This week was a short week with Monday being the 4th of July, but it was a busy week full of different jobs. To start the week off Jon showed us how to transfer black water from the port tank to the starboard tank. All but one head discharge into the port tank, so it filled up and because were dockside we cannot dump it. We then continued the day by cleaning and organizing the dry lab, moving the medical instruments and book back to on top of the cabinet, which was moved to remove the ceiling. To finish the day, Denis explained the POS-MV (Position and Orientation System for Marine Vessels) system and how we will install it. The POS-MV is accurate enough to report our position to about 1 foot, it is more accurate than a GPS. The system has 2 antennas that are mounted off the port and starboard stacks. These antennas are used to triangulate our position from satellites.
One of the projects we have been working on is the AT&T Wi-Fi system onboard. The antenna is getting moved to a different location in hope of extending the range of service anther 5-6 miles when we are offshore. We removed the antenna from the existing mount above the winch house and had to find a new mount to attach it to. The antenna will get attached to the top of the day shapes mast, so that had to be taken down. An antenna that was on the mast already, but not in use anymore, had to be taken off too. We had to figure out a new way to mount the antenna because the old mount for the antenna that did not work, wasn’t sturdy enough. After taking about it with Jon, he recommended that we should get an aluminum plate and weld it to the top of the mast, which is what we did in the end. We ensured the antenna would fit properly and cut a hole for the cable to go through. Before we were able to weld the plate to the mast, paint had to be grinded off to reach clean aluminum, that way the welded portions would hold. After watching Jon weld the piece, Kyle and I took turns to learn and practice laying beads on some scrap metal.
To start the engine project, we removed the exhaust pipe for the engines. The helped pull the pipe after they were disconnected. This was a very tedious job for the port side, we had to pull the 15-20 feet pipe up through the watertight door. To do this, the pipe had to be lifted up into the stack enough for the other end to be swung out the door. For the starboard side, the pipe was shorter and there were additional eyes that we could attach the chain falls to, to help in the process. Pulling the exhaust pipes took 7 of us to help. But that was the start of the engine project, and there is more to coming in the next weeks.
Learning how to weld. It was beginner luck for my first bead but it went down hill from there. More practice is needed.