Programs Blog

Author: Diego Inigo-Payne, Stony Brook University and Sam Brandt, College of Charleston

Ship’s Log

11 December 2023
Current Position: 37 56.1’S,  179 57.2′ W
Ship’s Heading and Speed: 255 true, 5.5knts
Weather: Cloudy, temps in the low 60s

What’s up guys, Diego and Sam back again?

Having left Napier 3 days ago, things are finally getting back into sea mode. It’s been a big adjustment from being at port/dockside, and everyone is being pushed out of our comfort zones, again. Our sleep schedules are back to ship normal and the sights are back to the Open Ocean and Albatross by the plenty. We started off our day with Sam and B Watch taking the dawn shift (0100-0700) running the deck and lab. As a class and crew have continued to boost our confidence and knowledge, our watches have started to become more routine and much less chaotic (to an extent). Our mates and marine techs have introduced the shadowing position in watch rotations, where as we get to take the reins (with their close guidance of course) and are coordinating aspects of running the deck or lab! We all have learned pretty quickly the stress and responsibility that comes with being the head honcho! For B Watch our deck shadows today were Aly and Lucy who did a fantastic job keeping us organized, and preparing our deck report that we presented to the ship’s company during class (a deck report essentially just summarizes where we have sailed the last couple of days). Other than that we had a relatively uneventful morning (other than getting absolutely dumped on by rain and some choppy seas for the first half of the watch).
       
We then passed on the con to Diego and C Watch while B Watch went below to enjoy some delicious coconut peach cobbler bake and indulge in some much needed rest. Diego started off as a shadow for C Watch and was quickly tossed into the chaos of calling a sail maneuver. At 0710 C Watch set the tops’l (with plenty of input from Tierney, the 3rd mate) in a mostly orderly fashion. Diego soon realized just how much the crew has to keep in mind. Only two hours later we (under Diego’s orders) struck the very sail we set and came hove to (with a switch over to Emma now commanding) so our science team could deploy the CTD and collect water samples while not moving. Under Emma’s command we then gybed twice and got back underway, but not before we pulled off a Neuston Tow. This particular net collected an extremely colorful array of specimens with dark and neon blue colors popping out. Several fluorescent Man O’War floated at the surface with their long fishing tentacles dragging behind them to the bottom of the bucket (the Neuston sample is transferred from a jar on the end of the net to a bucket as soon as it comes on board). They are truly one of the most shocking organisms we encounter. Following the tentacles to the bottom of the bucket we found what appeared to be hundreds of thousands of microscopic dark blue copepods (in scientific terms, Zoop-Soup). This mass of copepods was strangely enchanting and outlined the fluorescence of the Man O’War. While it wasn’t as many as yesterday’s tow (we counted 48 Man O’War yesterday), it was just as exciting. Lunch was Shak-Shuka (sorry for the spelling) accompanied by delicious fluffy bits of pita. Today’s midnight rations (midnight rat snacks as we call ’em) are Baklava and dinner is something that smells delicious. I’ll say it once and I’ll say it again, big ups to the galley crew. They truly are the heart and soul of this floating piece of wood.

Signing off,
Diego Inigo-Payne, Stony Brook University
Sam Brandt, College of Charleston

P.S. To my family on land, Love and miss you guys (and I haven’t gotten any new tattoos.. yet). Cocina halgo bien para mi esta noche guey. Diego.

Fam miss all of you guys so much!! Think about you guys daily, only causing minor chaos and working as hard as I can. Brandt family, the seabirds that pass our boat all day make me think of grandpa and how much he would have loved watching all the different species.

Maddie, my sunfish I miss you more than ever and can’t wait to be back home to see you! √ Bird

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