Joining the RRS James Clark Ross

Location: Immingham Docks, UK

Yesterday Fiona and I drove from Glasgow to Grimsby. Grimsby is quite a grim looking little town next to Immingham where the RRS James Clark Ross (JCR) is tied up at Dock Nr. 1. Apparently Grimsby has one of the cleanes beaches in England. Nevertheless, there are two oil rigs visible form the beach, the beach is full of pieces of coal and the water didn't look inviting enough for us to take a swim.

After a proper English breakfast this morning (it tasted like a proper English breakfast, i.e. not very exciting), I joined the JCR. There was quite a bustle about her. Three cranes were busy shifting cargo, and people were setting up science equipment and getting ready for the cruise. I met the purser who showed me my cabin, gave me a quick safety briefing and sent me on my way. After bringing my scientific gear into the main lab and depositing my personal things in my cabin, I said good bye to Fiona.
After lunch I spent the rest of the afternoon setting up my filtration rig in the lab and getting to know everyone else. I've also settled down in my cabin. At least for the first Leg from the UK up to Svalbard, I'll have my cabin to myself and I have my own bathroom and, because its an outside cabin, I've got a window.
Dinner was served at six. Men are expected to wear shirt and tie and no jeans for dinner! Dinner is served at the table by a waiter and there is a choice of different things to be had and todays dinner consisted of steak.
There will be a safety drill tomorrow morning where we will have to get into our survival suits and live jackets and get into life boats and at two in the afternoon the JCR will set sail!
I've just found out that there are only two computers for the scientists to use which have access to the internet. Therefore these blog entries might become very sporadic but I will try and to my best.