Here are some links to websites that you ought to look at
UK Antarctic Heritage Trust. The UKAHT is a charity that does a terrific job in conserving Antarctic buildings and artefacts, and promoting and encouraging the public’s interest in its Antarctic heritage. It was to the UKAHT that we presented our tribute to Lawrence Oates when we were in Port Lockroy in Antarctica. It now hangs in their museum there.
Patrick Cordingley’s biography of Lawrence Oates. Almost as inspirational as Mina2’s blogs and journals. Buy it now. Patrick is also a brilliant motivational/after dinner speaker.
The Oates Collection is kept at Gilbert White’s House in Selbourne, Hampshire. New galleries have recently been opened, displaying numerous artefacts, photographs and documents – many not seen before – from Scott’s Terra Nova 1910-12 expedition.
The Marine Quarterly. This beautifully printed and bound quarterly is lovingly edited by Sam Lllewellyn. The pocket-sized journal is full of big, authoritative articles on sailing, fisheries, adventuring, merchant shipping, conservation, natural history, heritage, trade, naval matters, nautical books, and anything else connected with salt water. I read my copies slowly to minimise the time waiting for the next edition to drop through the letterbox. It is comfort food for the nautical brain.
Pelagic Expeditions. Skip Novak needs no introduction. A legend. I went on his Pelagic Australis down to Antarctica in Jan 2011 as a recce for Mina2’s trip. Miles, Laura and Dave were all magnificent in their professionalism and hospitality. They were generous in giving me all the knowledge and experience necessary to realise that taking Mina2 down there was madness. I went anyway. If you want to go to Antarctica or South Georgia, or just tootle through the fjords of Tierra Del Fuego and round Cape Horn without the angst of going in your own boat, Skip’s your man.
MailaSail. A service provided by Ed Wildgoose that enables sailors using clunky satellite phone connections to send and receive emails, post blogs and get weather forecasts from anywhere on the globe
Brilliant kit
Weezle suit. This is what ice divers wear under their dry suits. We wore these in Antarctica. They’re like tailored duvets and kept us toasty warm whatever the temperature.
Dunlop Freezer boots. When there’s ice on the decks, togged up in your fancy-pants Dubarry Goretex boots your feet will freeze. They are simply not thick enough to cope with extreme cold. Enter the Dunlop Purofort freezer boots, guaranteed to keep your toes from falling off down to -50C. I didn’t take them off for three months.
Sea Eagle inflatable kayak. The only way to get upfront and personal with the wildlife of Antarctica – or anywhere else for that matter. A great bit of kit that is getting a LOT of use everywhere we go
The Competitors
Minnie B blog. Blog of our good mates Phil ‘n’ Norma on their Ovni 395 Minnie B. We travelled with them across the Atlantic and it seems that they are doing a circumnavigation without realising it. Very interesting. Very funny.
Dawnbreaker blog. The blog of our great friends, Lars and Co from Dawnbreaker, our constant companions down South. Although they boasted almost as many blog hits as Mina2, check this out if you want to see what a really bad blog looks like.
Mina2 