Month: August 2016 Page 1 of 2

WEEK 7
August 21-27

  Early Monday morning our Chef, Peter, was kind enough to drive me to the Fort Lauderdale Airport, which was about a 45 minute trek from the ship.  I boarded a 737 bound for Detroit, en route to Lansing, Michigan, where the memorial service for my good friend would be taking place.
  A week earlier, Chris Bapst had been killed as a result of an accident involving his own double-shot Derringer pistol.  Anyone who knew Chris knows he would never have intentionally taken his own life, and the suspicious circumstances surrounding his death have left us with a mystery that may never be solved.  His death remains an open investigation.
  The memorial service was a heart-wrenching event, but at the same time it was uplifting and healing as his friends and family celebrated the life of a wonderful friend and father.  A former bandmate and I had the honor of leading the service in song as we performed many of Chris’s favorites.  His loss will leave a very painful hole in our lives and in the world as we all try to move on, striving to follow the righteous examples for living that he exhibited.
  The next day I boarded a flight that took us through a tornado system in the Midwest, only to land in the path of a tropical storm, on its way toward developing into a hurricane.  
  We all watched the weather closely as we prepared to move the ship either inland up the Miami River, or else up the east coast of Florida, depending on the intensity of the storm.  As it turned out, neither plan would be necessary.  By the time it reached us we were on the outskirts of the storm, but we still experienced heavy (horizonal) rain and 45 mph winds.  The storm continued to gather strength and had finally developed into a full-blown hurricane by the time it made landfall just north of Tampa Bay.  This was the first to see land in Florida in some 10 years.
  In the days leading up to the storm, we began the horizontal testing of the the deck tie-down sockets, and also replaced the cable in the starboard crane, which had begun to fray due to damage it had incurred the previous week.
  On Saturday, Captain Lake, (who also plays the banjo), and I attended the weekly Bluegrass Jam Session in Hollywood, FL.  This is an impressive gathering of talented musicians that meets every weekend at an old fire station and trades licks, performing a fine array of Bluegrass standards.
  Afterward it was on to Luna Star Cafe in North Miami, where I was able to perform several of my original songs at their Open Mic session, which takes place every other weekend.  I’m really growing to love this town.

RIP Chris Bapst

WEEK 6
August 14-20

  Since the only two cruises that had been scheduled this month were canceled, we will be working on maintenance both shipboard and around the facility of Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. This is located on a slice of paradise known as Virginia Key, which lies 3 miles off the coast in between Miami and Key Biscayne.
  Vertical load testing of the deck tie-down sockets has been completed, so we have moved on to the 45° tests.  This will prove to be less time consuming, since two sockets are tested at the same time.  The only trick is to plan the pairs so that we don’t repeat any, since some are tested to 2500 pounds and others to only 1250 pounds (125% of rated load). There are over 200 individual sockets to be tested, each one requiring about ten minutes, so this is quite a time consuming task.
  A shipping container arrived from Brazil containing new equipment as well as freshly recalibrated sensors, so we spent a day unloading those contents into a new lab space, as well as moving gear from the existing space.  This included half a dozen large metal cabinets, requiring four of us and a fork truck to move, but all went smoothly.  
  It was also time to service the deionization filters in the ship’s reverse osmosis system.  This, of course is what transforms seawater into clean fresh water for the scientists, as well as drinking water.
  On Thursday I received devastating news.  One of my best friends back in Michigan had been tragically killed due to a gunshot wound.  He and I had known each other for many years, and he was one of the noblest souls to ever walk the face of the earth.  To say it was a tragedy would an enormous understatement.  Needless to say, I was paralyzed with grief for the next several days, and began trying to arrange a flight home.  
  Both the MATE Center and UM staff were incredibly understanding and accommodating, something that really meant a lot to me in this dark hour.  By Saturday I had made all the preparations to return for the funeral, and I struggled through the weekend in a haze.

deck tie-down socket testing

WEEK 5
August 7-13

 So far, August has been fairly uneventful. Initially, there were two 10 day cruises planned for this month working with the US Navy, and I had been looking forward to these projects. Unfortunately, though, the cruises had to be postponed and R/V Walton Smith was unable to accommodate the changes.
  One of these involved assisting with an exercise referred to as shock trials.  When the Navy produces a new design of a warship, they take it out to sea and detonate 10,000 pound ordnance near it, (fully manned), in order to gather data on the effects of the blasts regarding structural integrity, etc., and reevaluate before sending into full production.
  The research vessel’s function is to ensure that the location for the tests is relatively free of sea mammals. If they are present, the operation is moved to a different location. After the testing is completed, the research team then surveys the site for damage to sea life.
  Just before I arrived on board, the Walton Smith had participated in one of these operations. It was initially kept secret until reports of an ‘earthquake’ off the coast of Jacksonville begin to roll in. At that point the US Navy was forced to disclose details about the operation.
  Another cruise that was cancelled involved a project known as USWTR, Undersea Warfare Training Range.  This is a network of sonar and other various acoustic sensors located 50 nautical miles of the coast of Jacksonville.  This subsea network processes and displays tracking data for ships, submarines, targets, weapons, and unmanned undersea vehicles.
  During my first week aboard the ship, I was informed that schedules change quite frequently, but I still was disappointed not to be able to take part in these exercises. 
  As a result, we remained alongside and tended to the deck tie-down socket testing.  This must be performed once annually.  For each of the sockets, three separate load tests must be conducted: vertical, 45 degree, and horizontal. 
  I was also tasked with creating a document as per UNOLS Safety Standards, Appendix B, that describes the process in detail for each of the three tests.  This included a list of tools needed, step-by-step details, and photographs.  This document is then filed in the ship’s records for reference in future testing.
  As I mentioned in last week’s report, R/V Walton Smith sadly lost our Second Mate, James Sauers, to a boating accident last week.  On Saturday, the ship’s crew, along with the entire Marine Operations staff, attended his memorial in Coral Gables.  It was a heart-wrenching event, but the sight of all the green UM Marine Ops shirts that lined the outer perimeter was an inspiring sight.  The family expressed their deep gratitude and appreciation for the show of support, and I was truly proud to be included in the ranks.
  James was a great man and this tragedy will surely weigh on us all for a long time to come. (photo below)

  Back in port this week after three back-to-back cruises, it was time to dive into some much needed maintenance on the R/V Walton Smith. During last week’s 5 day South Florida Ecosystem Restoration cruise, more than 80 stations were monitored while involving extensive utilization of the ship’s seawater flow-through system, along with the CTD. As a result, it was time to service the Turner C6 multi-sensor platform, which carries 5 Cyclops sensors to measure turbidity, CDOM, chlorophyll, phycocyanin and phycoerythrin.  Fortunately, the slot for crude oil wasn’t being utilized at this time.

  After separating all the components, meticulously cleaning them, and reassembling, the unit was reinstalled to ensure there were no leaks.  The next few days included fork lift certification training and general cleanup. 

  The next task was to begin testing of the main deck tie-down sockets.  In previous years, each socket required an entire page to document the testing results, which made it cumbersome to flip through page after page in order to find the document you were looking for.  To remedy this, I fired up Microsoft Excel and created a document that would incorporate up to 25 deck sockets per page, making it much easier to reference at a glance.

  UNOLS Research Vessel Safety Standards dictates proper standards for most shipboard operations performed, and in line with this we created a step-by-step procedure specific to the Walton Smith to be followed in the future regarding vertical, 45°, and horizontal load testing.

  As my many years as a union stagehand taught me, there’s no doubt that adventure and excitement (and in this case, on the high seas), frequently requires not so glamorous behind-the-scenes preparation, so I didn’t mind spending some time getting my hands dirty in the blazing sun.

  In the short time I’ve been Miami, I already feel like the Walton Smith is my home and the crew my family.  When I arrived, the ship had just taken on another new crew member, 2nd Mate James Sauers.  He and I hit it off immediately and quickly became good friends.  He was always quick to share his extensive seamanship knowledge with me and to crack a joke.  I watched and learned with admiration and tried to pick his brain for tips any time I had a chance.

  On Monday August 1, James failed to show, which was unlike him.  When he didn’t arrive the next day, we were concerned, but that afternoon we received word from his wife that he was OK, but that he had been in a boating accident in his sailboat and would be absent a few days.  Although he had suffered a head injury and was in Intensive Care, he was responsive enough to appreciate the card we had sent later in the week.  We were anxious for him to be released from ICU so that we could visit, which the doctors said should be the first part of the following week. 

  Early today, Monday August 8, barely a week after the incident, the Director of Marine Operations came aboard and called us all into the mess lounge for a meeting.  The room fell horribly silent as he explained how he had just received word that James had suddenly and unexpectedly succumbed to his injuries and passed away. 

  It is amazing how some people can make such an enormous impact on you in such a short time, and James certainly did.  I’m sharing this so that you all can know what a wonderful human being he was, and to say that we should appreciate and cherish those around us.  We are fortunate to walk the earth for a while with friends like this, and never should it be taken for granted.

  James leaves behind a loving wife and two young daughters, and I’ll never forget the time I had to work, laugh, and sail with the likes of him. I’m proud to have had the privilege of calling him my friend. RIP James. (photo below)