MAUD RETURNS HOME STATUS – FEBRUARY 2014
25 February 2014 » Uncategorized | respond
This winter has been very busy and last week we had some major work finalized on Jensen, our submerisble barge, and it really begins to look like something we´ve never seen before. We feel eager like children to get going and that is how it should be.
Its been a long process to find the right people for this expedition. I have met plenty of people that would have loved to join in, but when it comes down to reality there are not many people who fit in for such a challenge. It is not enough just to have a strong will and motivation, despite this being an important factor. We need a qualified crew for taking our tug Tandberg Polar (TP) and our lifting construction Jensen, named after the boatbuilder who built Maud. Also our crew need to have a good understanding of the operation as a whole and carry some of that basic philosophy that is behind this project in a broad perspective.
I can say that in this moment in time I do feel extremely happy with the crew and also those people that will be involved as we move ahead and finally arrive in Cambridge Bay this summer.
In the last year of preparation this whole project has changed character, as our understanding of the true value and challenge in all this, stretches far beyond the physical challenge of bringing the remains of Roald Amundsens polarship Maud finally back to her homeland.
The bringing of Maud back to Norway after 100 years is saturated with symbolic value. Its a story to tell of great complexity and it touches many issues that are just as important today as it was 100 years ago. Amundsen and his men were real pioneers and did revolutionary work in many fields and the story we wish to present in a future House of Maud will focus on all these areas both individually and as a whole.
Winter conditions around TP and Jensen in Asker. We do assume there is more to come.
Our polish friends with master Maciej have done exellent additional steel work this winter, making Jensen more prepared for its purpose of lifting Maud from the seabed as well as being the carrier of Maud during her long journey back home to Vollen.
High working moral among our polish friends is highly appreciated. And they use their spare time catching a cod or two, which I think is an excelleent way of getting a dinner.
Stig is a good man and has gradually become a deserved member of the project group with his great varity of practical skills as well as being super enthusiastic about the whole project and not least the history we really are digging into with this activity of ours.
Erik and Bjørn are doing great work these days preparing our tug, Tandberg Polar (TP) for our adventure. As Bjørn says; ting og tang dagen lang. (this and that – all day long).
This whole adventure can hardly be described more simple and elegant.
jan w – feb14
