FeMO3 Dive Cruise 2008
Report Day 07 -- Sunday 28 September 2008 -- Going On Without Elevator
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FeMO3 Dive Cruise 2008 |
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The decision was made to leave the damaged deep-sea elevator on the bottom. The risk and cost in dive time was judged too great. The most valuable part of the elevator, the glass floats, were gone already. The expensive solid-state chemistry instruments were rescued and piled on Jason’s basket. The bioboxes and other fittings remain on the elevator at the bottom of the ocean.
Jason arrived on deck at 4 in the morning and the scientists went to work. The techs made a couple minor repairs to Jason and got it ready for the next dive. A 5,000m CTD cast was made to sample water over the Ula Nui site and then Jason was ready to return to the deep.
Brian Midson of NSF asked the Captain of the Thompson if we could go out in the small boat to record the Jason launch from the water. We climbed up to the 02 deck and out into the boat. The crew lowered us the long 30 feet down the side of the ship into the water. There was a gentle, long period swell running from the northwest and the small boat surged up and down against the side of the Thompson. Jenna, the third mate, piloted the small boat round the Thompson and stationed us off the stern for the best view. Ships look slightly fantastic from the surface of the ocean, like a steel building with waves surging up its sides. It is so unusual to see your ship from the water that it seems more interesting than it should; in my enthusiasm I rattled off 80 pictures in just a few minutes. The Thompson looked great riding easy in the swell with nothing but blue Pacific all around her.
Jason was lowered into the water over the port side, followed by Medea lowered over the fantail by the moving A-frame. Jason streamed behind Medea on his tether and then began his decent to Ula Nui with a boiling of white foam.
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