Category: Vessel/Laboratory Page 1 of 87

Week Four

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On July 8, 2026

In R/V Neil Armstrong, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

After a productive start to the cruise, the weather finally caught up with us early last week, so we stopped mooring operations. We continued with CTD casts for a while longer, but eventually the seas become too rough for those as well. We steamed away from the area and were able to avoid the worst of the storm.

One final sunrise before the storm

For the next few days, I kept busy with computer work and learning. I watched videos about various SeaBird sensors, started learning Python, and put together a poster advertising our 3D printing capabilities in case any of the scientists need parts. Emily also took some time to show me a few things around the ship. One day we exercised the HiPAP pole and gate valve to help prevent biological growth, and another day she walked me through the meteorological sensors on the mast (pictured below).

By Thursday evening, the weather had improved enough for us to resume CTD casts, and by Friday morning we were back to mooring operations. We still had two more NIOZ moorings to recover and redeploy, so I spent most of my time helping on the back deck. It’s been a great way to learn more about line handling and safety on deck. Once we wrapped up with the NIOZ moorings we moved onto the University of Miami moorings. It’s been interesting to see how each group builds and deploys their moorings since everyone has their own way of doing things. Just one more week at sea before we tie up in Reykjavik.

Week 7 – Working aloft & New Centerboard Shoe Sonar Installation

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On June 29, 2026

In R/V Sikuliaq, University of Alaska Fairbanks

I am certainly getting used to living in protective gear. Much of the drydock work requires full PPE – respirator, safety glasses, hard hat, gloves. Now I can add a harness to my list of working gear. This week, I ascended the forward mast to uncover our forward meteorological sensors and give the forward mast bolts some TLC. This required two days working aloft.

That’s me up there!
View from the top of the forward mast

This week, the Sikuliaq team also tackled the physical installation of the sonar suite and EK2042 shallow water multibeam on the new centerboard shoe. This project required lots of creative problem-solving and careful cable management within the shoe. The team had to drill out and align a new bolt pattern for the EM2042 installation. We also installed 3 zincs inside the shoe to prevent galvanic corrosion. The new shoe houses a Tonpilz transducer, EM 2042 shallow water multibeam echosounder,150 kHz ADCP, EK 80 sonar suite including a 70 kHz transducer, 120 kHz transducer, and 200 kHz transducer.

Newly installed centerboard and sonar equipment
Matching colors with the transducers

Installing sonars on a giant moving platform was a learning experience in correctly managing cables. Additionally, this project took away a lot of the mystery in how data is transmitted from the sonars to our computer systems. Much of the installation process also required working in a very tight environment (see window plate installation below).

Installing the window plates on the centerboard shoe

The new shoe is looking great with the sonars installed. Next step: testing & troubleshooting.

-Paige FitzPatrick

Week Three

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On June 29, 2026

In R/V Neil Armstrong, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

After a long transit we’ve finally started science operations. On our way north, we stopped a couple of times to deploy ARGO floats. Our typical schedule has consisted of CTD casts at night and mooring operations during the day. Following the first few CTD casts, we noticed that the conductivity values from one of the sensors were drifting quicker than normal, so we replaced it with a spare sensor.

The first few days were spent recovering and redeploying two OOI moorings. Each recovery took place in two stages. We started by recovering the upper 500 meters of the mooring, a process that took about an hour. Shortly after, we deployed the new mooring, which was a multi-hour operation. Once the new mooring was in place, we returned to the original recovery site to retrieve the bottom portion of the previous mooring. During these operations, I had the opportunity to assist with both the A-frame and the winch.

Over the past couple of days, we also recovered and redeployed moorings for NIOZ (Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research). Compared to the OOI moorings, these operations have been a bit quicker since the wire is considerably shorter.

Aside from science operations, I also spent some time transferring files to the new backup data drive that I have been setting up. Once the files were copied over, I set up the automated tasks that will be used to run the required scripts if needed.

Week Two

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On June 21, 2026

In R/V Neil Armstrong, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

On Monday morning we docked in St. John’s Newfoundland, where we picked up the rest of the science party and crew. Many of us had never been there before so we spent some time exploring the city and hiking along the coast. We got lucky with great weather!

To the right is a photo of the pilots boarding the ship before we entered the harbor. Below are two photos from the trail, one of the Armstrong docked next to a Canadian fishing vessel and one of the neighborhood along the trail.

Once again, this week has been slow for science so I have been working on more small projects. When we left port on Wednesday, I relabeled many of the servers and computers on the ship with their new IP addresses that they were given recently. This task has definitely helped me become more familiar with these machines. I’m continuing to practice with the 3D modeling software and have been busy printing some identification tags that the engineers have requested (pictured below). Aside from those two projects, I’ve been spending much of the last few days going through interactive Linux tutorials on my laptop.

Although we have been transiting for most of the week, we stopped a few times on Wednesday to deploy RAFOS floats, which track the motion of the water in the ocean. We will hopefully get to our first CTD station off the east coast of Greenland by Tuesday!

Week 6 – New Shoe!

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On June 21, 2026

In R/V Sikuliaq, University of Alaska Fairbanks

Week 6 in drydock has come to a close. This week has been focused on installing the new centerboard shoe. The centerboard shoe formerly housed an EK80 system of sonars, acting on a retractable platform to protect the sensors from ice damage. The new shoe is upgraded with the EM2042 multibeam sonar, specialized to map out shallow water regions.

To install the new shoe, weighing around 2,700 pounds, we first had to align and drill the bolt pattern of the old shoe into the new shoe. This bolt pattern was not included in the original drawing, though it is critical to the functionality of the shoe. Facing this problem included using the old shoe’s bolt pattern as a stencil. To confirm the alignment was correct, the new shoe was maneuvered beneath the centerboard, allowing the Sikuliaq team to ensure the new shoe would fit. Maneuvering the centerboard was a great challenge underneath the hull, where there is only about 5.5 ft between the drydock floor and the looming hull of the vessel. A rubber gasket was additionally placed betweent the new shoe and the centerboard.

Overall, this was a process of trial and error. In many situations, it seems there is no real guidebook on how to accomplish a very challenging task. We had to figure out how to install an extremely heavy steel object in a space with too low a ceiling for a forklift. Thinking creatively, using tools wisely, and working as a team are all essential in successful scientific research missions.

With the shoe installed, the team can start installing the new multibeam system and EK80 sonar suite.

-Paige FitzPatrick

Week One

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On June 14, 2026

In R/V Neil Armstrong, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

We departed Woods Hole last Sunday and have been underway to St. John’s Newfoundland to load some more gear and pick up a few more people.

There hasn’t been much science going on so Emily has been giving me a small project most days. I spent the first couple days practicing 3D modeling and printing. There are two 3D printers on board, but when I first arrived one of the raspberry pi’s connected to the printer was broken. Emily tasked me with setting up a new pi, so now we can print from our laptops again and watch the process with the camera that is set up. Once I got that printer working again, we noticed the print quality from the other printer was pretty bad in comparison, so I’ve been troubleshooting that issue.

I also spent a day working on reformatting a server to install a new operating system. Everything about this was completely new to me so it took me a while to get things right. Later, I spent some time building the ethernet cable for this server. Eventually, we will set it up to be a backup data drive.

After a few days we stopped to do a test CTD and deploy the first mooring, both of which went smoothly. The mooring landed about 700m away from its target location, which seemed reasonable considering the 4000m of line and 5000m seafloor. I was able to help out running the A-Frame and winch as needed.

Introduction: Christina Rorres

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On June 7, 2026

In R/V Neil Armstrong, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Hello! My name is Christina and I am an intern on the upcoming Armstrong cruise from Woods Hole, MA to Reykjavik, Iceland. This cruise is primarily for the Overturning in the Subpolar North Atlantic Program (OSNAP), but there will be some work with Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI).

I am taking a short break from my current position as a research assistant at WHOI to shadow and work alongside the marine techs onboard here. Over the past three years, I have sailed on various UNOLS vessels as a science member, so I’m excited to sail with and learn from the SSSG’s (Shipboard Scientific Services Group) over the next six weeks.

Week 5 – Cables, who knew?

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On June 3, 2026

In R/V Sikuliaq, University of Alaska Fairbanks

A lot of this week has been learning the basics: cables! Though cables may not be the most eye-catching blog post ever, they are an extremely important part of marine research and are essential in the proper functionality of research equipment. This week, I developed wire mapping skills using a LinkRunner AT-2000. My goal was to trace the unlabeled cables running through our main patch panel to their instruments, effectively filling the gaps in the labeling system. This took me all over the ship – bridge, electricians workshop, mainlab, ect.

I also gained experience this week pulling and running a new cable for the OS 150 ADCP sonar system. Running a new cable is harder than it may appear – passing the cable through roxtec units designed to prevent any water penetration through bulkheads can be complicated. Additionally, I learned the importance of avoiding cable attenuation, particularly in cables transmitting sensitive data that can easily lose resolution. The Sikuliaq team accomplished replacing the OS 150 cable, running a smooth route through the ship to the transducer flat. The amount of cables onboard a research vessel can be staggering. Knowing how to map and trace their patterns really helped me put together how data is transmitted from one system to the next.

Additionally, this week I prepped the top of the centerboard for welding a new reference position mark. This required full PPE and working in a very tight environment (see photos below for PPE and a view of the workspace before wire wheeling/primer). I wire wheeled the surface of the centerboard to ensure it was smooth, and I will be adding a coat of primer next.

This was a challenging work environment. However, I now feel confident that I know how to properly utilize PPE and accomplish difficult tasks in tiny spaces. Wire wheeling rust away can also be very satisfying.

-Paige FitzPatrick

Week 4 – Hello from the Transducer Room

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On June 3, 2026

In R/V Sikuliaq, University of Alaska Fairbanks

Hey everyone!

The highlight of this week has been working on the Ocean Surveyor 150 ADCP sonar transducer well. Sonar wells allow access to the transducer from inside of the hull. These wells must be completely watertight as the sonar can only operate effectively in water. We first removed the lid from the well, using a chainfall to lift the heavy lid above the well to give us access to the transducer. The OS 150 transducer was unplugged from its cable and lifted from the well for cleaning. I prepared the well for a fresh gasket to ensure a watertight seal when the ship goes back in the water, using a wire wheel and a fresh coat of primer to create a smooth gasket flange and well. I cut the new gasket and additionally prepped inside the well with sound-dampening corporene material using 5200 marine-grade adhesive.

Learning to work with equipment that must create a water-tight seal has been a very valuable learning experience. Additionally, using socket wrenches that are more than half my height has given me more confidence in taking on more challenging engineering and technology tasks (see giant socket wrench pictured below).

Choosing the right tool for the job is half the battle.

-Paige FitzPatrick

Loomings etc.

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On May 30, 2026

In R/V Thomas G. Thompson

It’s been a great week of getting comfortable with the rhythms of the ship (and the ocean). I’ve always heard that the swell period in the Pacific tends to be longer than the Atlantic and after pulling out of port, I could instantly feel it under my feet.

For the first few days we assisted in final prep in the port of Lautoka, Fiji. We engaged in the most sacred of intern duties: carrying things for people. We lashed all the Ocean Bottom Seismographs (OBS) to the deck, cleaned and secured deck plugs, and got a lot of practice zip tying chords for various instrumentation connecting them from the deck to the computer labs in the ship. 

Once we departed port, we almost immediately fired up the multi-beam echosounder and sub-bottom profiler to collect bathymetry in the fore-arc of the Mathew-Hunter Trench south of Fiji’s main island, Viti Levu. I have some prior experience with echosounders so it was nice to have something familiar, but the depths of the bathymetry we’re looking at are hard to fathom—4000-5000m down! Please forgive the pun. 

Additionally, we deployed a magnetometer to measure fluctuations in Earth’s magnetic field to pair with the bathymetric data. This small, orange, torpedo-shaped device spools out 300m behind the ship in order to get a clear reading. It also happens that this device has given us the most trouble so far. During our first deployment, our magnetometer gave us wildly varying readings so we had to reel it all the way back in and swap it out with our backup. This was made all the more charming because it takes a couple minutes to spool it all the way out and it was pouring rain on us. Fortunately our tropical location meant that it was more like a nice shower…unfortunately water got in my boots and they took a few days to fully dry. I love wet socks! 

Our survey has been punctuated by deploying OBS off the side of the ship. These rigs sink to the bottom where they will record earthquakes and small shifts in the plates over the next 15 months. Then another cruise will pick them up and they’ll have a bunch of seismic data to analyze. We’ve been assisting the OBS technicians in prepping each package for deployment. It’s been incredible to see how methodical the checklists are for preparing the devices. After all, there’s no changing things once the ship’s crane plucks them off the deck and swings them over the side. After they are deployed we use acoustics to lock into the position of the OBS and track it as it falls to the ocean floor. 

Overall, it’s been an awesome first week. I’ve loved getting to know the crew and other science party members. My shift is from 16:00-2:00, so it’s been fun lurking in the late night and drinking more coffee than I should. 

Looking forward to more lovely sunsets! 

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