More Work Photos

Here are some more photos that David Vejar took (me by surprise). This is...pretty much what I do every night anywhere from 9-12 hours! :) We get the CTD in the water, I run into the lab and fire up the processing unit, run the software, watch the data stream, communitcate with the bridge and deck about ops, and fire any bottles for water samples (more on that below). Then when it is at the surface, I bring it back on deck with the winch operator. The whole thing takes about 30 minutes and then we steam to the next site. We usually do 10 CTDs a night.

This is the recovery end of CTD ops. I have in my hand, no lie, the happy hooker. I tag the CTD when it is still over the water with the hooker, throw the hooker back behind me and grab the line that is now attached to the CTD to haul it on board. On deployment, I just ease the CTD into the water with a line on it. During deployment and recovery the winch operator is controlling the CTD, I am just steadying it.

You can't see me back there but I am using the line from the happy hooker to haul it on deck-it is about to make touch-down here.

Happy to have had another successful recovery

Me at Work

Me by the CTD (conductivity, temperature, and depth). We usually send it down to about 500m. It collects data on the way down and up about the water column (such as dissolved O2, Temperature, Salinity, pH, Fluorescence). Also, I can choose when to 'fire' the bottles you see, and collect water samples at certain depths, and then prep them to be processed for nutrient and chlorophyll information once back in Honolulu. Getting this thing in and out of the water from/to the deck can be a challenge-especially in heavy seas-and I work with awesome guys from the deck dept. to make it happen. I am still learning good technique! Sometimes it goes perfectly and sometimes, ah well, not so smooth. Oh-and that contraption I am wearing is a harness so I don't fall in during deployment/recovery. I am hooked into the deck. I feel like one of those kids on leash at the boardwalk.

Fish On

Here you can see Gaetano holding what we ate for dinner last night. We had three "fish on"yesterday. All Ono. Last night's was macadamia nut encrusted. Just about as fresh as it gets!

My boss, Lt. Kyle Ryan

Sonar

Here is a shot of one of my jobs on the ship-Ens. Vejar took this of my computer screen. This is the map we created using our multibeam systems of a drowned atoll south of Tutuila, American Samoa. Last night we went back and I filled on the 'holes' (called holidays) from the first three nights of mapping.

Ship Life

The mighty Hi'ialakai, my lovely home. 

And this is what my room looks like after riding through a typhoon.  No, the chair is not supposed to be in front of the sink.  

seriously...we have a ship band! And-they are awesome! The best part is they like to practice right next to where I do CTDs, and when I do them, so sometimes I get live music at work. 3rd mate on bass, AB on lead, Chief Engineer on Drums. 

I like this shot because I usually sleep until about noon, since I work nights. I got a break from CTDs a few nights in a row to map a drowned atoll (we did not know at the time that's what it is) south of Tutuila. It had never been mapped before so we did some recon to see if it is diveable. It is, and we are changing the plan and going back there (early from Rose Atoll, where we are now) in two days to put divers in and check it out. Very exciting-as far as we know it is virtually unexplored. Hopefully I can finish off my map after they are done diving. So...this photo is sunrise, which I never see!, since we mapped from 8pm-9am...that was a LONG night. Coffee, candy, dance parties

Another fabulous sunset. Most nights I have the pleasure of working during these, and since I am launching CTD's I get to be outside. It is fun as a lot of the crew and scientists come out for it, like a little celebration.  And I get to watch the sunset and the moon rise, and then be out all night under the stars. 

Tutuila Hike

Erin and I, taking a break for water and a view. We could see the ocean from most of the hike. Though at the top, which apparently has an amazing view, it was very clouded in, as this was JUST after the Typhoon (that we had to hide from, getting only 2 days inport instead of 4, boo). It was SO nice to get on land and walk more than 200' at one time! The hike was about 7 miles, muddy and fun. Despite our "Biggest Loser Hi'ialakai Style" challenge that we had been doing, we were all sore the next day from using our legs like that.

Gorgeous!

The hiking crew.

Geocaching

For the first time ever our friend Molly took Erin and I 'Geocaching', where people have stashed little trinkets and things around the globe and posted their coordinates on a website, and you can use a GPS to find it-like a global scavenger hunt!  Molly actually set one in American Samoa (on Tutuila, the island we were on) and went with Erin and I to check on it, but of course she made us find it first! It was a blast! Most people take what is there and leave something new for the next person, but since this was Molly's we just left it alone. Someone had left a cool coin. Since it was the only one on Tutuila, we are talking of stashing a new one next inport. Here we are starting our search, after a hilarious bus ride out to the N edge of the island. The buses blast their local renditions of american music-so very funny. They are open and painted all crazy, and you just knock on the roof when you want to get off, and they pull over. We still have no idea how much it costs to ride-we just gave the guy a dollar each when we got off. 

GPS is saying I am close...

Hummm, looking like we are going to have to get on that old, old wooden ship. (Possibly called Diversity? Anchorman anyone?)

Nope, not in there. GPS was failing me by now-turning me in all kinds of crazy directions. So, at least we knew we were getting hot. 

It was inside this door and tucked up in a cubby...very clever Molly!

Erin and I-stoked that we found the geocache. And down about 5 gallons of water. 

I am not sure I have ever been so sweaty in my life-at least not photographed as such! We hitched back some of the way on an empty school bus. 

Tisa's

The favorite spot on American Samoa is Tisa's. The Hi'ialakai comes here every other year so many of the crew and scientists have been here several times and know Tisa, and Tisa's, well. It is truly a little barefoot bar with a wooden sign and a little deck, a tiki bar, meat or fish on a skewer (=entire menu, but there is no need for anything else). You can jump in for a swim out front-can actually wear skirts and tanks (the shame!...can't do that on the rest of the island)-and we even brought the boat band with us for a show! For those of you who know Seacrets-this is what it tries to emulate on a grand scale. One night they prepared a special traditional feast for us, called an Umu. The food is layered and cooks for three+ hours. Fruit, breadfruit, octopus, fish stew, many meats-it was unbelievable. It is served in a handmade plate made of leaves from the woods behind Tisa's, and you have to eat traditionally-with your hands. Our Chief Boatswain brought his own champagne-Tisa doesn't care!-and Tequila, and Tisa made us amazing frozen margaritas. We all had a much needed care free night with no sailing the next day! 

Hi'ialakai-work hard; play hard. 

Erin and I at the beginning of a much needed night on land-our first in 25 days or so. 

The view from Tisa's.

A view of Tisa's from the beach.

Snorkeling and Diving Shots

3rd Mate Sage about to jump. We love these little outings from the ship. They are a real treat-the CO lets us go in one of the small boats to snorkel nearby. It is nice to get off of the ship and AMAZING to get in the water. And everywhere we go is just deserted and peaceful. I've seen gorgeous fish, beautiful coral, and followed an octopus one day. I hear the snorkeling only gets better on the third leg of the trip, next month. Hard to imagine. 

Two of our engineers near a mooring. 

Me-norkeling

A photo from my roommate Erin from one of her MANY dives. This one is from Johnston Island-a while ago-but I wanted you all to see the beauty out here! LOVE-L