Category: Vessel/Laboratory Page 41 of 89

Week 3: Drydock part one

On January 24, 2022

In MATE Blog Archive, R/V Sikuliaq, University of Alaska Fairbanks

I realize that its been a while since I last posted a blog, which I’m going to blame on the fact that this is the busiest we’ve been since we finally got into drydock last week. When we got to Vigor, we spent a couple days tied up to the pier. Unfortunately, our biggest and most pressing projects needed to wait for when the ship was high and dry, so while the rest of the crew were running around all weekend, the other marine techs and I had to make do with small projects for the time being. The first thing we did was to remove the ships gravimeter for recalibration. A gravimeter is an extremely sensitive instrument that uses a temperature controlled mass held by an electromagnetic field to detect gravity anomalies. Because they’re temperature controlled, the sensor has to be constantly connected to power, which is a little tricky when you have to take it off the ship and send it across the country and back. It’s such a tricky process that we had to have a gravimeter expert come out and help us do it properly. I had never heard of a gravimeter before, let alone worked with one, so it was really cool to talk to him about the sensor and all the things it can do. Luckily, we didn’t mess anything up, and the ship should have a newly calibrated gravimeter once we get to Newport next month.

On Monday the 17th, we were finally able to move into the drydock. Drydocking is an extremely complicated process, and it took a massive coordination between everyone involved to make it happen. However, as with all things, the yard made it look easy. As much fun as it would have been to spend all day watching them dock the ship, it just so happened to be the perfect time to get a head start on one of our big projects; specifically, the installation of a 38-kHz Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP). An ADCP is a sensor that uses sound to measure how fast water is moving throughout the water column. One of the other marine techs, Carmen Greto, and I started installing the cable that would connect the sensor, which is at the bottom of the hull, to the computer lab, which is where all the onboard sensors are controlled from. ADCP cable is really big and stiff, and it was a pain to get installed, but we got it done.

After the ship was high and dry, we had to put our ADCP dreams on hold and focus on our other major project: cable spooling. The ship has three different winches, as I detailed in an earlier blog. We needed to take the cable off of each one. We needed to completely replace one cable, and lube all three of them. I thought it was going to be an easy process of rolling out the cable and then put it back, but as I’ve come to learn, everything on a ship is more complicated than it seems. Spooling and unspooling cable needs to be closely monitored so the cable is under perfect conditions the whole time. One small error and it can get tangled and wrapped in itself, which no one wants to deal with. To help us, a team from Scripps came to the yard with some really cool toys. They had a shoreside cable spooler, similar to the winches onboard. Between our winch and the dock spooler, we could control the speed and tension of the cable, which let us keep the cable from turning in to a giant mess. For the entire week, we were running the cables off and on the ship. It was messy and tiring, but I learned so much about the process, and it was really cool to be able to control some of the deck machinery on the ship.

After we wrapped up (pun intended) the cable project, we focused our attention on finishing the ADCP installation. The sensor needs to be mounted a flat against the hull is possible, so I took some time making sure the housing was clean enough for it. From there, it was easy enough to hoist the sensor and bolt it in place. We had to be really careful about torquing the bolts correctly. I’ve never used a torque wrench before, so I was a little worried when I heard how important it was that the bolts were torqued, but it ended up being easier than I thought. After that, we wrangled some of the crew to help us put a protective ice window over the sensor, and it was finally installed. After it was in place, I installed a layer of foam inside the casing to prevent the sound waves coming from the sensor to reverberate and mess with the data. Despite all our hopes, it wasn’t as simple a process as we had hoped. For as easy as the physical installation was, we had to pay a price somewhere. Recall the cable that Carmen and I installed? Unfortunately, the connector that plugs into the sensor doesn’t fit in the watertight housing that lets the ship not flood. It isn’t very obvious, but this is kind of a problem. We’re still trying to figure it out, but it’s a tricky situation.

That’s been everything keeping me busy during this first week out of the water, so I’ll wrap up this post. Hopefully by next week we’ll have found a way to keep the ship from flooding.

Week 2: Stormy Seas

By Miguel Sanchez

On January 14, 2022

In MATE Blog Archive, R/V Sikuliaq, University of Alaska Fairbanks

Last night, at around 10 pm, the moment the entire crew was waiting for finally happened. We finally made it to Portland and tied up to the pier at Vigor. We were so excited about this momentous occasion that the crew took bets on when we would finally tie up (our third mate proved that his skills of prediction were the best on board). Before I talk anymore about Portland, let me go back to the beginning.

Our long journey began over a week ago on Thursday the 6th, back in Seward. All morning, the crew was buzzing around trying to make sure everything was strapped down and that all the stores were loaded. Finally, we were able to push off from the dock and get underway. It was really clear and sunny coming out of the port, and I was able to get a few good shots of Seward from the water. The conditions were so good, in fact, that me and Ethan were able to get some projects done sooner than we thought. We spent a few hours starting to install a new LAN rack in the science office and cleaning out the uncontaminated seawater system. We also had to mount some monitors in the computer lab, which isn’t a big thing on its own, but it was the first time I’ve gotten to work with a 3D printer. It was a really cool opportunity to be able to dive deeper into 3D design and manufacturing. Some of my friends have done 3D printing before, but I’ve never had the opportunity. It was really fun, and I’ve gotten to do some more printing work since, which has been very eye-opening.

Unfortunatly, eye-opening experiences can go both ways. Two days out of Seward, we hit a big storm. We had been expecting it since we left, but it still hit us pretty hard. We were riding through 35-foot seas and 40-knot winds for three days straight. I’ve never been this far out to sea before, so even though I tried to ask around and prepare, I was not ready for just how violent the ocean was. I got thrown against bulkheads and doors a lot, and I did get a little seasick, despite how hard I tried to avoid it. Fortunately, the more experienced crew members taught us a trick to not get thrown out of your bed at night: you can stuff a safety suit or a few pillows under one side of your mattress and fold it like a taco so it will hold you. It doesnt stop the rest of the stuff in your room from getting thrown around, but at least you stay put(most of the time).

Luckily, the weather calmed down significantly, and the last few days weren’t too bad. However, yesterday, it picked up again, and it got to the point where we couldn’t take a pilot onboard. Fortunately, we were able to navigate the bar just by following them, and we finally crossed into the Columbia river. Even though we were still on the water, there was a marked difference the moment we crossed into the river. After a week of the ship rocking and rolling harder than Gene Simmons(hi pubs), it felt strange not having to constantly stuggle to walk through the ship.

The trip down the river to Portland takes around 10 hours, so me and Ethan were able to get some more stuff ready for the shipyard. One of the ship’s main winches is getting a new cable, so we had to rotate one of the other winches into a new position so that there is enough room for the respooling job. The winches have a cool design feature that allows them to rotate so they can be used by different cranes/booms as needed, and all it takes is some elbow grease and Dawn dish soap. It wasn’t easy, but for a multi-ton hunk of steel, it moved way more smoothly than I anticipated. While doing that, I got to learn a lot about the winches, how they work, and how the ship operates them, which was really cool. It’s a side of engineering that I’ve never explored much before, and I’m excited to continue it when we replace the cable on the other winch.

Late last night is when we finally reached the pier, and I think I’ve already covered how that went. We’ll be on the pier until Monday, which is when the ship goes into the drydock. We get to stay onboard for the drydocking, which I didn’t expect. Everyone says it’ll be pretty uneventful but I’m still excited for it.

First Week(kind of): Alaska

By Miguel Sanchez

On January 5, 2022

In MATE Blog Archive, R/V Sikuliaq, University of Alaska Fairbanks

So just to start, I say that this blog is only kind of about my first week because it only started yesterday. However, that being said, I’ve already learned so much that I never knew before that I feel like I’ve been here for much longer than I have. Also, the ship is setting sail tomorrow for Portland, so I think this is a good time to post an update.

I spent Tuesday travelling to Seward. In total, it took me around 15 hours, which isnt bad considering how many flights are getting canceled or delayed around now. When we finally got to Seward, and it was pitch dark and freezing cold, I thought I had mentally prepared myself to a sufficient degree – I was wrong, but at least the ship is warm inside.

Today was the first day that I was working on the ship. For the first half of the day, I was just getting acquainted with all the spaces onboard, what all the safety plans were, and what life on the ship usually looks like. The second half of the day is where it really picked up. I’m working with the marine technicians for my internship, and its our responsibility to look after all of the ships science equipment, like the winches, the sensors, and all the labs. My supervisor, Ethan, walked me all around the ship and went over everything that was important to us as marine techs. It was a little overwhelming, but I learned so much that I never knew before. Research vessels have so much more going on under the surface than I ever imagined, and it was incredible to pick Ethan’s brain about every little system that we talked about. For example, we spent a while looking at a seawater collection system for the vessel. It constantly collects seawater to analyze its temperature, chemistry, gas content, etc. as the vessel travels. Looking back, it’s clear why a ship with scientific missions would do that, but I never thought about something like it. Another important thing we did was to lower the centerboard in preparation for leaving port tommorrow. It sounds easier than it was; the centerboard on the Sikuliaq is a 15-ton movable keel that holds a number of different acoustic sensors. It exists so the ship can collect data from water not disturbed by the turbulence along the ship’s hull while in transit. Before we put in the water, Ethan showed me what it looked like from the underside, and explained what all the different instruments were for. It was a really cool thing to see, and also something I never would have thought about if I weren’t on the ship this winter. Once the ship is out of the water, we’ll also have a rare opportunity to look at the sensors mounted to the outside of the hull. I cant wait to start working on those.

Tomorrow, the ship is heading to Vigor shipyard in Portland to go into drydock. The ships azipod thrusters were damaged by ice recently, so the ship needs to come out of the water for the repairs to take place, in addition to the annual maintenace period the ship usually undergoes. While in drydock, the marine techs have a number of important things to get done. The first big task we’re going to do is to replace an old cable with a new fiber-optic cable on one of the deck winches. I’m going to have to learn a lot about fiber-optics and electronics really fast, but I’m excited about the opportunity to do something new like this.

I’ll post again after we make it to Portland. Everyone says the transit shouldn’t be super busy, but I’m sure I’ll have a lot of stories to share.

Pre-Internship Intro Blog

By Miguel Sanchez

On December 29, 2021

In MATE Blog Archive, R/V Sikuliaq, University of Alaska Fairbanks

Hi Everyone!

My Name is Miguel Sanchez, and I am very excited to start my internship aboard the R/V Sikuliaq. For my internship, I will be assisting the marine technicians as the ship undergoes maintenance this winter. I am flying up to Alaska next week, where we will spend several weeks overhauling the ship. Eventually, we will sail to Oregon, where my internship will end.

A bit about me: I am an undergraduate student at Webb Institute in Glen Cove, New York. I, like everyone else at my school, am double majoring in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering. As part of the curriculum, my school has every student do an internship somewhere in the marine world every winter. After four years, these opportunities will have given us valuable experience and knowledge about the practical application of what we learn in the classroom. For example, last winter, I worked at General Dynamic’s NASSCO San Diego shipyard as a pipefitter. After I graduate, I am interested in designing research vessels, which is what made me interested in the MATE internship. I wanted to experience what it was like work on and operate an active research vessel, and MATE’s program seemed perfect for that. My experience working with the marine technicians will be invaluable going forward as a ship designer.

I am really looking forward to this internship, and I am excited to be able to share my stories with you all.

See you soon!

Day 38

By Grace Fulton

On August 19, 2021

In MATE Blog Archive, R/V Atlantis, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Our last full day offshore was on August 10th. I shadowed Corey, an Oiler, on his morning rounds and got to see the engine room. The interns and I spent time cleaning things up and getting ready for land the next day. It was easy to tell that everyone was getting excited to be back on land. The next day I saw the first sight of land, Nomans land, around breakfast. The fog was heavy coming into Woods Hole, so heavy that I couldn’t see boats approaching and passing us until they were 30 feet away. We arrived at the pier around 1330, where a large crowd gathered to greet Atlantis back home. I recognized some of the people on the pier as those who had traveled with us from Anacortes to San Francisco. One of them was the lead scientist who had worked on the EK80 and multibeam, Jennifer. She showed us around the town of Woods Hole, it was very small but had history. Everyone on the ship ended the work day early and we all spent the evening enjoying the solid ground again.

The rest of the week we did more cleaning, moving totes, helping people move things in and out of the office, and we got a tour of the Alvin on Friday! The Alvin is bigger than I imagined. It was really cool to see her deconstructed with all the electrical panels and wires out. The pilot who showed us around said that the Alvin should be done within a week and then it’ll be brought back on board the Atlantis.

Bella, a fellow intern, and I took Saturday and Sunday off so we could see more of the town and visit Martha’s Vineyard. We took the ferry Saturday and spent most of the day on the MV Island. We saw the cookie cutter houses, the flying horses carousel, and more “The Black Dog ” shops than I have ever seen in one day. The weather was great and admittedly it was nice to have a day off after working for 33 days straight. On Sunday we visited The Kobb, a local lookout over Buzzards Bay and Quissett Harbor. We went swimming and ate lunch in Woods Hole, then I spent the rest of my day relaxing and finalizing all my traveling plans.

It was back to work on Monday, unloading a container ship and moving around more furniture and securing 2 more Lista cabinets. That evening I went for a walk to Nobska beach and the lighthouse which had a beautiful view. Tuesday was my last day of work, and that morning Bella, Catie, and I mounted a hive, put on harnesses and climbed to the very top of the ship to look at the satellite on the mast. We could see all of Woods Hole from up there and it was an incredible view. After lunch David gave Bella and I a tour of WHOI. We started at the Alvin, then saw the scuba center, then the metal and welding workshop, a gift shop and visitors center, the compression chambers, and then we walked through the AUV Lab. It was great to see more of WHOI and learn more of its history. After the tour I spent the rest of my day packing and cleaning my room.

On day 37 I ate breakfast with the crew, said my goodbyes and took the bus to Boston at 0800. Although I am excited to get back home and see my loved ones and sleep in my own bed, I am also low spirited to be leaving such a great group and great ship. Knowing there is a chance I might not work on that ship again, or with that crew is a sad thought to me, but I am also keeping in mind that there is still always a chance that I will. I reached Boston around 10, I dropped off my bags at my hotel and I went into the city. I visited museums and the aquarium, and I determined that Boston is way too big of a city for me.

This morning I flew back home to North Carolina. Today is officially my last day of the internship and I have come home with no regrets. I feel that I took advantage of every opportunity and put my best foot forward in all situations. I am proud of the work I accomplished, what I learned during my time on the ship and I am so thankful for everyone who contributed to that. I am walking away with more seamanship experience, knowledge of research vessels, and a more thorough appreciation of all the work that has to be put into one. This was a valuable, rewarding and worthwhile experience that I will remember for a long time and carry forward with me.

It’s been a pleasure-

Grace M. Fulton

Heavy fog entering Woods Hole

The HOV Alvin

The R/V Atlantis from the ferry to Marthas Vineyard

View from the Knob

The Lighthouse at Nobska Beach

Climbing to the top of the mast, standing right under the satellite located inside the big while sphere.

The morning of my departure.

Week 5: Arrival

By Cherisse Figueroa

On August 11, 2021

In MATE Blog Archive, R/V Atlantis, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

It has been absolutely busy, but hearing that land was near gave us something to work harder for!

Since our internship is coming to a close with Woods Hole drawing near, we have upped our work to double time! Trying to get s much stuff done and scrambling to find anything we can perfect before our arrival for all those folks waiting to see the R/V Atlantis since it has been dry docked for the better part of a year and retrofitted with brand new equipment. Working with SSSG (both Allison and Chris) has given me such confidence with working with so many different tools, I feel like I can take this knowledge and apply it to things in my future. One thing is particular I am excited to try applying what I picked up and learned from the internship is creating my very own live-in van and customize it myself for all my traveling needs.

I am sad to be leaving everyone and the boat, a place I dedicated a month and a week, but happy for the opportunity to work alongside some very dedicated and hard working people, seeing all the sights that I would have never had the opportunity to do otherwise, and making long lasting connections. I hope that in the near future I would have the opportunity to do another internship to be able to work on more research vessels, or better yet see if any employment opportunities come up that fulfill everything I wish to dedicate myself to the scientific community.

A safety test conducted at sea before our arrival, all with expired safety equipment. Never fired off a flare, was pretty exciting!

Came by some drifting hardware that attracted an ecosystem of fish, including these mahi-mahi! They’re such beautiful fish, just amazing. Truth be told, I did feel a bit sad but at the same time the cook on board utilized both the whole fishes. Fillets taken, roe collected, and bones acquired for a great stock.

Obligatory fish photo, the bull was me sized!

One of the last sunsets I was able to enjoy before woods hole

The welcome we got when we arrived! Not pictured was the fanfare of boat horns also welcoming us in.

Day 28

By Grace Fulton

On August 9, 2021

In MATE Blog Archive, R/V Atlantis, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

It is day 28 on the Atlantis. We have spent the past 5 days going through the Caribbean Sea into Florida. 3 days ago we passed Cuba and we were close enough to see it in the distance. The water is a beautiful deep blue and the air is hot and humid. Since we entered the Bermuda triangle I swear the stars are shining a little brighter than normal. Most of my jobs this week were setting up benches, securing drawers, installing floating cabinets and moving around other various furniture. The lab spaces are starting to actually come together, and once we finish with the furniture we can actually unpack totes and put things away. However there is still a lot that needs to get done before we can do that. We also had a safety meeting a few days ago where we were allowed to shoot off expired flares and smoke signals off the stern. I haven’t had hands-on experience with any flares prior so it was beneficial to see them in action and learn how to set one off in case of emergency.

Earlier today we reached a buoy off the coast of NC which marked a good fishing spot, so we stopped and cast a line or two. It didn’t take long for 2 Mahi to get hooked on the lines at the same time. They pulled them in, gutted them and gave them to the cook. We will likely have mahi for dinner tomorrow.

We are supposed to reach Woods Hole on the 11th, that’s 2 days away! I am excited to get back on land and see the area. I am also looking forward to finally seeing the Alvin!

Until next time-

Week 4: To and Through the Panama Canal

By Cherisse Figueroa

On August 6, 2021

In MATE Blog Archive, R/V Atlantis, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

It has been slow and steady progress getting the R/V Atlantis ready after she’s been on ‘vacation’ for a better part of the year. Old furniture either being thrown out or reused, new furniture being placed or fitted, totes being emptied then filled again with more stuff that happens to get dumped there by another person also in a hurry to finish a task, just absolute chaos. However, through the sweat and frustrations we are finally seeing big leaps in progress around the ship. It finally feels like all the labor we’ve been putting in for nearly a month straight is finally coming together for some seblance of order! I just wish I had taken some before and after pictures of the entire floor we have been focusing on.

The highlight of this week for me was not the fruits of our labor paying off at a visual observation, but some pretty spectacular inginuity and environmental manipulation. I finally had the chance to go through the Panama Canal (something I learned of as a child from ‘Animaniacs’, guess my age), observing and learning about how the canal actually functions. Pretty exciting stuff, tried to stay up for the majority of it but quickly ran out of steam around 1am. We began going through roughly 8:30pm and from what I was told we didnt finish getting through until 2:30am. Needless to say, the entire crew was pretty wiped from either staying up to watch/having to deal with the canal workers that had to come on board to handle the line.

Right now, we are close to Cuba and it’s gorgeously blue over here. Sea turtles have been spotted a couple of times, just need to be out there at the right time with my camera out!

Bella Dina Lax and I working on putting together one of the many benches around the labs (Thanks for the great shot Grace Fulton!)

Before getting to the canal, I was outside watching the city get closer and a HUGE pod of dolphins came to play. I’m talking like a pod of 50 at least. Quite a magical moment, you can hear these guys when they’re around. I didn’t know they were so loud with their prolific squeals and clicks!

Outside Panama Canal waiting for our turn in the que.

Starting to go through the canal, what you don’t see is all the fun and noisy blackbirds, tons of bats, and a croco-gator (couldn’t tell) off to the right.

3rd Week at Sea (In Route to Panama)

By Bella Dina Lax

On August 2, 2021

In MATE Blog Archive, R/V Atlantis, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Another week aboard the RV Atlantis has gone by, and we have begun falling into a routine. Recently, we secured lab equipment and started to set up the labs. I am currently sitting in one of the labs typing my blog.

Grace, my fellow intern, and I were tasked to set up the sensors from the saltwater intake at the hull of the ship to the sinks. The system line up from the intake to the outlet is a debubbler (a tool for removal of visible bubbles from water flow streams), flowmeter (allows for the monitoring of a range of fluids), thermosalinograph (measure sea surface temperature and conductivity while the ship is in motion), fluorometer (an instrument that detects fluorescence), transmissometer (measures the fraction of light, from a collimated light source, reaching a light detector a set distance away), pump, and rotor flow sensor. We had to figure out a way to mount the sensors on a 45.5”x21.5” panel in the bow thruster room. We enjoyed working on this project and reading about how the sensors worked while learning how to set them up properly. The data collected from the sensors are displayed in real-time in each of the lab spaces.

***Flow-through system bypassing the debubbler***

For the most part, we experienced relatively calm seas, with the exception of a lightning storm which was amazing as it flashed in the sky and reflected on the water. We arrived in Panama on August 2, and I learned we needed to wait our turn to go through the canal. Smaller ships enter at night, so many of us will be pulling an all-nighter to take in this experience. Everyone I spoke to before my trip told of their time going through the canal and all were awestruck. I feel very fortunate to be an intern on the R/V Atlantis.

***Before lightning storm at sea***

Week 3: A Sweaty Set Up

By Cherisse Figueroa

On August 1, 2021

In MATE Blog Archive, R/V Atlantis, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

After saying good bye to most of the science crew back in San Francisco, there has not been any down time to relax after quick crash course on some of the many scientific equipment on board. The ship has been dry docked for about a year and a half now, and the R/V Atlantis has been fixed with all new interiors. Now everything that was originally inside has been in storage and also new eqipment has been bought to fit all new appliances and rooms, so it has been the interns job to be ready and available for any labor that is given to us or we sought after.

This is the first time being this far down the Pacific Ocean, and let me say that California dry heat is a blessing compared to the sheer humidity that all of Mexico has been providing for us. It has certainly made unpacking unventilated cargo vans full of furniture, totes of tools, and other bits and ends a extremely sweaty and laborious process! I think my crowning achievment for the past week is learning different tools and how to use them for different jobs around the ship. Whether we’re securing spaces for sea, painting, extracting various deck plugs in the floors, setting up IP addresses on transmitters/recievers, just to name a few things! I think I am most proud of the matrix-style wall of monitors for a wench control station here in the computer labs. I got to set up the measurements, best method of mounting, and execute the plan. I think that’s what I am most proud of this week.

On a brighter end of things, though I have spent a better part of the year in the Bering Sea, these oceans are just so blue and full of fun and active critters. I have seen dolphins galore (no good pictures, but some pretty spectacular videos), floating debris creating mini ecosystems for tropical fish communities, a mahi-mahi, and whales breaching. Another first for me is seeing a clear sky so far away from any lights and seeing the sheer amount of stars that has been gorgeously humbling, shooting stars every night, and the milky way. Truly a beautiful part of the world and one I feel so lucky to have the chance to experience it even after a hard days work.

Before we started

Putting up the unistraps (An all day effort…just getting them parallel…)

And a 90% completed job! Only 3 more monitors on the left side, but a job well done!