![]() ![]() We stop once to sample plankton with the manta net and obtain a water sample from the deck of the ship. At each station we also perform a vertical zooplankton net tow. After some trouble at the first station, it has been working well throughout the morning. The Shipek is a spring-loaded claw that grabs a sample of surface sediment. Still, he keeps a weather eye on our comings and goings, and mocks me when I still can’t tie a bowline after having been shown for the dozenth time.ĭuring this watch we’ve ran mostly on schedule, focusing on CTD casts and Shipek grabs. Although the first watch is far from a well-oiled machine, we have a good handle on the operation of scientific equipment. By our fifth day at sea, however, Patrick seems to place a little more trust in our experience. He’s quick to notice potential snags before they become real problems, which is important on a student cruise like this one, where there’s plenty of enthusiasm but little experience. Patrick, the marine tech on our watch, is an experienced hand with a gift for teaching and a penchant for sarcasm. These are the rules of engagement when doing science at sea. Sometimes during transit a rogue wave splashes anyone near the railing. We’re constantly spraying down some piece of equipment or another. After collecting samples from our CTD casts, we empty the sampling bottles by pulling them open from the bottom and letting the water gush out onto the deck. Large heat lamps overhead provide some degree of warmth, but nothing beats waterproof gear, even when it’s not raining. As we stand on deck at six in the morning for our first CTD cast of the day, none of us regret it. Now we have given up any sense of fashion and report for duty in thick pants, heavy jackets, and rain boots. On our first day at sea, many of us made the mistake of wearing jeans and hiking shoes. I seem to have adjusted to waking up for the morning watch. I stayed up late helping to batten down the hatches in the titration lab, but it’s surprisingly easy to roll out of bed. It’s a bumpy transit - much of last night’s watch has been spent securing equipment. We can make more from seawater with equipment onboard the ship, but effluent from fish farms within the inlets prevents us from doing it anywhere but in the open water. ![]() Due to a mishap, our supply of fresh water has been depleted. Instead we headed out to open water to journey up the coast and enter the inlet through its mouth. The original plan had been to transit from Muchalat to Tahsis Inlet, then cut across the Tahsis Narrows to Zaballos. We are en route to Zaballos, the second inlet of several we set out to research during the cruise. It’s 3:40 AM, and the tossing of the ship has awoken me, beating my alarm to the punch. ![]()
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