Sea-ice 1 – Shackleton Nil

We are beset! At the end of a two-day battle with thick ice, the Shackleton was forced to turn back. Ironically, this is due to perfect weather conditions – clear skies and glorious sunshine when what we really need is a big storm to break the ice into navigable chunks. This is more inconvenient than trouble, and the upside is time for a proper Christmas, complete with James Bond movie and roast turkey. There is a rumour flying about that we’ll be in Cape Town to refuel over New Year, but let’s not get too excited.

Merry Christmas readers, especially family and friends.