Journals 2006/2007

Cyndy Martin
Portland High School, Portland, Maine

"STAR Project NOAA R/V McArthur II" July 28 - August 26, 2006

Journal Index: September 28 - 29 - 30 - 31 August 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9            10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16            17 - 18 - 19 - 20 - 21 - 22 - 23            24 - 25 - 26

August 10, 2006
The Mindy and Cyndy show

Lat: 4° 51.4' N
Long: 116° 46.0' W
Skies: PC
Wind: 25 kts, 140 deg T
Seas: waves = 3-4', swells = 7-9'
Course: 222 deg T
Speed: 10 kts
Distance in 24 hrs: 207 nm
Sea temp: 27.7 deg C
Distance from land: 561 nm SW of Clipperton Is

Quiet day on the flying bridge with no sightings. Tough to spot animals in these Beaufort 6 sea conditions.

Nothing will stand in the way of net tows, however. As Mindy and I were deploying the Manta tow, a combination of things went haywire (ship speed & direction, wind speed, the tow, etc.). Long story short, here's this 6' x 3' metal frame with a 12' net hanging off of it, flailing about in heaving seas, and it starts to wander underneath the ship's stern, yes, where the props are. So after some nervous scampering and fast action taken by bridge and deck crew, we managed to haul the cantankerous creature aboard. Disaster narrowly averted.

The Manta tow, with a mind all it's own