Hello everyone!

I have completed my first week onboard R/V Sikuliaq as a MATE intern! Getting an introduction to the vast array of scientific equipment onboard has been an incredible first-week experience. One of my favorite things to learn about R/V Sikuliaq is how her equipment is specialized to face harsh, icy conditions in the Arctic and the Antarctic. We are currently docked in Oakland, California. This week was all hands on deck, preparing the ship to be lifted out of the water. One of our major projects was the removal of the EK80 sonar system transducers from the centerboard shoe. The centerboard is a large retractable structure within the hull of R/V Sikuliaq that houses sensitive sonar equipment. The centerboard extends beneath the hull when the equipment is in use, gathering high-quality seafloor mapping and acoustic data. When the instruments are not in use, and particularly when the research vessel is facing icy seas, the centerboard retracts within the hull. The centerboard shoe is the housing at the bottom of the centerboard that holds the transducers.

Working inside the centerboard shaft is a very unique experience. The centerboard shaft almost resembles an elevator shaft. A metal grate is placed in the area beneath the retracted centerboard. The ocean lies beneath the grate, with the centerboard looming overhead. It is not a place to fear heights or confined spaces. We were able to successfully remove the transducers, requiring very careful use of tools to pry the instruments from their seats. The face of the transducers is very sensitive and has to be handled with extreme care.

Above is a photo of me inside the centerboard shoe after the removal of the EK-80 transducers. The space is very small, but I feel right at home! Below is a photo of the removed sensors, stored in an unused refrigerator.

Other smaller projects included designing and printing new caps for the upward and downward facing sky temperature and sea surface temperature sensors, climbing to the top mast to inspect the meteorological equipment, studying how instruments communicate throughout the ship, and exploring Alameda Island. It has been a great first week with the crew!

-Paige FitzPatrick