08/08/02 - Waiting out the storm
This morning we awoke to the sight of land! We had sailed west
to find a buffer from the rough seas. We came within four miles
of the coast. Some folks used their cellular phones to call home
and let their families know that we were safe. We have been waiting
to see what effect Tropical Storm Christobal and the northeastern
winds will have on our expedition. After discussion between the
scientists and the captain, we decided to head north towards Cape
Lookout. We hope to find calm seas tomorrow and then slowly begin
to make our way south. This location will put us close to our
next research area—the Lophelia Banks. As of 5:08 pm today,
we were at 34 degrees 03 minutes North and 77 degrees 21 minutes
West.
So much of life at sea is weather dependent. We watch weather
updates on the television and read what comes to the bridge from
the NOAA office. This information helps us determine our next
course of action. No one wants to be out in 25-30 foot seas! It
is frustrating to have to delay our work. Someone equated it to
saving all year for a vacation and then having it rain the first
three days. It is ironic that the sky is a clear blue and the
seas are a teal green, but the swells and threat of bad weather
prevent further work.
Today provided an opportunity to take pictures. We spent time
on the bridge speaking with the second mate and learning how to
chart a course both manually and electronically. Alan spent some
time learning about remote sensing. He will be bringing a broken
sensor back to his classroom to share with his students.
Meals have become the way we mark our time as we steam towards
our next destination. Breakfast this morning included a potato
frittata and lunch was fish and chips. Dinner looks like it might
be steak and portobello mushrooms. Everyone is grateful for the
skills of the cook and her assistant. They are keeping us happy
as we wait to begin our research again.
Hopefully tomorrow will provide good research weather.
08/08/02 - No data
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