Month: January 2022

I realize that its been a while since I last posted a blog, which I’m going to blame on the fact that this is the busiest we’ve been since we finally got into drydock last week. When we got to Vigor, we spent a couple days tied up to the pier. Unfortunately, our biggest and most pressing projects needed to wait for when the ship was high and dry, so while the rest of the crew were running around all weekend, the other marine techs and I had to make do with small projects for the time being. The first thing we did was to remove the ships gravimeter for recalibration. A gravimeter is an extremely sensitive instrument that uses a temperature controlled mass held by an electromagnetic field to detect gravity anomalies. Because they’re temperature controlled, the sensor has to be constantly connected to power, which is a little tricky when you have to take it off the ship and send it across the country and back. It’s such a tricky process that we had to have a gravimeter expert come out and help us do it properly. I had never heard of a gravimeter before, let alone worked with one, so it was really cool to talk to him about the sensor and all the things it can do. Luckily, we didn’t mess anything up, and the ship should have a newly calibrated gravimeter once we get to Newport next month. 

On Monday the 17th, we were finally able to move into the drydock. Drydocking is an extremely complicated process, and it took a massive coordination between everyone involved to make it happen. However, as with all things, the yard made it look easy. As much fun as it would have been to spend all day watching them dock the ship, it just so happened to be the perfect time to get a head start on one of our big projects; specifically, the installation of a 38-kHz Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP). An ADCP is a sensor that uses sound to measure how fast water is moving throughout the water column. One of the other marine techs, Carmen Greto, and I started installing the cable that would connect the sensor, which is at the bottom of the hull, to the computer lab, which is where all the onboard sensors are controlled from. ADCP cable is really big and stiff, and it was a pain to get installed, but we got it done. 

After the ship was high and dry, we had to put our ADCP dreams on hold and focus on our other major project: cable spooling. The ship has three different winches, as I detailed in an earlier blog. We needed to take the cable off of each one. We needed to completely replace one cable, and lube all three of them. I thought it was going to be an easy process of rolling out the cable and then put it back, but as I’ve come to learn, everything on a ship is more complicated than it seems. Spooling and unspooling cable needs to be closely monitored so the cable is under perfect conditions the whole time. One small error and it can get tangled and wrapped in itself, which no one wants to deal with. To help us, a team from Scripps came to the yard with some really cool toys. They had a shoreside cable spooler, similar to the winches onboard. Between our winch and the dock spooler, we could control the speed and tension of the cable, which let us keep the cable from turning in to a giant mess. For the entire week, we were running the cables off and on the ship. It was messy and tiring, but I learned so much about the process, and it was really cool to be able to control some of the deck machinery on the ship.

After we wrapped up (pun intended) the cable project, we focused our attention on finishing the ADCP installation. The sensor needs to be mounted a flat against the hull is possible, so I took some time making sure the housing was clean enough for it. From there, it was easy enough to hoist the sensor and bolt it in place. We had to be really careful about torquing the bolts correctly. I’ve never used a torque wrench before, so I was a little worried when I heard how important it was that the bolts were torqued, but it ended up being easier than I thought. After that, we wrangled some of the crew to help us put a protective ice window over the sensor, and it was finally installed. After it was in place, I installed a layer of foam inside the casing to prevent the sound waves coming from the sensor to reverberate and mess with the data. Despite all our hopes, it wasn’t as simple a process as we had hoped. For as easy as the physical installation was, we had to pay a price somewhere. Recall the cable that Carmen and I installed? Unfortunately, the connector that plugs into the sensor doesn’t fit in the watertight housing that lets the ship not flood. It isn’t very obvious, but this is kind of a problem. We’re still trying to figure it out, but it’s a tricky situation. 

That’s been everything keeping me busy during this first week out of the water, so I’ll wrap up this post. Hopefully by next week we’ll have found a way to keep the ship from flooding. 

Last night, at around 10 pm, the moment the entire crew was waiting for finally happened. We finally made it to Portland and tied up to the pier at Vigor. We were so excited about this momentous occasion that the crew took bets on when we would finally tie up (our third mate proved that his skills of prediction were the best on board). Before I talk anymore about Portland, let me go back to the beginning. 

Our long journey began over a week ago on Thursday the 6th, back in Seward. All morning, the crew was buzzing around trying to make sure everything was strapped down and that all the stores were loaded. Finally, we were able to push off from the dock and get underway. It was really clear and sunny coming out of the port, and I was able to get a few good shots of Seward from the water. The conditions were so good, in fact, that me and Ethan were able to get some projects done sooner than we thought. We spent a few hours starting to install a new LAN rack in the science office and cleaning out the uncontaminated seawater system. We also had to mount some monitors in the computer lab, which isn’t a big thing on its own, but it was the first time I’ve gotten to work with a 3D printer. It was a really cool opportunity to be able to dive deeper into 3D design and manufacturing. Some of my friends have done 3D printing before, but I’ve never had the opportunity. It was really fun, and I’ve gotten to do some more printing work since, which has been very eye-opening. 

Unfortunatly, eye-opening experiences can go both ways. Two days out of Seward, we hit a big storm. We had been expecting it since we left, but it still hit us pretty hard. We were riding through 35-foot seas and 40-knot winds for three days straight. I’ve never been this far out to sea before, so even though I tried to ask around and prepare, I was not ready for just how violent the ocean was. I got thrown against bulkheads and doors a lot, and I did get a little seasick, despite how hard I tried to avoid it. Fortunately, the more experienced crew members taught us a trick to not get thrown out of your bed at night: you can stuff a safety suit or a few pillows under one side of your mattress and fold it like a taco so it will hold you. It doesnt stop the rest of the stuff in your room from getting thrown around, but at least you stay put(most of the time). 

Luckily, the weather calmed down significantly, and the last few days weren’t too bad. However, yesterday, it picked up again, and it got to the point where we couldn’t take a pilot onboard. Fortunately, we were able to navigate the bar just by following them, and we finally crossed into the Columbia river. Even though we were still on the water, there was a marked difference the moment we crossed into the river. After a week of the ship rocking and rolling harder than Gene Simmons(hi pubs), it felt strange not having to constantly stuggle to walk through the ship.

The trip down the river to Portland takes around 10 hours, so me and Ethan were able to get some more stuff ready for the shipyard. One of the ship’s main winches is getting a new cable, so we had to rotate one of the other winches into a new position so that there is enough room for the respooling job. The winches have a cool design feature that allows them to rotate so they can be used by different cranes/booms as needed, and all it takes is some elbow grease and Dawn dish soap. It wasn’t easy, but for a multi-ton hunk of steel, it moved way more smoothly than I anticipated. While doing that, I got to learn a lot about the winches, how they work, and how the ship operates them, which was really cool. It’s a side of engineering that I’ve never explored much before, and I’m excited to continue it when we replace the cable on the other winch. 

Late last night is when we finally reached the pier, and I think I’ve already covered how that went. We’ll be on the pier until Monday, which is when the ship goes into the drydock. We get to stay onboard for the drydocking, which I didn’t expect. Everyone says it’ll be pretty uneventful but I’m still excited for it. 

So just to start, I say that this blog is only kind of about my first week because it only started yesterday. However, that being said, I’ve already learned so much that I never knew before that I feel like I’ve been here for much longer than I have. Also, the ship is setting sail tomorrow for Portland, so I think this is a good time to post an update. 

I spent Tuesday travelling to Seward. In total, it took me around 15 hours, which isnt bad considering how many flights are getting canceled or delayed around now. When we finally got to Seward, and it was pitch dark and freezing cold, I thought I had mentally prepared myself to a sufficient degree – I was wrong, but at least the ship is warm inside. 

Today was the first day that I was working on the ship. For the first half of the day, I was just getting acquainted with all the spaces onboard, what all the safety plans were, and what life on the ship usually looks like. The second half of the day is where it really picked up. I’m working with the marine technicians for my internship, and its our responsibility to look after all of the ships science equipment, like the winches, the sensors, and all the labs. My supervisor, Ethan, walked me all around the ship and went over everything that was important to us as marine techs. It was a little overwhelming, but I learned so much that I never knew before. Research vessels have so much more going on under the surface than I ever imagined, and it was incredible to pick Ethan’s brain about every little system that we talked about. For example, we spent a while looking at a seawater collection system for the vessel. It constantly collects seawater to analyze its temperature, chemistry, gas content, etc. as the vessel travels. Looking back, it’s clear why a ship with scientific missions would do that, but I never thought about something like it. Another important thing we did was to lower the centerboard in preparation for leaving port tommorrow. It sounds easier than it was; the centerboard on the Sikuliaq is a 15-ton movable keel that holds a number of different acoustic sensors. It exists so the ship can collect data from water not disturbed by the turbulence along the ship’s hull while in transit. Before we put in the water, Ethan showed me what it looked like from the underside, and explained what all the different instruments were for. It was a really cool thing to see, and also something I never would have thought about if I weren’t on the ship this winter. Once the ship is out of the water, we’ll also have a rare opportunity to look at the sensors mounted to the outside of the hull. I cant wait to start working on those.

Tomorrow, the ship is heading to Vigor shipyard in Portland to go into drydock. The ships azipod thrusters were damaged by ice recently, so the ship needs to come out of the water for the repairs to take place, in addition to the annual maintenace period the ship usually undergoes. While in drydock, the marine techs have a number of important things to get done. The first big task we’re going to do is to replace an old cable with a new fiber-optic cable on one of the deck winches. I’m going to have to learn a lot about fiber-optics and electronics really fast, but I’m excited about the opportunity to do something new like this. 

I’ll post again after we make it to Portland. Everyone says the transit shouldn’t be super busy, but I’m sure I’ll have a lot of stories to share.