Date: Sat, 09 Feb 2002 21:23:55 +0000 To: Karen Baker From: "Sirovic, Ana" Subject: Message 04 9 Feb 2002, 18:15 62 deg 12.90 S lat 62 deg 11.65 W long (The Drake) Air surface temperature: 3.0 degrees C Sea Surface Temperature (SST): 2.5 degrees C Wind speed: 19 knots, 280 degrees Air pressure: 987.3 mBar Today we're featuring a message from our Chief Scientist: Bob Beardsley. So keep reading... Today's photo is showing the galley and the mess. They would be called kitchen and dining room on land, but everything on a ship has a different name. A toilet is a head, left side of the ship, when facing forward, is its port side, and right side is starboard side, etc. Just to add to the confusion! The person in the middle of the picture is Bob himself, so let me give it over to him: Hi, Its now about 5 PM, Saturday, February 9, and we are steaming at about 11 knots across the Drake Passage towards the first SIO bio-acoustic mooring, which we plan to recover later today. Our research vessel is named the Laurence M. Gould, after one of the earliest Antarctic explorer. Before describing the science we want to do on this cruise, i want to tell you a bit about the LMG. She was built in 1997, and has an overlength of 230 ft and width of 46 ft. She draws about 19 ft when fully loaded, and weights almost 3000 tons. The ship has two large Caterpillar diesel engines which can produce almost 5000 horsepower, and drive the ship at a normal cruising speed of 10 knots. This may seem slow to you (imagine driving to school at 10 mph), but it seems pretty fast when you are working on the main deck, and watch and feel as large waves pass under the ship. The National Science Foundation operates two ships in the Antarctic, the LMG and the N.B. Palmer, a large ice-breaker, plus several permanent stations on the Antarctic continent itself. After we recover the SIO mooring this evening, we will steam to Palmer Station, the smallest of the permanent US bases. This station has a shallow dock, with just enough water depth so that the LMG can dock there. For this reason, the LMG normally always stops at Palmer Station during each cruise, to carry over people, supplies, equipment, food, oil, etc. Going to the Antarctic is like going camping in a national park or forest. You must bring in all that you need to survive, and take all trash out at the end of your hike. The LMG is both a trash truck and a ferry for people and equipment returning to her home port of Punta Arentas, Chile. I enjoy sailing on the LMG. The Captain and crew are excellent, and friendly. The food is pretty good too, with three main meals and plenty of snacks and left overs put aside for those who either missed a meal or got hunger during the day or night. We are approaching dinner now and with the mooring operation scheduled for just after dinner, I will sign off for now. Bob Beardsley