Blog update 3
After a ten day journey, I have finally returned home. My journey has been an incredible experience. The USCG crew flew their way across the Pacific Ocean and arrived at Seward Alaska 1 day ahead of schedule. The ship couldn’t dock at Seward the day we arrived because it was busy unloading containers from cargo ships. Instead, the coast guard arranged flight ops with the air operation division in Kodiak, Alaska. For most of the day, a helicopter landed and took off from the ship helipad to practice in case there was an emergency. I was able to come close to it and take some pictures.
In general I really enjoyed this trip. I love that I learned so much about while under way on the ship. Andrew and Kyle were amazing people to work with, very helpful, intelligent and all around good people. Casting the CTD was one of the most fulfilling part of the trip. Me and Kyle worked on having it ready for a test cast. We installed an altimeter, flourometer and transisometer to the CTD. All nerves ended when the CTD came out of the water and all its components came up.
The adventures I had on this internship will stick with me for a long time. From getting sea sick the first day of the trip to walking out the door and seeing land for the first time after they voyage. Adventures and experiences like this are the reason why I really want to be a Marine Technician. Apart from cool adventures, helping out troubleshoot a machine that goes up to 4000 meters under the sea is also fulfilling. I hope to one day, find a job where I can assist marine scientist with their electronics while under way in missions.
I would like to thank the crew of USCG, Andrew and the marine tech, Nandita at MATE and everyone else who helped me receive this internship.