This past week has mostly followed the same routine of the week before. I’ve continued helping with pre and post-dive, as well as assisting during basket changes. Two days ago, a dive was cancelled due to weather, but conditions have improved and are looking good for the rest of the cruise.
Yesterday, after Alvin submerged, we had to build weight stacks again. Even with seven people helping, it still took us a long time. Doing the math, together we moved a total of about 4,500 lbs. of weight from the hold to the deck to build the stacks.
One of the more exciting experiences was watching Molly dissect a squid. Two squid had gotten stuck in Alvin during one of Molly’s dives and she wanted to save their beaks. It was fascinating to watch her cut open random organs and everyone trying to identify what was what.
Over the past few days, Bruce has been explaining the different systems of the sub to me, including the Variable Ballast System. Coincidentally, we ended up resetting the system later that same day because of a weight issue during a dive. Being able to watch the system being filled while receiving explanations from both Bruce and Nick, the mechanical lead, gave me a much better understanding of how it works and its role in Alvin’s operations.
– Aarav
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