Philip Hertzog

August 12, 2005March 18, 2021

Philip Hertzog, August 12, 2005

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Philip Hertzog
Onboard NOAA Ship Rainier
July 25 – August 13, 2005

Mission: Hydrographic Survey
Geographical Area: Aleutian Islands, AK
Date: August 12, 2005

Weather Data from Bridge

Latitude: 56˚ 00.3’ N
Longitude: 158˚ 45.7’ W
Visibility: 10 nm
Wind Direction: light
Wind Speed: airs
Sea Wave Height: 0 feet
Sea Water Temperature: 12.2˚ C
Sea Level Pressure: 1006.0 mb
Cloud Cover: 1, cumulus, altocumulus

Science and Technology Log

Last evening we stopped and fished for a few hours off the Barren Islands located between Kodiak Island and the Kenai Peninsula. I caught three rockfish with a 12-pound test line (compared to 60-pound used by others) by slowly reeling in the fish and letting them run to prevent breaking my line. A few other people caught rockfish and lingcod, but no one came near reaching their limit like at Albatross Banks.

After cleaning my fish, I went up to the flying bridge around 11:30 pm to watch the evening sky. The flying bridge sits above the main bridge and forward of the ship’s smoke stack. It offers the best view on the ship with an open deck and observation platforms. Jonathon Anderson stood watch on the center platform looking ahead for any whales that might surface in front of the RAINIER. A small diameter metal tube runs down from the flying bridge to the main bridge, which serves as a communication link by shouting into it. In addition to calling down any whale sightings, Jonathon let the bridge know of any light buoys or vessels he spotted. The deck crew takes turn standing watch on the flying bridge, which usually starts at dusk and ends at sunrise.

The main bridge maintains a quiet dignity. Before entering the bridge, you must obtain permission from the officer of the deck. People talk quietly and infrequently while on the bridge. The conversations focus on ship’s business, but mostly quiet dominates the bridge as the officers concentrate on handling the ship safely. An officer always scans the horizon to look for potential danger to the ship. A second officer maintains record books and frequently plots the ship’s location on charts. A helmsman, usually a deck crewmember, steers the wheel under direction of the officer of the deck. The CO comes on the bridge when problems arise and is the only one allowed to sit in the Captain’s Chair.

Here are photographs of the bridge and deck crewmember Dennis Brooks serving as helmsman:

Deck crewmember Dennis Brooks serves as helmsman.

After I spent a few minutes on the flying bridge, Corey Mussey and Allison Thueur relieved Jonathon of watch duty. Allison came on board with us in Kodiak as a new General Vessel Assistant. Corey stands watch with her as part of her training, but she will eventually be on her own. Allison previously worked on sailboats in the Caribbean and enjoys life on board. Allison told me she makes a point of teaching any visitors to the flying bridge the name of at least one star. She showed me a star and then pointed out several other constellations. Allison then made Corey point out the star he learned from her the previous night.

I stayed on the flying bridge for 45 minutes and looked at two distant volcanoes to the west silhouetted against a faded orange skyline. To the east, the dark outlines of mountains on the Kenai Peninsula slowly approached us as we headed towards Homer and our final transect runs starting at 2:00 am. What a wonderful way to spend my last evening at sea on board the RAINIER.

My journey aboard the RAINIER ended at 8:00 am as we pulled into Kachemak Bay and tied up at the Alaska State Ferry Terminal in Homer.

I want to thank the senior officers for giving me the freedom to explore the ship and allowing me to participate in all aspects of ship life. I end my log entries with a little bit of information on each of them.

Commander Guy Noll captains the RAINIER. Commander Noll grew up in Olympia, Washington (in my own neighborhood) and has three children. His oldest daughter will enter the Eighth Grade this fall in a school district north of Seattle. The Commander served on board the RAINIER as an Ensign earlier in his NOAA career and returned as Executive Officer about six months ago.

In June he received a promotion to Commanding Officer (CO) during a formal ceremony in Seattle. The Commander has many years of experience in conducting hydrographic surveys and I found him to be one of the most knowledgeable people on board in charting technology. He also is an expert fisherman, though I observed that his command duties severely limit this recreational activity.

Commander Julia Neander, Executive Officer (XO) — Commander Julia Neander, XO

Commander Julia Neander serves as our Executive Officer (XO). The XO is second in charge, sets the ship’s schedule, and makes administrative arrangements for mooring in harbors like Kodiak and Homer. She also deals with personnel issues, makes room assignments, and resolves disputes among the crew. In many ways, XO Neander’s job is similar to that of an assistant principal at a school while the CO acts as the principal.

Commander Neander went to Montana State University (at the same time I did) and once circled the Earth over the course of a year on a NOAA ship. Her husband served on the RAINIER as XO and they have a five year-old son.

Lieutenant Ben Evans, Field Operations Officer (FOO) — Lieutenant Ben Evans, Field Operations Officer

Lieutenant Ben Evans runs all of the mapping efforts as the Field Operations Officer (FOO). As the FOO, Lt. Evans makes decisions on all aspects of survey work. He organizes the junior officers in the field and constantly monitors the radio to resolve any technical problems the survey crew encounters on the launches. Lt. Evans also looks over the quality of the sonar data and determines its acceptability. He oversees the officers processing the data on board the Rainier and works long hours to make sure mapping efforts run smoothly. Lt. Evans grew up in upstate New York near Lake Ontario. To the right is the FOO out in the field trouble shooting the HOR CON.

Again, I thank the Senior Officers and all the crew of the RAINIER for the wonderful experience.

Personal Log

My voyage has officially ended aboard the RAINIER as her Teacher at Sea. I’ll spend tonight on the ship and then stay in a hotel tomorrow night before flying back to Washington State.

As I write this, I hear laughter in the hallway from the Junior Officers for the first time since we left Mitrofania. Commander Neander stops by with her five-year-old son and says good-bye to me as she leaves to spend a weekend with her family away from the ship. Other people talk about plans for the weekend: going to Anchorage, renting a hotel room, going camping, and eating in a fine restaurant. A joyous mood seeps throughout the RAINIER as people prepare for two days off after three weeks at sea.

What a journey for me. I got to touch base with technical fieldwork that I had done prior to teaching. Before the RAINIER, I had spent no more than two continuous days aboard a ship. I learned how a ship at sea operates like a small community, like a family.

I look forward to meeting my new students in a few weeks and telling them about the RAINIER. Both Mike Laird (the other teacher) and I have started to use our experience to modify lesson plans for the fall.

The RAINIER departs in a few days for the uncharted waters of the Southwestern Alaskan peninsula. Miles of coastline and deep water await her as she carries out a mission to update decades-old nautical charts that will then safely guide mariners engaged in commerce or pleasure. Goodbye to the RAINIER and may fair seas greet you on your mission…

Question of the Day

Would you like to live on a ship like the RAINIER for a year? What are the pros and cons of living a seafaring life?

August 11, 2005March 18, 2021

Philip Hertzog, August 11, 2005

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Philip Hertzog
Onboard NOAA Ship Rainier
July 25 – August 13, 2005

Mission: Hydrographic Survey
Geographical Area: Aleutian Islands, AK
Date: August 11, 2005

Weather Data from Bridge

Latitude: 58˚ 04.93’ N
Longitude: 152˚ 02.55’ W
Visibility: 10 nm
Wind Direction: 215˚
Wind Speed: 4 kts
Sea Wave Height: 0-1 feet
Sea Water Temperature: 10.6˚ C
Sea Level Pressure: 1025mb
Cloud Cover: 0, no clouds

Science and Technology Log

We continued our transit towards Homer, but made a stop in Kodiak to pick up fuel. I woke up with the sun rising in the eastern sky and ran up to the flying bridge to snap these photos of Kodiak Island as we entered the harbor at the Coast Guard Station. We stayed at the station for about four hours and had the opportunity to go on shore to the Station’s store. The RAINIER took on 17,000 gallons of diesel fuel that cost $ 20,000. This replaced the fuel we used for our travel during the past three weeks. The Coast Guard charged the ship at a rate of $ 1.18 per gallon, but other locations may over $ 2.00 a gallon.

In leaving the Station, we followed navigation buoys out of the harbor. The buoys located the deep water channel the RAINIER follows to avoid grounding. Two main types of buoys help mariners navigate waters: nuns and cans. Nuns are red in color and the tops are triangle shaped (like a nun’s cap). Cans are green with a flat top shaped (like a can): If you are returning to harbor, one keeps the red buoys on the right (starboard) side and the green buoys on the left (port) side of the ship. Leaving harbor you do the opposite, green on the right and red on the left. Everyone on board has memorized the saying “red right returning” to remember the proper side to pass buoys.

As we left Kodiak Island and headed into open waters, the bridge spots Orca whales on both sides of the ship. The Orcas traveled in small groups of two to four and surfaced to show their large dorsal fins. I spotted the large fin of a male and several females nearby. Orcas follow their mothers and the males tend to be “mamma’s boys.” The females lead the pods and can live to be over 80 years old.

Personal Log

The seas were calmer last night and the crew got some rest. People’s spirits picked up after the large halibut fishing excursion and in anticipation of a free weekend. We had clear blue skies today without a cloud in sight. We have been lucky to have three weeks without rain in Southwestern Alaska. I spent several hours on the flying bridge watching the scenery pass. Our trip is winding up and will end early tomorrow in Homer, Alaska. I am starting to think about how much I will miss being on the ship, but I’ll be glad to get back home to the Olympia/Tacoma area in Washington State. Tonight we will stop for a few hours to fish near the Barren Islands. Stay tuned for my report and my last log entry.

Question of the Day

We learned about green and red buoys. What other types of buoys do ship’s navigators need to keep them safe? Make up your own buoys and come up with a color code and shape.

August 10, 2005March 18, 2021

Philip Hertzog, August 10, 2005

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Philip Hertzog
Onboard NOAA Ship Rainier
July 25 – August 13, 2005

Mission: Hydrographic Survey
Geographical Area: Aleutian Islands, AK
Date: August 10, 2005

Chief Yeoman Paul Fletcher in his office

Weather Data from Bridge

Science and Technology Log

With Mitrofania Island far behind, we transited the deep waters of the Gulf of Alaska towards Kodiak Island. The RAINIER rolled during the night as we stopped to take a CTD cast and run a six-hour sonar line on channel approaches to the Semidi Islands. Few people slept well and the crew talked very little at breakfast due to the exhaustion of three strait weeks of solid work.

RAINIER’s crew works a hard 10 to 12 hours each day, but they do receive overtime pay. Paul Fletcher, the Chief Yeoman, told me he has seen young people out here make enough money to pay for college if they save money and keep expenses down. Paul noted that the overtime and sea duty pay make up for low base wages. In addition you get three meals a day, housing, and you don’t need to carry full car insurance while out to sea for 200-plus days each year.

left: Megan Guberski, middle: Jodie Edmond, right: mooring the ship

As mentioned in an earlier entry, the crew of the RAINIER consists of two groups: NOAA Corps Officers and civilians. Let’s focus on the civilian portion today. Six departments employ the crew of the RAINIER. Some of the positions on board require a college degree, while others only require a high school diploma and a willingness to work hard.

I worked most closely with the Survey Department while on board the RAINIER. The Department consists of survey technicians who go out on the launches to operate the sonar and then computer process the data on board the ship and generate maps of the ocean bottom. Several levels of hydrographic survey technicians exist depending on one’s experience and training. You generally need a four-year college degree with an emphasis in computer science or remote sensing, but two-year degrees with specialized computer training will also suffice. Survey technicians I introduced to you in previous entries include Greg King, and the Boles brothers (Matt and Dan).

Left: Correy Muzzey drives a launch, Right: Getting ready to set anchor

Though at first it may seem like a dirty and tedious job, the people of the Deck Department love their work. Over the years people have actually transferred from other departments to work the deck crew. Deck employees maintain the exterior and interior of the ship, moor and anchor the ship, secure lines, load supplies, stand watches, steer the ship, swab the decks and clean bathrooms. More experienced deck staff also get to drive the launches and serve as coxswains.

Mike Riley, who is in charge of the motors on all the launches.

One starts out as a deck crew member in the position of Ordinary Seaman (OS) or general vessel assistant (GVA). OS’s and GVA’s need a high school diploma, need to be at least 18 years old, but don’t need prior experience. You can then move up to endorsed positions by meeting time and training requirements set by the US Coast Guard. The RAINIER provides on-the-job training and sends crew to workshops when in port so one can move up to higher positions. With training and 365 days at sea, one can be promoted to Able Seaman. More advanced positions include Seaman Surveyor and Chief Boatswain.

The Engineer Department operates all of the ship’s systems such as propulsion, fuel, electric power, ventilation, sanitation, water, and launch motors. This Department has the highest paying jobs on board the RAINIER, but also the most responsibility to keep the crew safe by making sure the engines don’t fail while at sea. Some positions require special licenses (for example Diesel Engine 2400 horse power Class II), but many people start out with a high school degree and work their way up by learning on the job. You can start out with no experience as a Wiper (wipe and clean up oil) and then move up to an Oiler after a year of experience. One can move into the higher level positions right away if you have trade training from high school or a Vocational/Technical school.

Mike also checks the launch hulls for cracks and makes safety recommendations on whether or not a launch should go out to survey. Mike is in his mid twenties and an expert fisherman while off duty. Engineering is a great place for those who are mechanically inclined and love repairing machinery. The Steward Department plans menus, prepares meals, maintains the galley and provides clean linens for the ship. You can start out as General Vessel Assistant with no experience plus a high school diploma and then train and work your way up to higher-level positions such as Cook or Chief Steward. Prior experience in on-shore restaurants or culinary schools can land you a higher-level position right away. Sergio Taguba, our Chief Steward, started out at an entry-level position 35 years ago and worked his way into the top position. Sergio has been on board the RAINIER for almost the whole time and plans to continue with NOAA until retirement.

Raul in the kitchen and below are some of our galley

Our Chief Cook, Raul Quiros, learned his skills on board ship and started right after finishing school. Raul has been with NOAA for 25 years and on the RAINIER for the past nine. Raul enjoys working for NOAA and can be spotted fishing off the side deck any time he’s not on duty. When we first got to Cushing Bay, I spotted Raul catching our first halibuts, but he quietly took them below and never brags about his catches. The crew suspects Raul has caught more fish than any other person on board, but he shies away from any attention to his renowned skills. The last two departments, Yeoman and Electronics, each have one person. Paul Fletcher is the RAINIER’s Chief Yeoman. A Yeoman is like a business manager on land. Mr. Paul (as everyone on board calls him) handles the ship’s budget, payroll, personnel paper work, and mail. He works directly with the Commanding Officer and Executive Officer of the ship. Mr. Paul lives in Virginia Beach, VA when not on the ship and plans to retire there in December. Mr. Paul retired from the Navy and joined NOAA around 1990-91. He has been with the RAINIER since 1996.

Mr. Paul feels NOAA provides young people with an opportunity to learn about life and personnel management on board a ship. He feels more young people from urban areas like Tacoma (where I teach) should try life at sea for a couple of years and gain skills that will help them to be good managers. When on a ship, you are with your boss and coworkers 24/7, Mr. Paul told me. “You learn how to suck up your anger, because the person you’re angry with may be in the shower stall next to you or at the same meal table a few hours later.”

Larry Wooten runs our Electronics Department and maintains all electronic equipment and computers onboard. Larry told me the Electronics Department really has evolved over the past few years to a mix of skills especially in computers. Larry makes sure the sonar and radar systems work and then he turns around to operate the computer’s file server. After serving in the Air Force, Larry went to South Dakota State University to earn a degree in Electronic Engineering Technology. He has been with NOAA seven years and on board the RAINIER for two. Larry’s guitar always sits in the corner of his office and I hear from the crew he plays well during jam sessions held below deck when off duty.

I hope the students reading this entry have gotten a good feel for the positions on board the RAINIER and other NOAA ships. Many people stay for their entire careers on a ship, while others stay a year or two to gain valuable experience and then move on to other ventures.

Personal Log

I think the NOAA ships offer a unique opportunity for many of my students to consider. We have a diverse, multicultural crew on board with African Americans, Hispanics, Asian American and women. The jobs range from those requiring college degrees to high school diplomas. Learning aboard the RAINIER occurs continuously as older staff mentor younger crewmembers on the skills they need to advance. I can see both my “hands on” and “cerebral” students finding challenges and adventure on a NOAA ship. If only for a year or an entire career, I could see my students getting valuable skills on board ships that will serve an entire life time. On other matters, we did get a break from our long transit to Homer last night around 8:30 pm. We stopped at Albatross Banks, an underwater pinnacle that rises up from the ocean bottom to about 48 feet below the surface. We took out our fishing poles and soon caught large halibuts off the bottom. I caught one on my first cast and almost everyone reached their limit in a matter of minutes. Josh Riley caught one over 77 inches long that weighed over 200 pounds. It took four people to haul it onto the fan tail.

Josh’s fish and a second photo of Dan Boles cleaning a halibut

Question of the Day

Why are underwater pinnacles a good place to catch fish compared to deeper, flat bottoms?

August 9, 2005March 18, 2021

Philip Hertzog, August 9, 2005

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Philip Hertzog
Onboard NOAA Ship Rainier
July 25 – August 13, 2005

Mission: Hydrographic Survey
Geographical Area: Aleutian Islands, AK
Date: August 9, 2005

Ensign Samuelson running RA 3’s positioning computer

Weather Data from Bridge

Science and Technology Log

We wrapped up our mapping in the Mitrofania Island area today. Only one launch went out for the entire day and I got assigned to it. We took off from Cushing Bay and headed out to nearby Brothers Island and Long Beach for sonar mapping of the bottom. A second launch went out for just a few hours and deployed SCUBA divers to chart the location of submerged rocks. In the meantime, the RAINIER took off to map deep water approaches several miles to the east of Mitrofania Island and would pick us up at a rendezvous point in the late afternoon.

Ensign Nikki Samuelson served as our hydrographer in charge with Matt Boles’ assistance. Steve Foye handled the RA 3 launch. Ensign Samuelson has been on the RAINIER for around a year and also serves as chief medical officer. She started out on the RAINIER by helping out the navigation officer and learning how to plot courses and determine the ship’s location. She then gained experience in sonar mapping and now regularly goes out on the launches. Ensign Samuelson likely will work on remote controlled submersible vehicles for NOAA in Rhode Island when she gets her land assignment in a year.

For most of the day our launch of four people saw no signs of other humans. Two Dahl porpoises charged over to our launch to ride our bow wave, but took off when they realized we cruised too slowly to make a satisfactory wake. All day we saw the spray of Sei whales, but they kept their distance and only occasionally could we see a dorsal fin appear out of the water.

Technically, we had some challenges. In the morning, our CTD (conductivity, temperature and density) probe failed to work and we tried to fix it. We concluded the battery had worn out and we exchanged ours with the divers before they headed back to the RAINIER. We then lost the Coast Guard transmission signal that corrects our global aboard. We tried several approaches with the radio receiver and finally corrected the problem.

I spent the day by helping on various tasks such as lowering the CTD probe, sitting on the bow to look for rocks, running the positioning computer and driving the boat. The water remained calm much of the day, but the sky turned gray and overcast. What a contrast to the previous two days when we could see the glaciers on Mount Veniaminof under clear, blue skies. However, the cloud cover did give Mitrofania Bay a special beauty:

At 4:30 pm we spotted a tiny dot approach us from the east that turned out to be the RAINIER returning to pick us up. Once aboard, the RAINIER resumed course to continue sonar work in the deep waters east of Mitrofania Island. Our plan is to continue this work until 11:00 pm and then to set course to our final destination of Homer, Alaska where I’ll leave the ship on Saturday August 13. However, we’ll make a few stops for “biological sampling” (fishing) on the way and a couple of hours in Kodiak to pick up fuel.

Personal Log

I felt melancholic today knowing our work in the Mitrofania area had come to an end and that the RAINIER would start heading towards my final stop in Homer. I’ll especially miss seeing Sei whales almost every day and the great fishing off the fantail.

It didn’t help that I had a fantastic evening and stayed up until 1:00 am last night. Four of us took a “short” fishing trip on the skiff to a nearby bay and each caught five large (8 pound range) salmon. Our foursome often caught two or more salmon at a time that tangled our lines as the struggling fish crossed each other. A fifth person on the skiff didn’t fish, but continuously netted the salmon for us. Often we would have two salmon in queue while Ensign Nikki Samuelson struggled to get a third salmon out of the net and untangle the hook from the nylon fabric. At one point Carl Verplanck just reached into the water and flipped a hooked salmon into the skiff.

The real work began when we returned to the RAINIER at 9:30 pm. We cleaned processed, and vacuum sealed over 80 pounds of edible fish meat. However, we also scrubbed all the fish scales off the fantail of the RAINIER. We used bristle brooms and detergent to “swab the decks” and then Greg King blasted the deck using the fire hose to rinse it off. We had a fine evening of adventure to remember for a long time.

Question of the Day

Why do Dahl porpoises like to ride bow waves? Explain your answer.

August 8, 2005March 18, 2021

Philip Hertzog, August 8, 2005

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Philip Hertzog
Onboard NOAA Ship Rainier
July 25 – August 13, 2005

Mission: Hydrographic Survey
Geographical Area: Aleutian Islands, AK
Date: August 8, 2005

Weather Data from Bridge

Science and Technology Log

I slept in an extra hour and set about doing my laundry and log entries since I stayed aboard the RAINIER today. Given a quiet day, I focused today’s entry on careers with NOAA to provide information to students wanting a life of adventure while helping the environment. Congress created NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) in 1970 to bring together several agencies under one roof. Congress recognized that the oceans of the world are closely tied to our atmosphere and we need to manage them through one organization. You best know NOAA through the National Weather Service which provides you with daily weather forecasts. However, NOAA has other branches that protect fish and marine wildlife; manage marine sanctuaries; observe changes in the environment; warn people about approaching tsunamis; respond to oil spills and disasters; and chart coastlines and bottom depths to protect vessels. On the RAINIER, we have two categories of jobs: civilian and commissioned officers. I will save the civilian jobs for another entry and we’ll look at the officers today. The NOAA Officer Corps is a uniformed branch of the United States military. Most officers spend two years assigned to a ship and then rotate to a land job for three years. The rotation starts over again and you can retire with a pension after twenty years. Ensign Andrew Halbach told me he could retire at age 43, though I believe he will stay with NOAA much longer and command his own ship someday.

You must apply to join the NOAA Officer Corps and only dedicated people get accepted. Ensign Laurel Jennings told me you need a four year college degree with a major in math, engineering or science. You also must be in good health, pass a physical exam and be 35 years old or younger. NOAA asks for four letters of recommendation from professional contacts and answers to several pages of questions. You also need to pass a police background check and be interviewed by one of NOAA’s officers. Several ensigns told me this process takes from several months to half a year. Once accepted as an Officer Corps candidate, you go to the Kings Point Merchant Marine Academy located on Long Island, NY for three months of intensive training. The candidates train in safety, water rescue, navigation, CPR/first aid, ship fire fighting, knots, and ship handling. A few weeks before completing training, NOAA holds a formal ceremony to announce the ship assignment for the next two years.

Ensign Jennings told me she got on board the RAINIER in June and continues her training on the job. Her primary focus has been on ship duties such as bridge watch, navigation and ship operations. As she becomes confident on ship procedures, her training will shift to learning how to conduct hydrographic mapping and operating the computers. Ensign Jennings has a Bachelor of Science degree in zoology from the University of Texas at Austin. She worked as an intern at Disney World’s Living Seas exhibit in Florida where she scuba dived, fed the aquarium fish, scrubbed tanks, and talked to the public. She moved to Boston after graduation and found that a Bachelor’s degree was not enough to get a satisfying job. She wanted to work in science and with people, but not in a lab all day. Ensign Jennings said the NOAA Officer Corps was perfect for her.

Over the past two weeks, I have talked to several Ensigns about their next assignments. Ensign Andrew Halbach will move to Washington, D.C. next year and work on remote sensing from airplanes. He will travel 150 days a year to various locations throughout the United States. In December Ensign Briana Welton will command her own skiff and crew on the east coast. Whenever a hurricane hits, Ensign Welton will be one of the first people into the disaster area to chart how navigation channels have been affected by storm damage. In the past, other Ensigns have gone on to work on designing tsunami detection buoys and underwater vehicles. Many other opportunities exist both on land and at sea for young people seeking adventure.

In addition to exciting career opportunities, an Officer Corps member can advance in rank as he or she gains experience and the confidence of senior officers. All Corps members start out at the rank of Ensign. You then can be promoted in progression to Lt. Junior Grade, Lieutenant, Lt. Commander, Commander, Captain, and finally only one officer gets to be the Admiral.

Personal Log

I wish I could be 35 or younger now! The NOAA Officer Corps has a lot of exciting opportunities that many young people don’t know about. I think about the adventures I’ve missed because no teacher ever told me about NOAA.

Many exciting opportunities exist for young people if they get the right education and study hard in school. As a teacher I feel a responsibility to make sure students have the skills to take advantage of the careers and adventure that exist not only with NOAA, but with other organizations. Too often I see students playing video games or ignoring homework instead of preparing themselves for the future. Hopefully they can learn to dedicate themselves to learning and preparation like the young ensigns on board the RAINIER.

Question of the Day

Why is a well-rounded, college education important for today’s young adults?

August 7, 2005March 18, 2021

Philip Hertzog, August 7, 2005

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Philip Hertzog
Onboard NOAA Ship Rainier
July 25 – August 13, 2005

Mission: Hydrographic Survey
Geographical Area: Aleutian Islands, AK
Date: August 7, 2005

Weather Data from Bridge

Science and Technology Log

Today I actively participated as a full member of the launch crew conducting a new type of survey for me, sediment sampling. The launches typically carry three crew members, one to handle the boat and two others to work the sonar and computer equipment. Generally Mike Laird (the other the teacher at sea) and I have gone along as a fourth person to observe. However, today we only had three people aboard launch RA 2, the smallest and lightest of the launches. Survey Technician Dan Boles and Coxswain Erick Flickenger (Flick) co-led our survey mission. Dan described to me today’s goal of collecting sediment samples from several locations around Mitrofania Island. Sediments are the material found on the bottom surface of water bodies. It includes materials like mud, silt, sand, clay, pebbles, rocks, shells or hard pan.

The nautical chart makers place sediment information on their maps so ship captains can determine if they have a safe location to set anchor. If the bottom is too rocky, the ship’s anchor may get stuck and trap the boat. If the bottom is not firm enough, the anchor will drag across the bottom and the ship could end up drifting to a dangerous location like a reef or rocky shore. The sediments in an anchorage area also determine the type of anchor a captain chooses to use. Some types of anchor work better than others in certain sediment types.

I helped unhook the launch from the RAINIER’s crane and Flick got us underway. Dan immediately showed me how to work the sonar and computer equipment. We used a Knudsen 320 M echo sounder to measure bottom depth at our sample locations. Dan had me turn it on and I watched the sounder trace the depth on a roll of paper:

The sounder recorded a black line on a scale so we know or bottom depth at the sampling location. Dan also had me write the type of sediment we found on the same paper. I then entered the data into the computer. We needed both an electronic and paper copy in case the computer crashes which sometimes happens when the launch bounces around. To the right a photo of Dan entering data while Flick watches in RA 2’s small cabin.

On the launch deck we used a “clam shell” sediment sampler. The sampler is shaped like a large, round clam shell with two metal jaws held shut by a large spring. We pried open the two jaws and set a trigger to keep the jaws opened. It works like a bear track with the trigger lever on the side. We took great care setting the trigger because the jaws can break our fingers if it snaps shut on them. Once set, you then lower the sediment sampler over the side. The sampler free falls through the water column and plunges into the bottom which triggers the jaws to snap tight and capture the sediment sample. You then winch the sample up to the surface, open the jaws and record the sediment type. The following photos show the sediment sampling process:

We found mostly fine black sand and pebbles of volcanic origin in our sediments around Mitrofania Island which matches the local geology. As mentioned in previous logs, the explosion of an ancient volcano formed Sosbee Bay (a caldera) on the south side of the Mitrofania Island. To the north of the island, the shield volcano, Mount Veniaminof dominates the landscape:

Our sediment sampling went well with one exception. We transited out to a sample location far south of Mitrofania Island. A combination of wind and tide suddenly hit us with two to three foot choppy waves as we took our sample. Our light weight launch took two to three nose dives down the face of a three foot wave as Flick tried to hold our position in one spot for the sample. Dan and I got knocked into the railings on the deck and the clam shell sampler almost snapped on my fingers as I tried to adjust it. Inside the cabin, equipment flew off the shelves and onto the cabin floor. Flick pronounced the sea conditions as too unsafe for us to work on the deck and yelled for us to get back inside the cabin. We then made tail and headed back towards land getting bounced about until we entered the wind shadow created by the lee side of the island. Flick later told us he considered having us put the life raft out on the back deck of the launch as a safety precaution.

Dan and I talked about boat safety. Dan told me that anyone on board the launch can call for it to return due to unsafe conditions. In our case, we did the right thing by not trying to finish the sampling south of Mitrofania and quickly returning to calmer waters. The rest of the day we worked on the protected side of the island and finished early. We fished near Cushing Bay and waited for the RAINIER to arrive and pick us up. The RAINIER again moved location to seek settler from the changing winds. We will spend our few remaining nights in Cushing Bay, our first location when we arrived at Mitrofania about two weeks ago.

Personal Log

I enjoyed the opportunity to work today as a full member of the launch team. I appreciated Dan Boles putting me on the computer right away and the way we took turns collecting sediment samples out on deck. I found Flick to be a master at handling the launch in rough conditions and ensuring our safety.

I have felt safe on the launches, but our situation south of Mitrofania proved a bit worrisome. I’m glad Flick called off our work out there right away and brought us into a more protected area. While waiting for the Rainier, I got to fish and caught numerous sea bass near a kelp bed. We also saw a “fish ball” go by. The fish ball consisted of a large school of small candlefish tightly grouped into a ball shape about 7 feet in diameter just below the surface. Seagulls hovered over the fish ball and snatched out tiny fish as tasty treats. As the fish ball passed under the launch, we saw the outlines of large fish following the candlefish.

After supper we had another beach party out on the spit near the HorCon station. We had a beautiful, clear evening and watched the sun set. We again had a large bon fire and plenty of good conversation and company. I returned at 11:00 pm with an orange and deep blue dusky sky as a backdrop for our skiff ride from the beach. The days have grown shorter since my arrival, but night still arrives after 11:30 pm.

Question of the Day

What sediment bottom type do you think will best hold an anchor and keep a ship safe?

August 6, 2005March 18, 2021

Philip Hertzog, August 6, 2005

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Philip Hertzog
Onboard NOAA Ship Rainier
July 25 – August 13, 2005

Mission: Hydrographic Survey
Geographical Area: Aleutian Islands, AK
Date: August 6, 2005

Weather Data from Bridge

Science and Technology Log

I spent the afternoon in the plot room behind the bridge. After collecting data on the launches, the hydrographic technicians need to process and make it usable before sending the information to map makers in Washington, D.C. This processing takes place in the plot room.

The plot room has a large table in the middle with eight work stations crowded around the outer edge of the room. Each work station has two computer screen monitors where the technician can pull up multiple windows. The room has a couple of portholes to provide light, though these can be shaded to make the monitors more visible. I observed the Ensigns and survey technicians concentrating on their work. The plot room impressed me as the quietest location on the RAINIER with people clicking on their computer screens and checking their data for accuracy. Once in a while one of the technicians got up to ask another for clarification on a problem. The four people in the room all wore headphones to listen to CD or mp3 players.

The technicians processed data by first “cleaning” it up. The hydrographers put the sonar data up on the screen and looked for mistakes in the readings. Mistakes can occur by the launch computer skipping measurements or missing a GPS satellite signal. The plot room computers also adjust for the movement of the launches in several directions caused by buffeting seas. After cleaning data, the crew corrected the sonar readings for sound velocity by using the CTD probe readings taken from the launches. As noted previously, the speed of sound in water is affected by conductivity (a measurement of salt content), temperature and density). The CTD data is used to correct the sea bottom depth readings obtained from sonar. The technicians made one final correction to the sonar data by loading in tidal information to adjust for the height of the launch above mean lower low water. With the corrected sonar data, three-dimensional maps can now be generated and the hydrographer gets a picture of the ocean bottom over a wide area. Additional work will be done before the information is sent on to the chart makers off the ship.

After supper I went up to the plot room to get some photographs for this log entry. To my surprise, Ensigns filled every work station and I saw them checking on today’s data. The Ensigns discussed with Lt. Ben Evans the strategy for tomorrow’s mapping. What dedication! It’s Saturday night, yet the work never stops for the hard working crew of the RAINIER. Too bad for them, I’m going fishing now!

The hydrographers highlight the incorrect data and click on it to remove it

Personal Log

I had a very quiet day. The routine on a research vessel like the RAINIER is a mix of excitement and concentrated computer work. The crew averages about one day of cleaning and processing data for each day of collecting data on the launch. Though the computer work may seem tedious at first, think about the sense of accomplishment when you see your data become a three-D map of the ocean bottom and know that other people will use your work.

I hope my own students will recognize that hard work can pay off and provide a sense of accomplishment and purpose. The crew of the RAINIER has provided me with examples to show my middle school students that they can balance exciting work with hard dedication to make a meaningful difference to society.

Question of the Day

Why must the hydrographers carefully check their data for mistakes? What can happen if a mistake is made on a nautical chart?

August 5, 2005March 18, 2021

Philip Hertzog, August 5, 2005

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Philip Hertzog
Onboard NOAA Ship Rainier
July 25 – August 13, 2005

Mission: Hydrographic Survey
Geographical Area: Aleutian Islands, AK
Date: August 5, 2005

Weather Data from Bridge

Science and Technology Log

I went out on launch RA 5 today to help survey more transect lines near the east entrance to Sosbee Bay and over by Spitz Island. Ensign Andrew Halbach led our survey with Greg King as the Survey Technician and Steve Foye as our coxswain.

Greg King, in his late twenties, has been on board the RAINIER for about a year and graduated from Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma with a degree in geology. Prior to NOAA, Greg worked for consulting firms conducting a variety of work including environmental assessment, mining geology and hazardous waste site investigations. Greg and I know a lot of the same people from my own professional experiences prior to teaching. Greg became disillusioned with consulting and wanted to have a career where he could make a difference, help the environment and feel good about his work. A friend told Greg about NOAA so he applied, got hired, and has been happy with the work he does. Greg plans to make a career with NOAA and the federal government. Greg says most of the Survey Technicians tend to stay on the ships for a few years and then advance up into other jobs with NOAA onshore. Greg will become a father in October and NOAA will grant him several weeks of leave to spend with his new child and wife.

Greg’s duties on the RAINIER include running the sonar and data recording equipment on the launches. He also puts data into the mainframe computer on board the RAINIER and looks for errors that need correction. The Survey Technicians tend to spend a few days in on the launches and then work on board the ship for a day or two processing data before going out on the water again. Above is a photo of Greg at work on the RA 5 launch. Steve Foye, our coxswain, has been on the RAINIER for about 15 years and on NOAA ships for a total of twenty years. Mr. Foye is a crusty sailor with an earthy sense of humor. Foye served in the Navy and became a meat cutter in south Seattle after finishing military service and getting married. However, Mr. Foye missed the sea and the outdoors. NOAA gave him the opportunity to travel and see Alaska. Foye particularly enjoys driving a launch all day and watching the scenery while the technicians run the sonar. All of the crewmembers speak highly of Mr. Foye and he mentors the younger deck hands. Steve Foye serves as the RAINIER’s Boatswain’s Group Leader and is responsible for ensuring the proper handling and maintenance of all the launches. Foye has a merchant marine seaman’s card, which he renews every five years. Steve takes classes and documents his sea time to renew his card. Even sailors need to continually educate themselves and keep current on the latest technologies. Many of my middle school students don’t realize that the skills they learn in school will serve them for a lifetime and they must continue to educate themselves. Above is a photo of Mr. Foye handling launch RA 5.

After getting underway, Mr. Foye threw a buoy overboard and yelled “man overboard.” Ensign Andrew Halbach quickly took over the helm and Greg grabbed a boat hook while I pointed at and kept my eyes on the buoy to make sure we don’t lose site of it in the rolling waves. The Ensign skillfully brought the launch around and as he approached the “victim,” turned the launch a hard left and reversed the engine. The stern of the launch swerved to the right and the starboard side ended up next to the buoy where Greg scooped it out of the water with the boat hook. Mr. Foye repeated the “man overboard” two more times with Greg and I taking a turn at the helm. Mr. Foye guided me in maneuvering the launch to the buoy, though it took me more than one try to reach our “victim.” Everyone on board the RAINIER needs these important rescue skills to ensure the safety of all crewmembers. Even the coxswain can fall over board and one needs to be prepared to take over the helm in an emergency.

After the over board drill, I practiced putting on my bright orange survival suit. I had donned it once on board the steady Rainier, but it proved challenging while rocking back and forth on the launch in the open ocean. Though the survival suit won’t keep me dry, it will allow me to live for many hours instead of a few minutes if we abandoned ship in the 50-degree waters of the Gulf of Alaska. We spent a productive day running transects and collecting bottom depth data. Ensign Halbach and Survey Tech Greg King showed me how the equipment works. They even let me run the two computers. I selected lines (transects) that we followed and then hit control “S” (for start) on the key board to write the sonar data to a computer file. When we finished a transect, I hit control “E” for end and the computer stopped logging (writing) information. We then repeated the process and the computer generated a separate file for each transect.

The Ensign and Greg also showed me how to control and fine-tune the sonar. A master window on the computer controls the sonar and allows you to set power, gain and depth. The power controls the strength of the sound wave sent to the bottom. The deeper the bottom, the stronger the signal required. The gain controls how sensitive the sonar receiver picks up the sound waves bounced off the bottom. It’s like a volume control on your radio. You want to set it so you eliminate static and “hear” the music at the right loudness and quality. The depth control determines how far down the signal will go. The survey technician adjusts all three controls to account for bottom type (sandy, rocky, hard) and other factors that affect the quality of the sonar signal.

After a long day, the swell of the ocean increased and our ride on the launch became bumpy. The RAINIER has moved a few miles to the west in Sosbee Bay to seek protection from the increasing north winds. We returned to the RAINIER in time for supper and I fished out on the fantail (stern) without any luck. The steady wind from the north made it one of the coldest evenings of the trip and I put on a jacket. Around 9:30 pm a group of crewmembers returned from fishing in the launch with a catch of lingcod and rockfish (red snapper) to finish the evening.

Matt Boles, survey tech, lands the big fish of the day

Personal Log

I really enjoyed today. Steve Foye gave me a great education on how to operate the launch. I also appreciated the way Ensign Andrew Halbach and Greg King patiently taught me how to run the sonar. Using the technology gave me greater understanding about how all this works.

For supper, we had a cookout on the fantail. The stewards (cooks) had the propane barbeque grills fired up and made ribs, chicken, corn and an assortment of salads. We all sat out on the deck, talked and ate.

Question of the Day

If I wanted to pick an object out of the water to the right side of my boat, why would I turn the launch a hard left and put the motor in reverse? Explain your answer in words and include a diagram.

August 4, 2005March 18, 2021

Philip Hertzog, August 4, 2005

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Philip Hertzog
Onboard NOAA Ship Rainier
July 25 – August 13, 2005

Mission: Hydrographic Survey
Geographical Area: Aleutian Islands, AK
Date: August 4, 2005

Weather Data from Bridge

Latitude: 55˚ 50.8’N
Longitude: 158˚50.0’W
Visibility: 10 nm
Wind Direction: light
Wind Speed: airs
Sea Wave Height: 0 feet
Sea Water Temperature: 12.2˚ C
Sea Level Pressure: 1011.5 mb
Cloud Cover: 2, stratocumulus, altocumulus

Science and Technology Log

Four launches left early today (7:00 am) and I got up to watch the deck crew lower them into the water. Two launches took off to finish up mapping in the Fish Ranch Bay area while the other launches went across to Mitrofania Island to map shoreline and submerged rocks on aerial photographs.

With our mapping work nearly completed in this area, the Commanding Officer moved the RAINIER to Sosbee Bay located on the south side of Mitrofania Island. The RAINIER traveled along the north side of Mitrofania and made a left turn to skirt the southwestern shore and Spitz Rock before a second left turn into Sosbee Bay. The move took approximately 2 hours.

Along the way, I saw at least two dozen Sei whales surface and blow spray in groups of up to four individuals. As we approached each group of whales, they would submerge and then reappear several hundred yards behind the ship. At one point the whales seemed to surround the RAINIER in a 270-degree arc: In my earlier log entries, I mistakenly called these creatures fin whales and provided the wrong life history. Sei (pronounced “say”) whales live in all ocean waters of the world. They can reach up to 18 meters in length and have a small dorsal fin forming a 40 degree angle back with the body. The dorsal fin is located down about two thirds of their body length from the snout. A single ridge runs along on the top of their heads from the snout to the blow hole. Sei whales have black colored backs covered with oval scars that results in a shiny, metallic appearance. Lamprey bites cause the scars when the whales migrate into warmer waters.

Sei whales skim the water and remove tiny marine organisms called copepods for food with long, narrow plates (baleens) under their heads. These whales tend to feed close to the surface and leave large swirls on the surface as they move their tails. I saw many of these swirls next to the RAINIER after whales had submerged in front of us.

I spotted the Sei whales by first seeing a black snout appear followed by an inverted cone shaped spray about 2 to 3 meters high. A sleek long, shiny back then glides over the surface followed by the dorsal fin near the rear of the body. The back then gracefully disappears without the fluke (tail) breaking the surface. Once in a while the tail does appear as shown in the photo above.

Survey launch being lowered into the water

After passing the whales, the ship practiced an emergency fire drill and we reported to our assigned stations. The RAINIER’s fire fighting crew donned bumper gear and oxygen tanks and pretended to put out a fire by spraying water from a pressurized hose over the side of the ship. Within 30 minutes of the fire drill, we had an abandoned ship drill. We grabbed our survival suits and hurried to our stations. During the drill an Ensign described how to deploy the life rafts by first tying off the canister (see photo below) and then yanking on a release cable. A sensor automatically opens the raft when it hits the water. A rope holds the raft to keep it from drifting a way, but each raft comes equipped with a sharp knife to cut the rope if the ship should sink into deep water: The ship conducts the emergency drills at least once every two weeks to ensure we remain sharp on these important safety skills. In the event of a real emergency, we have no place to go except into cold water where one could survive for only a few minutes without protection. The RAINIER’s crew takes these drills seriously so we can solve problems (like putting out fires) and prevent the need to enter the water.

After the drills, the RAINIER slowly coasted into Sosbee Bay. We entered a new environment. An arc of steep cliffs rose out of the water and surrounded the bay. We distinctly recognized the shape of a caldera, former volcano that exploded long ago and left a large crater now filled with ocean water. Tonight, we will sleep on board the ship located inside the remains of a crater.

The Southwestern Alaskan Peninsula is part of the Pacific “ring of fire.” A large tectonic plate located far beneath the surface of the Pacific Ocean slowly runs into the North American plate. The meeting of the plates causes earth quakes and friction creates large chambers of magma (molten rock) that can form large volcanoes when it reaches the surface of the earth. All around us, we have seen signs of past volcanic activity from the large shield volcano, Mount Veniaminof, to the north of Mitrofania to the small pieces of pumice found on the beaches. However, Sosbee Bay provided a sober reminder of the power and destructiveness of nature. The rest of the day I spent reading and completing my documentation.

Personal Log

I had another busy day on the RAINIER learning about Sei whales and practicing my photography. Again, the galley crew fed us well and I’m need of some exercise. I’ll go hit the small gym below deck tonight to work off some calories. On a ship I find it difficult to get sufficient exercise. If I ever get permanently assigned to a ship, I’ll have to become disciplined in setting up an exercise routine.

Question of the Day

What is the “ring of fire” and where is it located?

August 3, 2005March 18, 2021

Philip Hertzog, August 3, 2005

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Philip Hertzog
Onboard NOAA Ship Rainier
July 25 – August 13, 2005

Mission: Hydrographic Survey
Geographical Area: Aleutian Islands, AK
Date: August 3, 2005

Weather Data from Bridge

Science and Technology Log

Mike Laird (the other Teacher at Sea) and I had been assigned to stay on the RAINIER today so we slept in an extra hour. However, as I returned from breakfast, Lt. Evans asked me to take his place on R8 skiff and go out to the HorCon station. I quickly said yes, grabbed my gear, and jumped on board R8 within 5 minutes.

HorCon stands for Horizontal Control where we broadcast global position satellite (GPS) signal corrections to help the mapping launches accurately locate their positions. In essence, the radio signals allow the launches to control their horizontal position so they have correct latitude and longitude readings. In past log entries I referred to the HorCon station as the transmitter station. HorCon stations are also called flyaway stations when set up on temporary basis.

Ensigns Andrew Halbach and Olivia Hauser led our mission with assistance from Matt Foss. Jonathon Anderson drove the skiff under the watchful eye of his trainer, Able Seaman Erick Davis. AB Davis has been on the RAINIER for one year and prior to that served in Iraq with the Army Reserve. AB Davis also served on other NOAA ships for two years before going to Iraq.

As we left the protected waters of Fish Ranch Bay, the skiff bucks and slams hard into waves as we enter the open waters between the southwest Alaskan peninsula and Mitrofania Island. The HorCon site now lies 8 miles from the RAINIER. We held on tight to the hand rails of the skiff while salt water splashed onto our faces and soaked our orange, bulky float jackets. Once in a while our feet lifted off from the deck of the skiff as we crested a wave and then slammed our feet down hard when the boat dropped into a trough. Everyone on the skiff had smiles on their faces as we raced toward our destination. As I noted in yesterday’s log, the HorCon station’s computer crashed and the batteries drained their electrical charge. Upon arriving at the station, we hauled the computer and six large, 12 volt deep cycle batteries up to the transmitter. We timed our unloading of the skiff to avoid sea swells washing up the beach and soaking our feet.

Ensign Halbach and Matt Foss went to work installing the new batteries and computer, while Ensign Hauser and I hopped into the skiff and traveled over to the tide gauge station a mile away. As mentioned in previous logs, the tide station provides vertical control (up and down) so the launch crews can correct the sonar for the rise and fall of the tides and make the nautical charts to show water depth from mean lower low water.

The tide station works by sending pressurized nitrogen gas through a tube that goes from a sensor into the water at a set location. As the tide rises and falls, the ocean water presses against the nitrogen gas in the tube and the computer sensor uses this information to measure sea level height. The computer then transmits the sea level height to a satellite which routes the information to the main mapping office in Washington, D.C.

Ensign Hauser set up the tide station three weeks ago and it now needed a new nitrogen bottle. I carried the heavy, three-foot long metal bottle off the skiff and up a short steep slope. We hooked up the new nitrogen tank and Ensign Hauser operated a computer to make sure the station works correctly. In the mean time, Jonathon practices his skiff landings with advice from AB Davis.

We returned to the HorCon station and joined Ensign Halbach and Technician Matt Foss. They changed out the batteries and plugged in the reprogrammed computer. The computer indicated that it was transmitting data, but Ensign Halbach saw only binary (zeros and ones) code on the screen instead of latitude and longitude readings. A radio check with the launches determined they can pick up our transmission, but Ensign Halbach may need to make another trip out to the HorCon station to ensure the problem has been fixed.

We loaded up the old batteries and jumped into the skiff for a wild eight-mile ride back to the RAINIER and arrived with plenty of time before supper.

Personal Log

After a late night of fishing, I found the “salt water bath” during our skiff crossing to Mitrofania Island refreshing and invigorating. I never felt tired for the rest of the day. I enjoyed working with Ensign Hauser who patiently showed me how the tide gauge station computer logs data. I also got my work out by carrying the heavy batteries and nitrogen bottle.

The salt water bath left me with an interesting problem. Salt crystals flaked off my hair and face onto my clothes. It looked like I had a major case of dandruff. My next stop after finishing this log entry is to hit the shower and get rid of the saline grime.

Hopefully the HorCon station’s problems were fixed and no more major work will be needed. In science, you run into these problems in the field and it can prove frustrating. However, problem solving is part of the challenge of working out in remote locations. In my classroom and Tacoma Public Schools, we try to teach students important problem solving skills. No matter how much students memorize, it all boils down to using knowledge to creatively trouble shoot problems.

Question of the Day

Here is a problem for my Electronics students. The HorCon station runs off six, 12 volt batteries. The 12 volt batteries are recharged with a set of five solar panels. Should you set up the batteries in series, in parallel or a combination of both? Should you set up the solar panels in series, parallel, or combination of both? Write out a schematic for your design and explain your thinking.