Tag: Thailand

It is hard to believe, but my final day aboard the Thomas G. Thompson makes for a total of 50 days. I am so very grateful, and have been blessed so abundantly to be a part of the awesome crew even for a while. Before we do some reminiscing, lets see how the last week has been.

Oh yeah, monsoon! Thailand can receive around 15 feet of precipitation in a year, which makes for some pretty rainy days at sea. The most important thing I brought with me on this cruise was my foul weather gear, and my great sense of style as you can see. No matter what the latest fashion tips may say, high-vis is always in fashion. The neon colors you may be used to seeing on constructions sites or warning labels have an important purpose- you can’t miss them! Highly visible colors such as neon orange, yellow, green or pink ensures that you are seen. In worst case scenarios, such as falling overboard, you are clearly distinct from the endless waters so you can be rescued quickly. So, you can always catch me on deck, in my glowstick cosplay- also known as my foulies. My rain jacket and pants kept me dry and toasty on all of the misty mornings and downpour afternoons.

The science team and crew worked tirelessly through the rain. To study monsoons is to endure the storms! Our final days of science consisted of VMP, or the vertical microstructure profiler, CTD, weather balloons, and scanfish operations. The winds and increasingly high seas made for a tumbling time on deck, and made operations run longer than normal. Taking the extra time to practice safe working tactics prevents injuries and accidents. It is better to lose an hour to work through things slower, than to lose days for an injury on deck!

Science has officially concluded for this cruise, and we began our transit back into port. The next couple of days involved removing all of the scientific equipment and devices that had been installed around the ship. This is no small task! In the above picture, science requested my help to remove some wires from the MCT. A lot of them, as a matter of fact! Though it looks like a tangled mess of spaghetti, it is a sense of controlled chaos that eventually comes together. We snipped zip ties, unplugged the devices and sorted out the cables with time. Cables have been bundled and stored in their appropriate boxes for shipping or storing, and the MCT sealed up to prevent any water from dripping in.

One of the larger deconstructions was a LIDAR on the forward 02 deck. It had been set into a gyroscopic mount for the duration of the cruise, which meant a more difficult time dropping it back onto deck. The ABs, captain, and the science crew all converged to develop a plan. Using many lines, hands, and some precautionary foam bricks, we were able to lower it onto deck in about 2 hours time. The master rigging skills of AB Brian (pictured above, climbing the frame) were invaluable to the operation. I find careful procedures such as these to be oddly beautiful, almost in a mathematic sense. A well thought out plan and attentive hands make for easy work!

For our final night at sea, God painted the sky with a lovely sunset to send us homewards! Our cruise, though there were many bumps and bruises, has been a success. We have just set our anchor back in the port of Phuket, Thailand, and everyone is busy at work preparing for their journeys home. Laptops packed and memories made, shipping labels slapped on every crate and palette. The data has been collected, and the scientists are eager to return to their labs for processing. The ships crew is cleaning, storing, and readying the vessel for the next science party to come aboard. Science never sleeps, and the R/V Thomas G. Thompson is bound to go to sea again shortly.

A sincere thank you to the crew, captain, and science parties for allowing me to join them on this cruise. I hope that I have been a helpful and optimistic force for their work, and that I can cross paths with them once again in the future. As I make my own way home, I will set out for another adventure in a few short weeks. Thank you so much for reading along, and following my journey across the world. To the other UNOLS interns this season, fair winds and following seas to you! Shout out to Maria and the entire UNOLS team for making my dreams reality!

I want to extend a special thanks to my brilliant educators that inspire me to this day;

Jason Rogers, for sharing his dazzling love of invertebrates and indomitable spirit. (The variety of marine worms truly is inspiring). Jacqui Degan, for never once losing enthusiasm and for pushing us all for greatness. Shawna Rowe, for great kindness and diligence unfailing. Joel Clem, for unwavering faith in our abilities and a patient heart. Nathan Whited, for generosity and constant cheerfulness through tough times. Brian Bradley, for taking the time to teach in every moment, and encouraging our curiosity always. Brian Jeno, for holding us to high standards and working tirelessly. (And for not sinking the R/V MarTech with us aboard when Blue and I ran over the Sidescan Sonar. Sorry again.) Crew and captain of the R/V Cape Hatteras, for putting up with our student shenanigans, and welcoming all of us for incredible cruises. Much love to my Marine Tech Club family and classmates.

Tomorrow marks one month spent aboard the R/V Thomas G Thompson! I am beyond blessed to have such an incredible opportunity to sail through the Bay of Bengal, chasing storms and deploying equipment throughout this warm and ancient ocean. I am always amazed by how things come together with such a vast array of personnel, all coming from different backgrounds, educations, and experiences. I am inspired by their stories, and for the pursuit of knowledge. I am excited to let my ambition go unchecked and see where it can take me!

Leg two of this research cruise has been a bumpy start, in more ways than one. Learning how to navigate complex shipping schedules, crowded dock space, and working with immigration has proven frustrating at times. And then came the rain! Monsoon season here in Thailand is beginning, with some regions getting up to 3 meters of rain annually. Rain introduces new complications, but also brings data along with the low pressure systems. Meteorological information is what we are seeking, after all. 

Everyone involved is responsible for their part, including the marine technicians on board. The first few days may be our busiest ones, all going according to plans (spoiler alert: it never does!). Techs and ABs are responsible for getting the science crew, and all the gear they bring, settled onto the ship as quickly and smoothly as possible. The decks fill quickly with equipment and instruments. 

The Thomas G. Thompson is by far the largest ship I have sailed on. She is outfitted with oceanographic and meteorological sensors in every nook and cranny. On the very top deck, known as the 05 or the flying bridge, we replaced an anemometer, or a ‘wind bird’. It is a lofty feeling to be climbing a ladder so far above the sea, being able to look out on the vast expanse of blues! There’s me on the ladder (Hi me!). Leg one of this scientific mission was smooth sailing, both in terms of the unusually calm seastate, and the workflow.  Now, after about 10 days in port, back and forth between dock and anchor, we are underway! We finally received the shipments we were waiting for, and finished our mobilization phase on the dock.

Now, the science can begin! We are deploying weather balloons equipped with radiosondes every 6 hours. The balloon will rise into the stratosphere, and using the attached sensor, measure parameters such as temperature, humidity and wind speed. This information is vital for understanding weather patterns. Look at ’em go!

“toil and turn under the sun,

c’mon Greenhorn! work’s just begun;

heave the anchor, tie the lines,

now sailing feel the winds divine;

a sailors job’s a rotten one,

when waves crash and thunder drums;

make way through twisted course like vines,

’til you again see brave coastlines;

dream not yet of landlocked loves,

lest the days escape and hands be dumb;

barely from the harbors brine,

sail out to sea just one more time”

Each time the ship comes to port, personnel board and disembark from their hitch. Some may spend weeks at sea, while others months. The time away from home can be both adventurous and at the same time draining. With each sea going person I meet, I come more to the understanding of this balance.

We have just about 3 weeks to deploy the buoy, drifters, weather balloons, CTD/UCTD casts, gliders and more! The increasing swell of the sea can make deck operations difficult and unsafe. We work with the captain and the science team to adapt plans that best suit everyone’s needs. So we’ll be here, watching the weather and deploying balloons! Catch you on the next setting sun, scallywags…

Micah Barton – God Bless – 05/30/2025