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Student's
Report:
In the summer
of 2000, a group of six students from a Florida maritime high school cruised
with NOAA Ship Ronald H. Brown on a routine expedition to gather data
from the water column over the Axial Volcano off Oregon. As partial high
school credit for the experience, the students were required to write
a fictional short story that describes their adventures and knowledge
gained. It is hoped that through the creative expression of their encounters,
they learn more about themselves as well. These are samples of their work
and that of their teacher. The authors, in order are Vito Maselli, Darin
Tonks, Erik Davis , and Ted Davis. Today we feature the first 2 stories:
Just a Dream by
Vito Maselli
"Writing has proven to
be hard work, often painful. I can honestly say that I would rather be
fishing"
(Linda Greenlaw, 1999)
It was a cold and blustery
winter day in Victoria. I was on my way to NOAA Ship Ronald H. Brown after
traveling about 2000 miles across the United States. I was freezing in
the temperate maritime weather, being accustomed to the warm tropical
air of Florida. I was walking around with only a sweatshirt, trying to
look like a native. No, I wasn't crazy; I just lost the suitcase with
all of my sweaters and other various winter gear in it. So, I picked up
a few things in the city and then took a taxi over to the ship. "Wow,"
I said, as I looked in amazement at this magnificent ship. I had never
been on a ship this size before and couldn't wait to get aboard. I was
so captivated that I started to walk away without paying the taxi driver.
I had never worked on a ship before, so I didn't exactly know how to approach
it. I waited around awhile until I finally saw a man walking on deck towards
me. He asked me for my name, and as I replied he was flipping through
a small booklet. It must have contained my name and position because he
quickly responded with a welcome aboard. It turns out he was the executive
officer of the ship for about three years. As we talked a bit more he
gave me a short tour of the ship, then assigned me a berth. It was a small
room, but sufficient. There were no television, radio, or other electronic
devices. Just two bunks, plenty of lights, and plenty of places to stow
things.
As I was beginning to unpack
my bags I heard a knock on the door. I opened it and a guy about the same
age as myself was standing there. "Hi, I'm you're roommate," he said.
Both of us now were unpacking, talking about where we were attending college,
where we live, etc. Amazingly enough, we both went to the same grade school.
Before we knew, bedtime rolled around. We were going to need all the sleep
we could get, because the ship pushed out tomorrow at 5:30 a.m.
I was a little bit unsure
of my role on the ship. They labeled me as an assistant scientist, but
I had never worked with or seen some of the equipment on board before.
It was like I was in a whole New World. The University of Miami sent me
out here, mainly because it looked like this was the field I was going
into.
After we had pushed out
of Victoria the next morning, I got a formal briefing as to exactly what
the ship's mission was. Basically, we were going to be out at sea for
a month, using a device called a CTD. We were going to be dropping this
CTD down to different depths at various spots on the Axial Volcano and
southern cleft of the Juan de Fucca Ridge. The CTD rosette carries about
21 water sampling bottles at a time, which also transmit information like
conductivity, temperature, and depth or pressure. From the water samples
we tested for elements like Iron, and Manganese, as well as Helium isotopes.
All of this indirectly helps out in the study of the hydrothermal vent
community. So, to my understanding, I was going to be assisting the chief
scientist in this endeavor. My mindset after hearing this was that the
mission was going to be a breeze, but boy was I in for a surprise.
Ring, Ring. That's the
sound I woke up to as the ship made its last call for you to either get
you're butt on board, or get left behind. As my roommate Dirt and I watched
Victoria slowly fade in the distance, we could only hope we wouldn't have
to experience one of the many legendary storms of the Pacific.
Breakfast was eggs, ham,
bacon, and potatoes. It didn't seem so bad until we found out we would
be eating the same thing for the next two weeks. After breakfast, it was
around 10:00a.m. and it was going to be at least another day before we
made it to the site. We were only moving at about 12 knots, and had to
travel about 250 miles off the coast.
My first actual workday
as a scientist would start when we arrived at the site. On the way out
the seas were calm, the winds were mild, and the ride was smooth. I could
smell the fresh scent of the ocean, as I sat out on deck, wondering what
new experiences this trip would bring me. Then I remembered I had a bridge
watch scheduled from 1200-400a.m. Tonight, I decided it would be best
for me to get some rest, so I went down to my berth, and fell into a deep
sleep, Knock, knock, knock, I heard as I sat up in bed, "Are you awake?"
"Yeah, I'm up" I said as I took a gander at the clock and remembered I
was supposed to be on watch in 30 minutes. So, I climbed out of bed, flattened
out my hair, and made myself presentable for the bridge.
As I walked up the seemingly
never-ending stairways, I tried to picture in my mind how it might look
up there; I could only imagine. Once I entered the final door, everything
was dark with only red lights showing. I had to wait a minute to let my
eyes adjust to the light change. Once I could see, it looked really cool.
I was impressed with all of the high-tech equipment in front of me. The
XO (executive officer) who was presently in control of the bridge, offered
to show me some of the equipment that I wasn't familiar with. Over the
course of my watch I learned about the 3 types of GPS systems the ship
had, as well as how to use a sextant to find the positions of celestial
bodies for navigational reasons. Also, I was enlightened on how to use
the Analog to find bearings on objects, and the two types of computer
navigation systems the ship had. One being a rascus scan system, and the
better one being vector based, because when you focus in or out, things
never get blurry. The last and probably the most important thing the XO
showed me was how to determine the condition of, and correctly document
weather. Speaking of which was rapidly deteriorating. We took a barometer
reading and the pressure was dropping a mile a minute. The seas were getting
rough, and big rolling swells started to move in. Even in the darkness
of the night we could see monstrous looking clouds coming our way.The
XO ran to go check the new weather printout, and by the look on his face
I could tell we were in trouble. A storm was coming our way, packing over
80mph winds. Bad storms were frequent out here this time of year. This
was a phenomenon, a product of nature's fury, and it was coming straight
towards us.
The XO promptly called
the Captain and informed him of the situation. There was a critical decision
that had to be made, and no other than the captain should make it. Do
you go full speed ahead into the belly of the storm hoping to ride it
out, or do you turn away and try and outrun the storm. Based on the fact
that this vessel could only move at a maximum speed of about 14 knots,
the Captain made the decision to dive head first into the storm. "I think
she will be able to pull through," he said, as he left the bridge.
The waves were really picking
up now, and the wind was howling like a ghost. The ship was bobbing all
around like a rubber ducky in a bathtub when you fist get in. The XO found
it necessary to make an announcement that all crewmembers secure the hatches,
and clear the deck of all personnel. Also, he asked that everyone on the
ship, except the engineers, gather in the mess deck. The waves now were
over 30 feet, and every time the bow dropped down after a big wave, the
spray shot all the way up to the bridge. Good thing we had windshield
wipers. Just then, the rain began falling, but it wasn't falling vertically,
it was coming straight at us horizontally. Our visibility was cut down
to about the tip of the bow. Worse than that, the wind had just knocked
out our radar, so we were literally blinder than a bat. Lightening was
flashing all around us, just barely missing, until one bolt came down
and struck the A-frame, causing it to crash down into the hull creating
a gaping hole. Water began pouring in to the lower levels of the ship.
People were screaming, and I was scared for my life. Then I began to smell
a hint of gas. There must have been a leaking propane tank somewhere.
Then out of the corner of my eye I saw a man getting ready to light a
cigarette. "No!" I screamed as the match ignited.
"Wake up, wake up," I heard
n a familiar voice. " You're having a bad dream." I popped up out of bed
and saw my roommate standing over me. "You're gonna be late for bridge
watch," he said. "What are you talking about?" I frantically exclaimed.
"The storm, the propane, we have to stop him." There's no storm. Don't
tell me that you went to see that new movie that came out, The Best Cyclone?"
Dirt said. "Relax. You were just having a bad dream." Then it hit me.
"I guess I was," I said in an embarrassed voice. "I guess I was".
It Cut's like a Knife by
Darin Tonks
Chapter 1 - The Plunge
I am Captain "Mike" Thompson.
My story began seven years ago when my father passed away from an unexpected
accident at sea. At the time, we did not know the cause of that accident
but inevitably it was how I inherited his sixty-foot trawler "Barracuda."
I was also given his rare collection of stone knives, one of which was
missing. The trawler was designed to drag "try nets" across the ocean
bottom to catch shrimp and commercially valuable fish.
My first voyage took place
two weeks after the accident that occurred close to Fowey Rocks Lighthouse.
Fowey Rocks is approximately eight miles from Elliot Key near Miami and
that was to be our first destination. My mother and my wife did not want
me to go out. My father died from something that was not known and that
was what they feared. I listened to them but was compelled to conquer
the fears that I had of the place where my father died mysteriously. My
crew were Mathew Wilson, nicknamed "Squeaky," Steve Smith or "Scuba Steve,
" and Alfred Thompson, my younger brother.
We started getting supplies
for our journey. I ran the boat while Squeaky was the winch operator,
Scuba Steve was a certified rescue diver and worked with the rest of the
crew deploying and retrieving the nets. Alfred was the first mate and
cook. Besides the necessary supplies we needed for operation, we brought
along enough food and water for one and a half weeks. Finally the morning
came when we started out on our journey to the Fowey Rocks.
We all met at 0530 at
Brandon Marina in South Miami where the boat was docked. We said Good
bye to our loved ones, took off the bow and stern lines and pulled out
of the slip which marked the beginning of our long ride but memorable
cruise. We finally arrived at about 1300. Immediately we stated putting
the nets in the water. It took us about one hour to put them out and start
to trawl. We turned on the ice machine because we had a feeling that we
were going to catch lots of fish. Since we were behind schedule we only
dragged the nets for three and a half-hours. When we brought the nets
up there were hundreds and hundreds of fish. The ones we kept were of
many types such as Snapper, Grouper, Dolphin, and Tuna. We threw the Junk
fish that were caught incidentally back into the water. Soon we put our
nets away, froze the fish that we kept and cleaned the back of the boat.
Then we went inside and had sandwiches for dinner.
After dinner, Squeaky takes
out his Penn Senator 9/0 on a custom rod and puts on about six feet of
number nine wire with an 8/0 hook, and a chunk of bonito. Then all of
the sudden something grabs Squeak's bait, runs with it and starts peeling
line off his reel as if the fish did not even know he was hooked. So he
starts fighting the fish. Alfred straps the fighting belt on Squeaky so
he can handle the rod better. Then, suddenly the fish starts racing towards
the boat like a raging bull, and hits the underside of the boat. The impact
knocked everyone off their feet and somehow the wire got cut clean through.
The next morning we awoke at 0600 and ate some of Alfred's famous breakfast
eggs, bacon, and sausage. We got the nets in around 0730 in the morning,
and started dragging around eight thirty. About one and half-hours in
to the drag the net gets stuck on the bottom. Then right as Scuba Steve
was about to jump into the water to loosen it, the net came loose so squeaky
brought it up with the winch. When the net finally reaches the surface
it was torn to shreds.
The third day into the
trip they get the net to the surface again. They could not believe it
when they saw it, a 90-foot giant squid. All of the sudden it's tentacles
come loose and whips across the back of the boat like a tree branch knocking
Alfred into the water. We all rushed over to see if he was all right,
but he wasn't. As we watched in horror, he disappeared into the beak of
the giant squid. I stared in disbelief when I saw my father's stone knife
deeply imbedded into it's skin just above the eye. It was then that I
knew how my father died. The loss of another family member was more than
I could take.
Chapter 2 - The Extraction
My new job now is Chief
Bosun on the NOAA Ship Ronald H. Brown. I have two men that work with
me. They are Hank Watson and Roger Williams. Our next cruise is to the
Juan De Fuca Ridge approximately 260 miles off the coast of Oregon. We
will be having six students from Florida and three teachers on this cruise.
There will also be a group of scientists traveling with us. The students
arrived on July 19 by the Victoria Clipper, where they caught a cab to
the ship. Then they received a tour of the ship from ENS Katie Martin.
She showed them their berths and also them to Captain Parsons. Then they
were free to look around town. They went to many of the shops looking
for souvenirs to bring home to their families. Some of them joined in
the softball game we had with the Coast Guard each time we are at that
port.
The next day we left at
0900. On the way out we hit some bad weather and the seas became rougher.
Some of the students could not handle it so they went to sleep. The next
day is when they started their work around the ship. They broke up into
three groups of two. One group would work on the bridge, another with
the deck crew, and one with the scientists. Every three days they would
switch and do a new job. The deck work consisted of painting, sanding,
swabbing, sweeping, gathering, sorting, and burning trash. It was basically
keeping the ship clean and safe. When we were on cruises like this, we
would also pick up moorings that have been on the ocean floor for a year
and gather important scientific data from hydrothermal vents.
The students the bridge
experienced two - four hour shifts a day. It is customary to arrive half
an hour early, so you can get a feel for what is happening up there. While
on the bridge they would learn how to do weather logs which tell you information
such as swell and wind direction, height of waves, the types of clouds,
and their coverage. It also told you the barometric pressure, temperature.
GPS location, and humidity using wet and dry thermometers. They also did
a weather report every six hours which was sent out to NOAA centers which
is used to tell other ships what kind of weather they can be expecting.
They learned that the boat had "Z" drive thrusters that could turn 360
degrees so the boat had no rudders. They learned about the radar's range.
The smaller Radar is used for picking up objects at a short range, that
is the 3cm radar. The 10cm radar is used for long distance.
When they would be working
with the scientists they would be learning about the CTD, and what it
does. The CTD is a device that is lowered down by the hydrothermal vent
and it takes samples of the water down there. Then the scientists can
take some of that water and analyze it. They can find out things like,
pressure, conductivity, temperature, salinity, density, and they also
have a device called a Nepholometer that tells you what kind of abnormal
particles are down there. So far the Cruise was fine and the students
were having fun fishing or sitting on the back deck talking and laughing.
One of the nights they even caught two squid, one which they kept and
ate the next night. It was about seven pounds. The next day we were ready
for another days' work when a problem occurred. The CTD was coming to
the surface when something grabbed it and became entangled in the wire.
All of the sudden I heard screaming so I ran over to see what the problem
was. That is when I saw the squid. I froze in disbelief, when I saw my
fathers stone knife still stuck in the squid. I knew the squid was stuck
in the cable and was not going anywhere but I had to make sure it did
not get away and kill someone else. That's when I called my crew members'
and five other guys to come down to the bottom of the ship and help me
haul one of the ship's ropes to the deck. When I got back to the Starboard
side of the ship the squids was still thrashing around but not as much.
So I made a slip knot and tied it around the base of the squids head,
and then, to a cleat on the ship. We left it there through the whole ride
home. When we finally arrived back in port at Victoria we called the coast
guard and told them to come to NOAA Ship Ronald H. Brown. When they arrived
there they could not believe their eyes. They have never seen a creature
this big in their life and were sure that we haven't either. I looked
sadly towards them and said, "I'm afraid that I have. You see this very
same creature took the life of my father and my brother They looked at
me like I was crazy that is when I told them the story and about how I
found my father's stone knife still stuck in the head of the squid. They
did not believe me at first. Luckily, I always keep my fathers stone knife
collection with me as a good luck charm and as a reminder of him. I went
inside and got the collection and showed them to the Coast Guard and the
students who were on the ship. They saw that there was one missing, and
it matched the one stuck in the squid. I walked over to the giant and
pulled my father's knife from it's skin. I felt relieved when did this.
It was the first time I have ever told anyone what happened to my brother
and father. In those few moments of talking about them, I felt I was reunited
with my family and that they were standing there by my side. I was glad
that this creature was captured and that it was not able to harm anyone
the way it did me.
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