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 11, 2006
Hump Day

Lat: 2° 29.1' N
Long: 119° 06.6' W
Skies: PC
Wind: 18 kts, 120 deg T
Seas: waves = 3-4', swells = 6-8'
Course: 220 deg T
Speed: 10 kts
Distance in 24 hrs: 212 nm
Sea temp: 26.6 deg C
Distance from land: 649 nm SW of Clipperton Is

This day will put us as close to the equator as we will get on this leg. It feels like we're at the middle of the earth!

Yes, it's hump day; halfway to HI! Most on board have been counting down the days since the time we saw land fade away into the distant horizon. (i.e. 1st day out). Got an email from my colleague Mark on the Jordan. His journal will no doubt be filled with all sorts of exciting tales, to include catching, measuring, and tagging turtles, spending many hrs in the small boat, and swimming with blue whales! The emails we've received from them have made us all a bit envious of the multitude of life with which they are observing and working. Seems they've been catching and analyzing sea turtles, spending many hrs in the small boat, catching giant squid and ahi-ahi, and swimming with blue whales! We'll just have to live vicariously through them.

Launching the temperature probe for thermocline data