Local time 2230
Greetings –
The first week of sailing has given us nothing but incredible weather and relatively calm seas. Getting to meet and know the crew has been very cool. It seems like there is a good dynamic of relationships between the crew whether it be returning personal or newcomers like myself. There is definitely a strong sense of humor buzzing around the ship. It seems like holding a solid dose of humor each day is key to making long trips at sea that much more enjoyable so I’m loving the vibe.
I am learning new things every day from various crew members, not just only the scientists. Due to a solid amount of transit time during the first leg of the trip, there has not been a lot of extensive work to be done, however, I have been able to fill voids with some acoustic testing, preparation for future operations, and some initial calibration tests to some of the major scientific equipment.
I had the opportunity to acoustically test the functionality of six acoustic release mechanisms that are used to secure subsurface moorings attached to an anchor on the sea floor. These underwater moorings span the majority of the water column when in position but do not actually hit the surface. The top elements of the mooring lines sit roughly 30 meters below the surface when most stable. A series a glass ball floats are attached to the line in an articulated fashion to stabilize the entire length of the structure. Various external forces such as strong currents however can push the entire mooring to some significant angles off axes to its theoretical position of being perpendicular to the sea floor. We will be replacing three of these moorings that Scripps are using to conduct circulation flow patterns of the Atlantic.
In addition to some acoustic testing, I was able to help mount radio, strobe, and GPS beacons to the top elements of the new Scripps subsurface moorings. These are used as ways of communication if for some reason the cable of the mooring broke during its service time. This way once it reaches the surface, the beacon would begin to transmit where Scripps or another party could formally be able to recover and locate the gear safely.
Another significant apparatus on board are Pressure Inverted Echo Sounders, or PIES. These PIES sit mounted within a barred frame that is firmly mounted to these rather bulky and heavy tripod stands. When placed in their desired locations on the sea floor, the tripods act as a stabilized anchor for which the echo sounder can properly send its soundwaves safely from a slightly elevated platform off the bottom. A total of two PIES will be deployed on the latter half of the voyage.
Furthermore, the team needed to unspool several thousand meters of cable from the wooden spools to the ships main trolling winches. When deploying these long cables beneath the main structures, the large winch allow for an easy path through the A-Frame above the stern. The angle of deliver keeps tension and dynamic loading at an optimal factor of safety value. Very similar to spooling an arbor with fishing line, properly distributing the line from end to end of the winch is essential for managing the given space as well as making life much easier when deploying the line during an opp. Much of the gear communicates inductively, so it is vital that this wire is secured properly to all significant pieces of gear that goes overboard. This system enables you to mount and safety check any desired apparatus to the mooring cable during the operation of deployment.
Prior to making a pit stop in Puerto Rico to pick up a medical officer and another engineer, a primary CTD test was required. Two separate dives were performed, one accompanying WHOI’s three acoustic release mechanisms, and another holding Scripps acoustic releases, as well as 14 “microcats” that will be recording CTD data along mooring cables at various depths within the water column.
Nothing but low 80’s, mostly sunny, and variable winds in the forecast. As a Massachusetts native, consistent weather is in England is about as likely as the Browns producing a winning football team. Yeahhh I know I’m a spoiled Bostonian with sports, but this level of consistency of weather is something I have yet to experience. It’s been absolutely unreal.
Currently in route to WHOI’s surface buoy, I’ll have plenty more to share after the 4-day steam and the recovery/deployment. Stay tuned!
-Cam
P.S. The lone beach chair in the crow’s nest cargo bin was a clutch find. Great place to write a blog and let the wheels breathe after a long work day. We’ve been blessed with some killer sunsets on these Caribbean waters. This one is setting behind the southernmost island of Turks and Caicos about 10 nautical miles beyond the horizon.
