WHY: Webb Institute has a winter work program where all students work as an intern from January to the end of February. As a sophomore, we are required to go on Sea Term and work as cadets’ onboard ship for eight weeks. We also have to complete a Sea Term project, which isn’t a big deal……. (I wish).
HOW: This Sea Term to Antarctica with Maersk Line was only possible with help from alumni, upperclassmen, the Admiral, the Dean, administrators, and incessant support from my parents. Webbies who’ve been to Antarctica in the past have gone on board USCG ice breakers, however this winter both ice breakers weren’t in operation. With support from Webb, we were able to get onboard the Maersk Peary, which is an ice class tanker contracted to operate between Thule Air Base, Greenland and McMurdo, Antarctica since this year.
THE SHIP: The Maersk Peary was built in Korea in 2004 as Jutul, and was purchased by Maersk in 2011. The ship was rechristened on September 31st, 2011, and this will be its first voyage into ice as a US flag ship. The Peary is an ice class tanker with a (now) baby blue hull, and while the ship cannot break ice, the onboard systems have specialized precautions necessary to operate in Antarctica.
THE ROUTE: We boarded ship from Perth, Australia on January 7th and have been at sea for three days now. We are scheduled to reach ice in less than a week, continue to make our way down to McMurdo Station, and return to Brisbane, Australia sometime in February. If time allows, we will continue on to Singapore and barely make it back in time for classes. I want to go to Singapore.
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