Still on the boat! We went through customs in Freeport, Bahamas at about 1 AM early this morning, although I must admit that I slept through most of it. Members of our team worked very hard to have all the paperwork in order so we got through without too much trouble. Because so many people were up and moving around in the middle of the night, we got a late start this morning. The day is being spent making last minute preparations for data collection to begin. We will arrive at the island sometime in the middle of the night tonight and will start sub ops tomorrow morning, so everything must be ready to go. I spent much of my morning filling out paperwork so that I can SCUBA dive. You wouldn’t believe how many times I had to sign my name!
I realized last night that I hadn’t really shared with you what it is like to live on a research vessel like this one! I know I won’t get everything covered, so feel free to ask questions! We have rooms that we share with 1 or 2 other people. They are downstairs, which means no windows because they are underwater. We sleep in bunks that are quite narrow and too short for me. Despite the size, they are quite comfortable, particularly if you enjoy being rocked to sleep by the movement of the ship like I do. Each cabin has a bathroom with a toilet and a shower. Showers have to be short because we have to be careful not to waste our freshwater, and they can sometimes be an adventure if the seas are choppy. The most entertaining thing about being at sea is the constant movement of the ship. Imagine trying to walk around all day with the floor moving….that is what it is like! I quite enjoy it, although it makes some people sick for the first couple of days. We have a galley (a kitchen) and a dining room to eat in. The cook is excellent and takes good care of us. The chairs are bolted to the floor so they can’t slide around and all the tables have rims so the food doesn’t slide off of them with the movement of the ship. When we have time to relax there is a lounge with a TV. We get satellite TV and have lots of movies to watch. The lounge is also where we meet to have briefings, so there is a dry erase board and a conference table. I have already mentioned that we have lab space. There is also lots of space for electronics and a workshop where the crew can make replacement parts when things break. Outside of the ship there are three decks. The lowest deck has the submersible on it, along with lots of other equipment. The second deck has more equipment, including smaller boats that can be lowered down into the water and emergency life boats. The second deck also runs all the way into the front (the bow) of the ship, which is a lovely place to sit and watch the ocean go by or to watch the stars at night. The third deck runs around the outside of the bridge and provides nice views of the rest of the ship. You may be getting the impression that this is a pretty big ship, and you would be right!
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