Office of Marine Programs
University of Rhode Island
Narragansett Bay Campus
Narragansett, RI 02882-1197
Phone: 401-874-6211
Fax: 401-874-6486
Email: OMP@gso.uri.edu
Thera Expedition
Teacher: Kathleen
Podraza
Date: Wensday, April 26, 2006 pt2
Had breakfast at 7:15 am and found out that our setting sail was tentative and now based on whether a radar part arrived in time and could be repaired. We decided if we did not sail, then some of us who missed the Archaeological Museum at Knossos could see it this afternoon, but staying flexible on this trip is the key and sure enough, the sail launch went from 12 noon of the next day, to a further change in plans to 2:00 pm today. And, we indeed sailed at 2:00 pm Eastern European Standard Time.
The watch duties will start this afternoon after the “Echo” is placed in the water. I have been assigned the 8pm-12midnite and 8am-noon each day. That is 4 hours on duty and 8 hours off duty and then start again. My first watch is “charting” and who knew I hated charting when I was at SEA@Woodshole? Someone told them (kidding) and they assigned me to charting? After several days of this, I felt more at ease with what I was doing.
On the advice of the ship’s medic, Jay, I took the motion sickness pill even though I have never been sea sick aboard a ship. The ship was rocking quite a bit from the gusty winds and rough sea, so from time to time I would look at the horizon or go outside.
One of the first things we did onboard was to watch a Safety Video with the Chief Mate, Armando, giving us a lesson on safe procedures at sea. We even had to put on our life saving gear, in the event we had to go overboard. That was a real hoot! The Chief Scientist, Dr. Dwight Coleman took a picture of my 5’2” frame in a 5’6” suit! What a sight that must be.
The wind was at 50 knots today and the harbor is protected by a short seawall, but the ocean spray was coming over the seawall and the surf was pretty rough looking. One of the crew members stated that the differences with weather between the Mediterranean and Atlantic Ocean in New England, was that the weather in the Sea of Crete can “kick up fast and lay down just as quickly, but in the Atlantic Ocean, storms had a way of lingering”.
I took some pictures on deck, talked with Paul, Patrick and Wallis (see their photo’s in the photo gallery), and met other Endeavor crew members for the first time. Everyone is very helpful and they don’t seem to mind all my questions.
