On the morning of October 4th, I was awakened at 6 am in the Aurora Inn, Nome, Alaska, by our electrician and another technician. We were eager to check the weather and the status of the R/V Sikuliaq, our research vessel, but the fog, wind, and bad weather were definitely not in our favor. We couldn’t even catch a glimpse of the boat on the horizon. With no Wi-Fi in the hotel, we headed to the Polar Cub Café down the street to get online and see if there were any updates. Plus, the café provided a partial view of the dock, where we hoped to spot the ship.

(Sidenote: While at the café, the mooring technician and I almost ordered reindeer meat by mistake. That would have been an adventure.) Despite our efforts and waiting another hour, the boat remained pretty elusive in the fog. We made another attempt to reach it, riding in mud-covered vans (my first time, their second) but the boat still hadn’t arrived. But, we were greeted by a pleasant surprise: we saw beluga whales near the dock, at least four of them! I considered this unexpected wildlife encounter and the $13 spent on the trip definitely worthwhile. 

Returning to the Aurora Inn, we waited patiently for another couple hours, with periodic updates. Finally, the fog started to dissipate and sunlight came out and we spotted the ship approaching the dock from our inn’s windows. The electrician stayed behind to finish some work, but the other technician and I seized the opportunity on our third try. With bags in tow and maneuvering through mud, we embarked on the sketchiest thing I’d ever seen—a 30-foot moving ladder on wheels. It transported us safely onto the boat however. 

Once on board, I quickly took a rapid COVID test and met with my contact, who introduced me to my living quarters and explained my daily responsibilities. The entire ordeal, from our early morning start to boarding, had taken us until around 2 pm. I was ravenous, and my lunch of steak, mac and cheese, and orange juice tasted like the best meal in the world. To cap off the day, I joined the third mate in watching the end of “Young Frankenstein,” which I found hilarious. It was a great first day, and I was relieved to have finally made it on board. My room even had a large porthole, allowing me to enjoy the breathtaking Alaskan sunrises and sunsets.

I had heard rumors of the great food on the ship, and the next morning, October 5th, I eagerly looked forward to breakfast. I was not disappointed. The breakfast tacos with egg, sausage, black beans, and enchilada sauce were the best I’d ever had. I also indulged in steak with scrambled eggs, hash browns, and bacon. It had been a long time since I’d eaten like that, and to make matters worse, the food was unlimited throughout the day. I’m pretty sure I’ve gained a pound or two already from all the fresh blueberry pies, scones, cookies, and snacks.

The following days, the 5th, 6th, and 7th, passed quickly after my initial day. I focused on learning my responsibilities and familiarizing myself with boat procedures, including reading numerous SOPs and safety manuals, studying schematics, and completing paperwork. I had the chance to flush out the CTD, replace some pilons, and work with instrumentation in the ship’s bowels to prepare for the science party. Learning to identify alarms and sounds for irregularities was crucial in the rough seas, and I certainly earned my sea legs. Occasionally, I would visit the bridge to gaze at the horizon, and on my second day, as Los Lonely Boys’ “How Far Is Heaven” played, it felt fitting to witness such a stunning sunrise.

As we sailed toward Dutch Harbor, south of Nome in the Aleutian Islands, the weather warmed, and the snow became less prevalent. Currently, we are offloading gear in Dutch Harbor in preparation for the arrival of the next science party on the 10th, just two days from now. I’m excited to meet them, as I’ve read papers from almost everyone who will be on board. While I probably won’t confess that i’m a huge fan, internally, I’ll be freaking out.

This cruise primarily focuses on deploying and testing an AMOS ice-gateway buoy (heavy), or IGBH, equipped with different ocean and engineering sensors, as well as deploying, operating, and testing an Arctic-capable REMUS 600 AUV. We will also be recovering up to five SGX engineering gliders deployed from an earlier research vessel, the R/V Healy, earlier in the season. Additional glider deployments may also be on the agenda. Lastly, we will conduct over nine shipboard deep CTD casts.

This first week of the trip is really about preparation for the weeks to come, so I will be doing a big photo dump on this post of my little adventures in Nome (aka looking at all the old gold mining equipment), my work station, bridge views, etc. with whatever I have in my camera at the moment. I’ll document my experiences throughout the trip with photos and videos of all the fun things I’ll get to do listed above.

Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for more updates.

Mari 🙂