Endeavour In Storms During Supply Voyage To Antarctic

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28821, 16 February 1959, Page 12

Endeavour In Storms During Supply Voyage To Antarctic

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, Feb. 15. The Royal New Zealand Navy’s Antarctic supply ship, Endeavour, will complete her third, and probably her stormiest, visit to McMurdo Sound w;hen she returns to Wellington tomorrow. She left Wellington with scientists and supplies for Scott Base on December 20. By Christmas Day she was steaming into a 50-knot gale, and for 16 hours on Boxing Day was hove-to in high seas. After negotiating 250 miles of pack ice she reached McMurdo Sound on January 2, and berthed against the ice edge. 12 miles from Scott Base. The base was restocked in four days of round-the-clock unloading, and the Endeavour began a

series of scientific cruises around the Ross Sea. The return voyage began on February 5. Among her passengers are 15 scientists from Scott Base.

Bad weather began almost immediately. Heavy ice formed at the head of the channel into McMurdo Sound, and it took the Endeavour four hours of constant manoeuvring to cover one mile and a half into clear water. The following day gales began again, and before long the ship was running before 60-knot winds, and was blanketed by snow squalls in below-zero weather.

Two days later the wind changed and for 18 hours she steamed into-50-knot head winds. The Endeavour is commanded by Commander J. E. Washbourn.