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
RITAS LOG
Sunday, Feb 18, 2007
09:35
On board at 9:00 am. Stowed gear in stateroom, secured laptop and accessories to workbench with Velcro and wire ties. Safety briefing scheduled for 10:30, departure scheduled for 12:45.
14:42
We left the pier at 12:00 noon. There had been some discussion about delaying our departure until Monday morning as one member of the science party had not arrived. Turns out that her luggage was last seen at the airport in Seattle, and nobody had a reasonable idea of when it would surface. Left her behind.
We are expecting 16 foot seas tonight with winds of 40+ knots. If we make good time we should arrive at the research area late tomorrow (Monday) afternoon. First plan is to tow the Scanfish to gather data, and then drop several free-floating sensors overboard. We will also be retrieving four data buoys that were placed in January, download the data from each one, then re-deploy them. Taking bets on whether or not they will actually be there, not broken free by bad weather or fishing vessels.
16:58
Getting ready for dinner. There is a full galley on board and two cooks who prepare three hot meals a day for both ships and science crews. Lunch today was a choice of burgers, hot dogs, grilled cheese, or chicken wraps, all prepared to order. Not sure what’s on the menu for dinner, but looking forward to it.
We lost internet and e-mail communications for a while, probably won’t have them back until sometime tomorrow afternoon. Seems the ship’s stack blocks the signal from getting to the antenna when the ship is on certain headings, today being one of them
We have been making good time, averaging just over 10 knots. Steaming SW, more or less following the coast of Long Island. Our research area is off the coast of New Jersey, towards the southern end of the state. The weather on our arrival will dictate what science is done when we get there.
Lisa’s ginger tea is doing wonders for my stomach. I took a Dramamine this morning, but it made me sleepy. Started feeling a bit queasy around 4, so I brewed up some tea, and it set me right almost immediately. The galley and dining hall are toward the forward end of the ship, so you can really feel the motion in rough seas. The science labs are further aft, and you don’t notice it as much there.
18:24
Finished up dinner, sent off a couple of e-mails while we have internet contact. Dinner was broiled scallops, roasted beef tenderloin, green beans and baked potatoes, along with full salad and ice cream bars. Impressive. Weather is not bad yet, but still forecasting rough seas for the overnight. We are currently hove-to to give folks a chance to eat in reasonable calm. Read in the ship’s library for a while - a book about one of Shackelton’s lesser-known voyages. Probably going to take advantage of the relative quiet and turn in early tonight, unless there’s a good movie playing in the galley tonight.
19:35
Slow going. Only making 4 knots or so. Several of the scientists figure that we are taking our time hoping things will blow over by the time we get to our research area.
24:00
Bunk mate and I both woke up and tried to figure out if it was midnight or noon. He finally went up to the science deck to look outside. It was dark and wet, so obviously not noon. We each installed the guard rails to the sides of our bunk to keep from falling out of bed as the ship rolls.
Monday, Feb. 19
07:45
Woke refreshed and ready to go for the day. Only problem is that there is nothing to do. Weather was bad enough last night that we barely made headway, and thus are still 70 miles from our research area. Based on the computerized navigation system, we are making a steady 4 knots, and should be there in 4 days at this rate. Hope we go a bit faster! One thing that was strange last night was hearing the sounds of water and waves above my head. I have the upper bunk in the cabin, which is right below the starboard side deck, aft of the science lab cabin. The water is pretty much free to break over the side of the ship here, so you can hear the waves above and inboard of where I sleep.
09:37
It’s hard to sit at my computer and type. The ship is rolling enough that the screen of my laptop keeps flopping open and closed on my hands. Breakfast was French toast, home fries, fresh fruit, bagels, and a whole assortment of cereals and breads. The cook is seasick, so I gave her some of my ginger tea. Seems to be working for her too.
21:24
Had dinner – roast pork or baked stuffed flounder, etc. Talked with Dave Ullman about the possibility of going to work tomorrow – possibly, if weather cooperates. Watched 24 and went to bed.
Tues, Feb 20
05:20
Up and dressed, took a Dramamine and my ginger tea, then up to the science lab. Dave, Dan & Li are up and ready to go. Waiting on the final decision from Dave to see if we can put the Scanfish in the water. If not, we can only head to where the data buoys are supposed to be and visually verify if they are there. Plan is to Scanfish all day today into tomorrow morning, then start pulling buoys in the afternoon in daylight. Apparently it takes up to 9 hours to download the data from one buoy. Then they have to be checked over, have any worn or damaged fittings replaced, and prepared for redeployment. Heard from the marine tech that the sea state is ok for the scanfish, but we have to see if the ship can make 6 knots. We should know after Dave finishes his first cup of coffee.
09:45
Hooray! Finally got some gear in the water. Well, almost. I got suited up and out on the fantail to launch the Scanfish. I helped Dave prep the fish and move it to the rail to be hoisted over the side. We took a few really big waves and decided that it was best not to launch. Big waves mean that the tow cable can go slack and then jerk tight suddenly, which can break the cable or damage the equipment. At $200,000, we definitely don’t want to do that. It was nice to get outside for some fresh air and a chance to test out my rain gear and boots. I also helped one of the techs test out another piece of equipment. Not sure what it does, but I’ll find out.
Working on the fantail is pretty cool. The stern is open to allow for launching things out the back, but that means there is no protection from water or waves coming on board. The other teacher on board took some good pictures.
17:00
Spent a lot of time up on the bridge helping to look for the buoys that mark the location of the gear. There were four small tower buoys and four sets of orange and green balls. No luck on the towers, even though they were fitted with light and radar detectors. We did find three of the four ball buoys, even though they are smaller than a volleyball. We even found the last one in the dark, using the ship’s searchlight to pick up the reflective tape on the balls. The other towers are definitely gone – either the gear failed somewhere, or they got dragged off by a fishing boat or scallop dragger.
Dinner was prime rib, potatoes and broccoli, then off for a short time in my rack. I stand midnight watch tonight.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
03:40
Worked on deck all watch helping to deploy, retrieve, and acquire water samples from the CTD gear. This piece of equipment is a metal cage fitted with a ring of 24 10-liter bottles. The gear is lowered into the water to a specified depth, and then the required number of bottles are electronically triggered to close to gather water from that depth. At least, that’s what’s supposed to happen if thing go right. If bottles don’t trigger properly, you get to do it all again until you have enough water to run tests on. The Chemical Oceanography guys on board, Pat and Scott, need 200 liters or so of water from each depth at each station to run tests on. They filter the water through titanium filters to catch radium isotopes, which have a half-life of a couple of days. The radium comes from on-shore sources, so by reading the isotope concentrations, they can tell how “old” the water is, or how long ago it moved from on shore into the oceans. The radium isotopes decay to radon, which is read by a counter in a cylinder filled with helium. The radon then decays to polonium. There are two separate isotopes of radium they are reading, one of which decays a bit faster than the other. Specifically, it is this difference that they are reading.
Anyway, did this for three and a half hours at the first station, now in transit to the second. I don’t think they need as many samples here so things should go faster. 20-30 miles to the next station, so I’ll be off watch for the next round of fun. I’m back on watch at noon today. Will get some more sleep and catch a shower when I get up.
13:50
Had a good shower this morning, then lunch – egg salad sandwich and great soup. Assisted in recovering one of the thermistor chains, which is basically a series of temperature recording devices the size of a magic marker tier along a line, anchored with 200# of weight at the bottom. No problem finding this one again, as we got a more accurate fix on its position last night. Instruments will be downloaded to the computer and readied for re-deployment another day. Steamed to another location to use the hydrophone to try and locate another thermistor chain that was lost in January – no luck, so now heading off to try and locate the final wirewalker buoy. So far, ¾ missing.
The plan is to take more CTD casts tonight – more fun on deck. I’ll try and shoot some video today so everyone can see what calm seas are like. Beautiful on deck – about 40 degrees and very sunny. Almost too warm with a jacket on, but wind is still cool.
15:55
Dave found one of the wirewalker rigs minus the buoy by listening for its pinger with a directional hydrophone. They can now try and recover it on the next trip with a grappling hook. If they can recover it they might be able to learn exactly which part of the rig failed and why. Saw a pod of dolphins close by the ship while we were on deck. Heard them first on the hydrophone, then saw them breach right next to where we were working on deck. Didn’t have time to go and get a camera for fear that I wouldn’t get to see them at all. We also located one of the ADCP units with the transponder – the hydrophone sends out a ping and the ADCP unit responds to it with its own tone.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
01:47
Came on watch just before midnight. Made our final CTD cast around 1am – only needed to do one at this station. We are fairly far inshore so the water is only about 25 meters deep here. Completed transferring the water samples like a well-oiled pit crew, then secured the CTD carousel to the deck. Lashed it down in preparation for tomorrow’s storm. We are now steaming at almost 12 knots offshore. The plan is to launch the Scanfish tomorrow morning at first light and steam inshore, completing one long line. That should put us well inshore by the time the weather gets bad and we should be a bit protected from the worst of it. Offshore forecast calls for winds building to 50 knots with seas 8-14 feet. Should be another fun ride with nothing to do. Will probably be Saturday before we can get back to work. I know Dave is frustrated with the lack of progress and the huge loss of equipment on this cruise. On a positive note, we located another one of the wirewalkers using the hydrophone yesterday afternoon.
14:05
On watch. The Scanfish was launched about 8 this morning, and we have been towing it since. IT scans and transmits data on water temperature, depth, and salinity 24 times per second, 24 hours a day. It is automatically “flown” up and down in a zigzag pattern, from 5 meters below the surface to 5 meters above the bottom. One of the marine techs sits at the control console on a 6 hour watch to monitor it. Sandy hooked up her laptop to a small stereo system, so we have had good music since the midnight shift. Not much to do this watch. I have been getting up at about 10:30 am to shower and dress and have time for lunch before my day watch, then have dinner at the end of the watch and off to bed until the midnight watch. We are transiting a long, straight line towards the Atlantic City. Hopefully will be able to call home tonight. Learned that there is a cell phone signal amplifier up on the 01 deck, which is also where the ice cream is kept. Think I’ll check them both out tonight.
18:38
Had a great dinner of roasted turkey, stuffing, veggies and of course, lots of cranberry sauce. Apple pie for dessert. The forecast is still calling for 40-50 knot winds tonight with big swells. The Scanfish is scheduled to come out of the water in about an hour, and then we will continue inshore to collect surface water samples. Dave and his team are discussing where to redeploy the thermistor chains once weather permits. Crew was on deck lashing things down securely for the night.
Friday, February 23, 2007
01:10
On watch at 12:00am. Scanfish went in the water at 11:30, and we have started the first leg of the radiator pattern. Towing offshore first, so the going is still smooth. Things might get interesting once we make the turn. We have to be able to maintain at least 3 knots headway to keep the fish flying properly or it stalls out and falls. 3 knots can be tricky in high seas because we get banged up inside. Might have to retrieve the Scanfish if the weather continues to worsen.
11:20
Up at 10:30, washed and dressed. The Scanfish came out of the water between 06:00 and 06:30 this morning. We are hove to again waiting for the weather to calm. The current NOAA weather report for the Mid Atlantic is calling for winds building to 30-40 knots with seas of 13-18 feet. Doesn’t look like I’ll see much action on my upcoming watch. Lunch is served in a few minutes.
Saturday, February 24, 2007
13:20
The Scanfish went in the water this morning after the seas calmed down a bit. I helped with unstrapping the fish from its cradle and carrying all 200# pounds of it over to the port stern quarter. From here it is raised off the deck with the winch and lowered over the side. Spent the rest of the morning working with Michelle to prepare the three thermistor chains. We measured out each length of line, then, using a combination of line, electrical tape and zip ties, secured ten temperature logging units to each line. The loggers are spread over intervals to provide a temperature profile of the water column from just off the bottom to just below the surface. I also helped Jim by retying some of the knots closer to the buoys to limit the movement of the buoys on the line and reducing the amount of fraying that occurs.
I have been having trouble with email for the last two days. Metcenter, Yahoo and Hotmail accounts would all hang up when I tried to log in. All but the Hotmail account are now working again. Nice to be able to talk to Catherine and the girls.
Sunday, February 25, 2007
01:17
Came on watch at midnight. Scanfish is still in the water and will be all watch. Plans are to deploy the thermistor chains and the remaining wirewalker tomorrow after sunrise this morning, then return to scanfishing, weather permitting. Forecast is calling for another storm building tonight into Monday. Go figure!
Monday, February 26, 2007
23:20
We scanfished all day today. Dave completed the second radiator pattern with the long legs running inshore/offshore and the short legs parallel to the shore. The entire pattern takes approximately 36 hours to complete. It was fairly calm today, with a bit of rain earlier in the day.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
01:30
We launched the Scanfish again after running from the northeast corner of the radiator to a spot further southeast and offshore. We will run a long straight line inshore to collect more data. Scanfish should be recovered somewhere around 14:00, or 2pm.
13:40
Recovered the Scanfish after completing the long line. I think that the only thing left to do with it is to wash it down with fresh water. For a change, I had the video camera running instead of helping to carry the Scanfish back to its cradle. Hopefully I got some good video. We are now headed a bit further inshore to take more surface water samples for the chemistry guys.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
07:20
Up early this morning as I did not have to stand watch last night. As soon as Jim is up I have to get packed up. Did a lot of it last night before turning in, but still have to pack rain gear and boots, plus all of my electronics. Shouldn’t take very long; just have to get it done. I’m really looking forward to seeing Catherine and the girls. Hopefully their colds are better. It seems like forever since I last saw them. This has been a good experience for me, but certainly a long time away from home. It’s been great hearing how grown up the girls have been for the last 10 days. I am very thankful for the wonderful family that I have!
