Month: June 2022 Page 1 of 2

Following weekend adventures going rock climbing and sailing a free sailboat back to RSMAS 7.5 nautical miles with Jon, it has been a busy week. The engines have been shipped and are at Expert Diesel in Fort Lauderdale getting checked out before being shipped down here to RSMAS. Meanwhile, Alesha and I have been busy on our own projects building a new step for the main passageway (after pulling off the old, dryrotted one looking for ants) and building a new A/C unit mount in one of the staterooms. We also took apart the CTD on friday of last week and went through each sensor with Denis. Sadly, he tested positive for COVID over the weekend and hadn’t been feeling good so he was out all week. But we prepped the 3-2-2 cable to make new terminations as well as connect to each sensor and go through the programming next week when he returns. Here is a picture of me working on removing the sensor cage on the CTD:

The A/C project has been quite good experience as we are dealing with electrical, plumbing, and carpentry. We had dealt with some of the other A/C units internals when we went around cleaning all of the units a couple weeks ago. And found it crucial to make sure the insulation around the valves and piping were in good shape or else the condensation would leak through the mounts, black mold would grow, and the wood would go bad. We ended up redoing some poorly insulated A/C units as while taking measurements and figuring out how to do the wiring and plumbing for the new one we were mounting. Here is a picture of our job reinsulating the supply and return hoses for one of the A/C’s:

We also found it important that the A/C was at a slight angle towards the condensation drain attached to the A/C unit as then it wouldn’t pool up allowing black mold to grow. Here is a before and after of our A/C unit mount:

As we were making cuts for our A/C mount, we also made a wood framed step for the main entrance. I learned a valuable lesson of building things on a boat/ship through this project; that nothing is straight or level onboard and therefore each piece must be custom. I made the frame of the step forgetting that the deck was cambered and not taking in account the warped bulkhead or vinyl that sat an 1/8 of an inch off the bulkhead. We ended up taking a sheet of plastiboard and cutting a couple of rectangles to act as a shim to prop the outboard side up, which ended up working perfectly and comes with the added benefit if there is water on deck then the wood isn’t in direct contact on the low side of the space. Here is a picture of a before and after:

Meanwhile, we had been noticing that we would have momentary grinding of an A/C contactor which also resulted in flickering lights throughout the days. We replaced the A/C contactor and curiously broke apart the old one to check it out. This was also a valuable learning lesson as the contactor had some burnt up plates probably resulting from buildup of residues which was resulting in arcing from contacts resulting in more corrosion. Here are some pictures of the bad pieces below:

We are preparing ourselves for the big engine project to start next week, but so far through these smaller projects I have learned a ton and continue to enjoy my time with the crew here. It is a wonderful working environment and everyone including the small boats staff, and everyone in the office is super supportive and friendly. Looking at possibly getting an apartment down here as my girlfriend gets off of her hitch on the R/V Sikuliaq on July 28th. From what I have experienced working here and through her experiences onboard University of Fairbanks ship, we are committed to the UNOLS research fleet and making a small difference everyday! I look forward to the future and the path that this internship is setting me up for. 

This was a short ­­­week for us working because Monday was a holiday that RSMAS observed. I spent Monday relaxing and recharging for the upcoming week. Tuesday, we jumped right in with learning about a new tool for determining the length, condition (whether its fit for use or now), and the category (Cat. 5, 5E, 6, …) of the wire. After we were introduced to the tool we were sent off to take reading of the wire to the port engine room and bridge. After conducting the tests, both wires came back in working condition, further confirming that our wire has no physical problem. Later that day we noticed that the few ants we had inside the cabin had grown significantly and were streaming in. I spent a great time that afternoon killing ants and trying to find the nest. We were removing deck boards in area where many ants were traveling then hosing the area for a few minutes to try and wash anything away that might be there, but by the end of the day we had no luck, the ants were still coming. The next day we spent the morning under the navigation panel in the bridge removing the dynamic position system electronics. This was a very tedious job because of all the wires we had to disconnect to be able to remove different drives. Everything had to be removed from within the housing before we could access the bolts that held the whole component to the bulkhead. Kyle and I also started a new weeklong project of removing and replacing an AC unit in one of the staterooms. Later in the week we removed the CTD and its instruments from the carousel and capped all the connections to avoid any of the pins from being bent. We will further dive into taking apart the CTD next week. For the weekend, a few of us went rock climbing one day and the next we went on a mission to get a Force 5 (a 13’ 10” sailboat) a gentleman was giving away. We met the man at his house and planned to put it in the water (he lived on a canal), rig it there, and sail our way back to campus. When we told the guy that he let out a slight chuckle hoping we were joking, but we weren’t. We rowed it out of the canal before we set the sail and prayed for the wind to pick up. There was only a slight breeze, but it was slowly increasing in speed. There were many unique and very memorable events that happened along the trip. To start off, we arrived at the house with no leaves on the trees moving, fully prepared to row the sailboat the whole way, 8 nm, back to campus. We then decided to stop at an island to resituate ourselves and gear. Once we got to a depth of 3 feet Kyle decided that he would hop out because he wanted out. Well in the process of him hoping out, me and Jon were both on the opposite side as Kyle, so we slid out too as soon as Kyles weight left. We referred to this island as party island because of the amount of people there and food boats (like food trucks but a shed on pontoons with an outboard), as well as the numerous jet skiers that we feared our lives from. Once we got situated and left the island came the next and best memory, we were approaching a draw bridge, with a clearance of approximately 15 feet and we had no clue what our height to the top of the mast was, but as we were within 5 feet of the bridge, we knew it wasn’t enough… we were closing in on the bridge as the horn was sounding to lift the bridge and there was a guy carelessly running along. Within inches of hitting the bridge it starts to open, we cleared it! It was our saving grace. We spent the rest of the trip back laughing and joking about it. As we passed under the Rickenbacker Causeway bridge, we knew it was our final stretch of the journey. This is where it was the roughest, with any wake from a boat, our heading was thrown off and our speed lost. It was a struggle to get closer to land. But once we did, Kyle hopped off and swam to shore. It was only about a half a mile walk back to campus, but we realized the boat was more maneuverable hitting the wakes. We finally made it back to the boat and relaxed in the ocean and joked about the whole journey even more. It was a very successful weekend in my books.

The before and after pictures of the DP system electronics.

Me helping to remove the CTD.

Following a weekend full of exploring the mangroves in a kayak looking for fish and alligators and cracking coconuts on the back deck, we have an ant infestation which we adamantly were pulling up the wood planks on the back deck to find where they were coming from. We discovered a few possible places of entry in the tonnage bulkhead that held the main doorway, that was sealed with 5200 marine adhesive. Upon pulling up the metal from the steps on the interior of the doorway, we discovered the wood was dryrotted and needed to be replaced. I appreciate the great value in how a small problem like ants can lead us down a rabbit hole that discovers a project of a potentially bigger problem such as safety. 

We are still waiting on the arrival of the engines (one of them has shipped) and therefore are continuing working on small projects around the boat, wherever we can be the most help. We got some training on using some more scanners and troubleshooting wires, tracing them throughout the ship, making sure that they were transporting information at the rate they were certified for, and how long they were. Then, we were asked to take out a box that contained all of the electriconic components for the old Dynamic Positioning (DP) system located under the bridge. The system had troubles as the bow thrusters are severely underpowered for the system and size of the boat. Therefore, the box has been sitting there unused and depowered for a long time and the F.G. Walton Smith kept getting hit with not taking it out in their NSF inspections. There is a lot that can be learned from taking things apart like this as each electrical component is attached differently and the connections have to be traced out. It is almost as methodological to remove electrical equipment like this as it is to install it, I feel like. Here is a picture of the box and me in the tight space underneath the wheelhouse control console. 

We have also started projects to to take out some of the old A/C systems left and reinstall some newer (but not marine-grade) A/C systems that are a little more compact and simpler. The new ones we are installing are the same ones we cleaned a couple weeks ago and will update one of the scientist berthings, the dry storage, and the wet lab units. Here is a picture of the old A/C unit removed and a selfie of me on the back deck with it about to throw it away! This was in my room and after seeing the grimy, slimy, thing uncovered I was a bit repulsed! Glad we’re changing it out!

This week was a doozy and very eventful to say the least. To sum this week up in one sentence: this week was poop, poop, poop, almost (basically) poop, and almost (basically) poop. As I put in my last blog post on Monday, we took apart the pump for the black water tank (poop). We took the diaphragm off, attached the new diaphragm to the connecting rod and placed silicone around it as per manuals instructions. Overnight the silicone dried and Tuesday morning it was time to reattach the diaphragm and get the head system back up and running. This was a tedious job because we had to ensure the diaphragm was seated properly and did not unseat as we were tightening the bolts. IN the process we also replaced 4 duck bills, 2 before and 2 after the pump. Duck bills are a check valve that are an effective way to stop reverse flow within the system. By the time we finished it was lunch and we were told we could take the rest of the day off as we were closely dealing with poop for far too long.

Wednesday morning, we had a pre-vibrations analysis test performed to measure the vibrations that are given off be the engine when we are full speed ahead. These measurements will them be compared the to the measurements taken after the new engines are installed. This is all measured to ensure the ship can maintain its structural integrity with the new engine. While underway the captain tasked Kyle and I to measure the length of the docking lines because it is not a job that can done while dockside. Later that day after arriving at the dock and tying up, we had to remove the life rafts that way they can be sent out and recertified. To finish the day, we removed ceiling tiles from the mess area to find a path to run Cat 6 wire for a new camera on the starboard side. This is where the third day of poop came into effect. Upon removing a bulkhead to take a ceiling piece off, rodent poop came down too. This delay the task a little bit because it was another mess that we had to clean up. After cleaning up the mess we stopped for the day.

Thursday we were able to run the Cat 6 wire from the tach space up into the dry lab, into the mess then through the ceiling. After this job was completed, we helped the chief engineer put a new check valve into the preexisting hot water pipes. While this job happened, we came to the conclusion that the other hot water heater is not properly working. We had to shut the water off the heater that was having a new check valve added leaving only one heater supplying water, which ended up only being lukewarm, were thinking the heating element might have short. That will end up being another job later in the future. Sone once the check valve was placed, we moved onto the next job, gaining access to the electrical outlet behind the commercial refrigerator. We wanted to be able to plug in an electrical cord to it and run that cord to the toaster that way it is off a different breaker as the microwave and coffee maker because the breaker would always be tripped. In the process of raising the pallet jack to raise the refrigerator, one of the forks caught on a piece of piping that would be used for an ice maker. So, that piece snapped off and water started gushing towards us from under the fridge. The water was quickly shut off by the engineer who managed to hurdle 2 trashcans to get down to the shutoff valve. We dewatered the area and then cut a larger hole in the wall around where the pipe was to be able to cap the existing pipe. After we finished with the pump, we brought it down to the laundry area where the grey water tank (almost poop) overfilled and came out onto the floor and drained into the bilge, creating a nasty smell that rang throughout the boat. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time left in the day to pump the grey water, so it was done the next morning, along with cleaning behind the fridge and placing it back. While pumping the grey water out, the pump got clogged. We were able to take apart the pump, remove the clog, and put it back together. I thought this was a really good learning experience as it was a simple pump to learn from. That was the end to a very chaotic work week.

For the weekend Kyle and I were dedicated to our project that started when we cracked open a coconut. After trying the meat inside and realizing that it was so much better than store bought shredded coconut, we decide to collect 7 more and crack those open as well. We saved the coconut water and puled all the meat from the shell. At this point we were already dedicated on making a coconut cream pie and it would be worth it for the 2-3 hours of work that we already did. We made the coconut milk that is used in it by adding the coconut meat to a blender with the coconut water. The pulp that was formed was pressed and the resulting liquid is coconut milk. If allowed to settle and separate, coconut water would be on the bottom and coconut cream would be on top. Once we got all the ingredients needed to make the pie, I started it and let is chill in the fridge overnight. The coconut cream pie was consumed the next day, as we spent it relaxing by the water.

The process of dewatering the gallery area. Refrigerator is to the left outside of this photo. (Photo creds. Kyle Hebert)

The first coconut that we got inspiration from after trying the meat. And yes, we used a fire axe to crack them open.

Separating the shredded coconut meat from the coconut milk. I was there with a fine strainer pressing all the liquid out. (Photo creds. Kyle Hebert)

On the left, blended coconut meat, once dried it can be put into the food processor to make it finer and is then considered coconut flour. I think coconut chocolate chip cookies are next on the list to make. On the right is the coconut milk and if you look closely the water is separating from the cream. The clearer liquid on the bottom is the coconut water.

The final result of the coconut cream pie. It came out delicious!

I am really enjoying the work environment and crew onboard the F.G. Walton Smith, it is very collaborative as we brainstorm solutions on how best to do projects or how to fix problems that arise. Everyone trusts, respects, and has each other’s backs while also joking around and having laughs all day. It’s the little things. Over the weekend, we went kayaking out to an old wooden shipwreck ~2nm offshore, where we anchored up and went snorkelling, it was super fun! 

On Monday, Alesha and I attacked the Head Vacuum Pump that created suction for the head system and fed into the blackwater tank. It was a dirty job, nonetheless we suited up and took the pump apart, cleaned the duckbill valves, and replaced the torn rubber gasket that created the suction for the pump. This is a picture of us suited up in Tyvex suits, goggles, and gloves:

Tuesday morning, we finished putting the vaccuum pump back together, after the silicon had dried on the rubber seal and pump shaft. In the afternoon, we continued our project with the Marine Tech on running Cat 6 wire from the Marine Tech Lab (where the terminal port is to connect to the switch, which then can be connected to Campus Safety’s server). Eventually, we will set up two more exterior cameras that will look down the port and starboard sides. We will use our newly acquired skills to make RJ45 connections to make a terminal connection in the overhead so that we can run an exterior grade wire out of the main superstructure to an overhang on both bridgewings. The picture below are the common tools that a Marine Tech may use for testing, creating, and removing connections through wire. This includes a multimeter to test voltages, amperages, resistance, and continuities when troubleshooting electrical issues, a scanner that can determine length of wire, connections between pins, wire cutters, and crimpers. 

On Wednesday, we started up the engines at 0800 and got underway around 0930 for a quick jog down through Stiltsville as a Vibration Technical Expert ran a vibration analysis on the hull of the ship. They are testing the ship before and after the engine swap in order to make sure the hull doesn’t lose any integrity from the vibrations of the engines. We made it back around 1100, just in time for lunch. Around 1230 we helped out with some crane operations to get the two life rafts off of the O-1 Deck to send off to get recertified and checked out by the manufacturer. We continued removing bulkheads to find a pathway for our wires in the afternoon. 

On Thursday, we got our wiring figured out, had to make a few cuts in the 2x4s in the overhead and fix some of the wooden bracings in the bulkheads. We then worked with the Chief Engineer to fix the broken check valve in the hot water system. After fixing the hot water system, we attempted to move the commercial sized refrigerator to do a favor for the cook and plug in a cord leading to the toaster. As we started pallet jacking it up, we accidentally snapped an old pipe that was from an older ice-box system, and water rushed out flooding part of the kitchen. We quickly shut off the potable water (part of the system we had just been working on with the hot water heaters) and went to work dewatering with a recipriocating pump. We ended up cutting a hole in the wall to put a permanent plug on the leftover piping. 

It has been a busy but highly productive week and it is rewarding to check some projects off the list and to work with this stellar crew. I learn a lot everyday and enjoy the people I am working with.