NOAA Teacher at Sea
Chuck Gregory
Onboard NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson August 12 – 24, 2007
Mission: Hydrographic Survey Geographical Area: New York Harbor Date: August 15, 2007
“Delay is preferable to error.” ~Thomas Jefferson
Here’s the Plan of the Day (POD):
Sunrise = 0606h Sunset = 1955h 0000h
Ship at Sandy Hook, NJ anchorage 0745h
Launch safety brief (Survey) 0800h
Deploy Launches (3101 & 3102) 1745h
Retrieve launches
Tides for Sandy Hook Low @ 0416h (-0.1 ft.) & 1624h (0.4 ft.); High @ 1020h (5.0 ft.) & 2225h (5.2 ft.). Currents in Sandy Hook Channel Ebb: 0120h (1.7 kts.), 1339h (1.6 kts.); Flood: 0717h (2.0 kts.) & 1930h (2.0 kts.). Weather from Sandy Hook to Fire Island AM: SW winds 10 kts., seas 2-4 ft.; PM: SW winds 10-15 kts., seas 2-4 ft.
My goal today is to improve my computer skills on the ship. After an oatmeal breakfast I met with Eric, the ship’s Electronics Technician. Eric was able to check out my laptop, get me a cable for the dial-up connection, and help me access NOAA charts for my Power Point Presentation. He was a huge help!
I am now able to catch up on my e-mails, surf the net, and get in touch with Teacher At Sea Coordinator, Elizabeth McMahon. Before I send out my log for day’s 1 & 2, I was asked to have Commander Schattgen (or his designee) review my material. He was quick to read my e-mail log and add a few edits. Now it’s time so send it to Liz in Silver Spring.
The CO also added a few ideas for me to consider – being the helmsman when the ‘TJ’ heads out to sea for house keeping, observing the data acquisition and reporting process, and checking out a multibeam calibration test or patch test. Since this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for my I ensured him I was open to anything…once! The rest of my day was spent getting all caught up with my computer work, and calling Roxann. I saw tomorrow’s POD and learned I will be once again heading out on Launch 3102 for 10 hours. The weather looks OK in the AM, but the wind and thunderstorms will pick up in the afternoon. Now where did I put those Dramamine? I was in bed finishing up Cannery Row by 2100h.
NOAA Teacher at Sea
Chuck Gregory
Onboard NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson August 12 – 24, 2007
Mission: Hydrographic Survey Geographical Area: New York Harbor Date: August 14, 2007
“For here we are not afraid to follow truth wherever it may lead.” ~Thomas Jefferson
Happy Birthday, Dad!
Here’s the Plan of the Day (POD):
Sunrise = 0605h Sunset = 1956h 0000h
Ship at Sandy Hook, NJ anchorage 0700h
Took first Dramamine 0745h
Launch safety brief (Survey) 0800h
Deploy Launches (3101 & 3102) – I’ll be on the 3102 0830h
At first station of the day (somewhere between Coney Island, NY and Sandy Hook, NJ). Boot up computer systems and deploy multibeam. 0930h
Debug computer systems and we’re ready to track 1210h
Lunch and second Dramamine 1745h
Retrieve launches
Tides for Sandy Hook Low @ 0339h (-0.2 ft.) & 1543h (0.2 ft.); High @ 0938h (5.1 ft.) & 2145h (5.4 ft.). Currents in Sandy Hook Channel Ebb: 0041h (1.7 kts.), 1257h (1.6 kts.); Flood: 0640h (2.0 kts.) & 1851h (2.2 kts.). Weather from Sandy Hook to Fire Island AM: N winds 10-15 kts., seas 2-3 ft.; PM: S winds 5-10 kts., seas 2-3 ft.
One of the two 31 foot launches aboard the NOAA Ship THOMAS JEFFERSON. These launches are used to do the hydrographic survey work – side scan sonar and multibeam echo sounder – in coastal areas.
Today was a full day. After going to bed early (2030h) and rising early (0530h), I continued to bang away at my e-mails. The internet connection on the ship is dial up and quite slow. Or is it my understanding of computers that’s slow?!?! Probably the latter. Either way, I’m finding it frustrating to communicate with the ship’s computers. I’ll work on this tomorrow when I have the time. Breakfast was cereal and an English muffin. Then I got ready for the 0745h safety briefing and launch deployment. All went quite smoothly as I did my best to stay out of the way. Teamwork is huge on a vessel like the THOMAS JEFFERSON, and I was impressed by the teamwork effort to deploy and retrieve both launches. After the launch we were on our first station within 30 minutes. We had to deal with the customary computer snafu, but it was quickly fixed and we were soon doing our tracklines. Back and forth, east and west, forth and back, and west and east. Bill was at the wheel, Taylor was at the computers, Megan G. assisted with both, and I just watched, asked questions, learned, and helped out wherever possible.
Chuck studying some of the side-scan sonar (SSS) data as it is relayed from the SSS ‘towfish’ to the launch’s computer.
To help matters, the day was beautiful: warm, light breeze, and subsiding seas. I couldn’t have asked for better weather. Three times during our day we stopped to do a CTD cast. They use a SBE 19Plus Seacat with a stainless cage and tethered to a line. After two minutes of acclimating at the surface, Taylor would lower the CTD to the bottom and lift it back onto the boat. Then a computer cable was attached to the CTD, the CTD software booted up, and the data downloaded. Taylor and Megan taught me a lot about the launch computers and even let me attend to them for about an hour. Setting up the computer programs for the SSS Fish and the MultiBeam Echo Sounder (MBES) was complicated to this novice, thus the initial delay. There are screens to view the data as it is coming in from the side scan and another for the multibeam. There are screens to view the files as they are filling with data, screens to view the launch’s tracks, and screens to measure heave, pitch, and roll. And it was all fed into an on-board memory. Wow!
The 3102 was strong, but cramped for four adults. There were two comfortable seats on the boat – one for the coxswain and one for the survey tech – but we made the most out of every available space. Lunch was last night’s chicken made into sandwiches (not bad!), chips, chili, fruit, water, and cookies. There was other food to munch on and I found it hard not to eat with the sea air and full sun beaming down upon us. So much for my “food plan.”
Today I learned the importance of understanding computers, well planed navigation, and teamwork. The tracklines were well laid out and followed. Bill and Megan did a good job of maneuvering us around lower New York Harbor, as there were several recreational and commercial craft moving across the water. At no time were we in any danger. The day went smoothly and there was even a time of boredom after lunch when the launch was on course, the data was streaming in, and the weather was hot and sunny. Life was good!
We returned to the THOMAS JEFFERSON at 1745h tired and starved! After a full day at sea that was one of the best meatloaf dinners I’ve ever had!!! After dinner I returned to the ship’s computers, but continue to be frustrated as I try to get to my e-mails. Tomorrow my sole mission is to meet with engineer Eric and tap his computer expertise. For now I think I’ll call Roxann and go to bed early and do a little ‘Cannery Row’ reading.
