Welcome On Board the C.C.G.S. Sir Wilfrid Laurier
Our ship arrived a little before noon and we immediately began
loading our gear and science equipment. It has been a beautiful day
at Dutch Harbor and Lee shuttles several of the crew into town as we
check through inventories and boxes upon boxes of equipment. It will
be my first trip aboard a ship and I have to admit a little
nervousness is mixed in with the excitement as we leave the docks
that evening.
Built in 1986 the light icebreaker CCGS Sir Wilfrid Laurier's length
measures at 82.96 meters and has a gross tonnage of 3812.1. She
cruises at a speed of 11 knots and can reach a maximum speed of 15.5
knots.
The Laurier's home port is Victoria, B.C. and she carries a crew of
27, which changes every 28 days/46 days during Arctic operations. The
Laurier patrols British Columbia and Arctic waters. Her primary
duties include resupply, aids to navigation, search and rescue,
fisheries enforcement, icebreaking and other duties relating to
Fisheries and Oceans, Coast Guard, or other government department
programs.
Most of the afternoon and early evening has been spent storing our
gear, setting up our labs, calibrating instruments, and for some of
us, becoming familiar with our home for the next 10 days.
We will be working out of two primary labs on board. A cargo trailer
fastened to the deck will serve as our facilities when benthic
samples are collected. A science lab located on the upper deck will
serve as a chemistry and processing facility for water samples. A
smaller room from the upperdeck lab contains the electronic equipment
for the CTD lab (Conductivity, Temperature and Depth). More about
that tomorrow.
Working aboard ship has been nothing like I had expected. The
accommodations are great, the food is awesome, and the crew has been
extremely friendly and go above and beyond to provide you with
outstanding service and assistance. There is positively a great sense
of pride that can be felt around the ship. This relaxed atmosphere
also makes for a wonderful working environment.
Thus far the weather has been typical of the south Bering Sea, a
little windy, gray and cloudy skies, lightly choppy seas but a
pleasurable time. We should reach our first survey site tomorrow
evening and the true science adventure begins.
I invite any questions regarding my science on the sea adventure. The
ship has graciously set up a system for me to send and receive
e-mails. Please direct your questions to:
