Educational Activities

Journal Entry
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Sunday
September7, 2003
Lat.26.50 Long. –175.95

Today is a slow and easy day, we are on our way back to port so we don’t stop for as long or as often for collecting data. We are down to one dive a day if that is even done. We will send the MOCNESS down this afternoon and send the CTD down again this evening. The change in routine has been very noticeable. Many of the science crew have been playing more cribbage than in the past and many people have been learning the game.

Yesterday the ship crew sent out a “pinger”off the stern of the ship using the A frame. This was the first time that the A frame has been used with us on the ship. The “pinger” was being tested for the next science crew that the ship will have on board. It is used to determine how far off the bottom of the ocean an item is being towed. It works with the ships SONAR, that will tell where the bottom is located. The next group will be towing a sled of equipment that needs to be a certain level above the ocean floor instead of a certain depth below the surface. It was neat to get to see another piece of equipment in operation. There was an added benefit in that they allowed us to place styrofoam containers in a divers mesh bag and send that down to 5000 meters on the same cable. It was funny to watch a group of adults scurrying around looking for styrofoam that we would usually consider trash, myself included. We now have containers that have been pressure shrunk to less than a fourth of their original size.

We are in the Trade Winds and it has definitely changed the sea conditions. We are generally keeping 6 foot waves with the 10 footers thrown in every now and then to see if we can do the proper dance steps to stay vertical as we walk around the ship. The nice thing is that we are usually steaming and we go bow to stern on the rocking instead of the side to side. This seems to affect fewer people in regards to sea-sickness.

It is strange to think we are on our way back to Hawaii and will be steaming more than sampling. There are only eight days left of the twenty-eight we are to be on the ship. The saying about time flying when you are having fun is true. It is also very strange to think my kids, or classes will have been in school for over a month before I ever meet them. That will be very weird since I usually don’t miss work during the year unless it is for a meeting. My kids will be familiar with each other and the routine of the day and I’ll be the one trying to get into school schedule. Serves me right for taking off, and I’d do it again if the opportunity came up.

Ms. Daryl Newcomb

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