan: A pilot has entered the bridge and works as an adviser for the captain to bring the ship safely through shallow waters right into the southern Atlantic. The first evenings and days are being used to get comfortable on deck and to prepare all scientific labs and instruments. Beyond the Argentine 200 mile zone, several measuring programs start and water samples are taken on regular bases.

The first extensive project will be the rescue of "Mabel", a deep sea observatory. One year ago it was let down in a depth of over 1,800 meters and has dated continuously several measurements during the year. It is the first multidisciplinary deep sea observatory in the polar regions. Everybody on board is excited about the progress of the rescue and, we're all wondering whether the instruments worked at these depths.

Written by Michael Trapp on the Polarstern. Submitted 7 February, 2007.