Week 6 in drydock has come to a close. This week has been focused on installing the new centerboard shoe. The centerboard shoe formerly housed an EK80 system of sonars, acting on a retractable platform to protect the sensors from ice damage. The new shoe is upgraded with the EM2042 multibeam sonar, specialized to map out shallow water regions.

To install the new shoe, weighing around 2,700 pounds, we first had to align and drill the bolt pattern of the old shoe into the new shoe. This bolt pattern was not included in the original drawing, though it is critical to the functionality of the shoe. Facing this problem included using the old shoe’s bolt pattern as a stencil. To confirm the alignment was correct, the new shoe was maneuvered beneath the centerboard, allowing the Sikuliaq team to ensure the new shoe would fit. Maneuvering the centerboard was a great challenge underneath the hull, where there is only about 5.5 ft between the drydock floor and the looming hull of the vessel. A rubber gasket was additionally placed betweent the new shoe and the centerboard.

Overall, this was a process of trial and error. In many situations, it seems there is no real guidebook on how to accomplish a very challenging task. We had to figure out how to install an extremely heavy steel object in a space with too low a ceiling for a forklift. Thinking creatively, using tools wisely, and working as a team are all essential in successful scientific research missions.

With the shoe installed, the team can start installing the new multibeam system and EK80 sonar suite.

-Paige FitzPatrick