Author: Michael Smith

Hello everyone,

I’m sad to say as I write this I am already home.  I was hoping to post this before I left the ship but the satellite was acting rather funny so I couldn’t.  

            However, I want to say that this internship has been an incredible experience.  I have learned so much in the past twenty days; it is hard to think I could retain so much.  Yet I still only scratched the surface.  There is so much to ROVs and piloting is not even half the battle.  What I learned was that the real task was to keep the robots running and well.  The work in such an intense environment that it is paramount that they go into the water working, otherwise they break and everything comes to a crushing halt.  That is quite a bit of pressure on an individual hehe.  Still it was an amazing time with some very interesting and unique people, all united with this common drive to unravel the mysteries of the sea.  I have many pictures to commemorate my adventure and I truly hope that this is the beginning and not the end.  I certainly got the itch and want to come out to many more cruise.

            Whether the next time I go out I will be an ROV pilot or a scientist I can’t say, but I look forward to the next time and for now turn my gaze to the next adventure. 

Goodbye until next time,

Michael Smith

Hello Everyone,

So I’m writing once again, now with a few more dives under my belt.  I am beginning to really understand how to pilot Argus and make sure I work cohesively with my Hercules pilot.  Not only that, but I am getting much better at recognizing what things are on the ROV, what they do, and when they aren’t the way they should be.  This is huge because as an ROV pilot, its not just important to be able to drive your craft, but to know when something is wrong and what is the best way to fix it.

I’m learning that checklists can be your best friend, and by following the checklist, I can spot issues in a very methodical manner, which is the typical approach.  If you think about it, it really is incredible what we subject these vehicles to.  The other night, the pressure on the vehicles was around 4000lbs per inch.  That is literally like taking the vehicle I pilot and putting one of them on each inch of your body, or two hippos for every inch as Katy would say.  So there is something to say for how great these instruments are and how impressive it is that they can still work after that.  It also makes it clear why it is imperative to take care of them and go over every inch after and before a dive.  I came across a leak in one of the manipulator arms after a recovery.  It was a pinched o-ring, smaller than your pinky nail.  But, if the arm kept leaking or too much water got in, the arm could have been ruined or at the very least need to be rebuilt.

So you can see that a major part of my job is not just piloting, but making sure the robots work.  It can be a dirty job at times, but it is immensely important and incredibly engaging!!!

Until next time!!

Hello everyone!

This is my first post out at sea from the Nautilus.  For the past week we transited from Galveston Texas to the Cayman Islands.  At the Caymans, the Jason learning students, or Argonauts hopped off after being with us for the whole transit, and a few more scientists and engineers joined on.  After that we spent another day transiting and today we reached the dive site.

During the transit me and the other ROV Pilots worked to make sure everything was ready and the ROV shop was in order! It was very busy but by this morning we were set to dive and I couldn’t wait to get behind the controls for Argus.  Around 10:3- the ROVs were in the water and currently they are still descending.  I really hope we see some awesome stuff, especially some great biology at the hydrothermal vents.  However, right now the view is of blue water.

As for how I feel about living out at sea, I love it!  I haven’t had any issues with sea sickness and it has been smooth sailing aside from one day where we went around the outskirts of that storm system. This internship has been an incredible experience so far and it’s only going to get better!

Talk to you all again soon!!

Hello, my name is Michael Smith.  In a few short days I will be flying out to Galvaston, Texas to join fellow interns and scientists on the Nautilus.  I will be working as an ROV intern under Reuben Mills.  During my stay on the vessil from August 11th to September 1st, I will be working hands on with the ROVs Argus and Hercules.  I am incredibly excited for this experience and can’t wait to be giving updates to my blog from the ship!

p.s. I will add a photo of me on the boat soon!