TUESDAY, 04.21.09

1315: Days 12, 13 & 14 (April 18,19 & Yesterday, April 20)
I’m getting lazy on my reports and for that I apologize, but the days are blurring together pretty well about now.

The last action reported was a launch of Mary Ann on the evening of April 17. A breakdown on the times beginning April 18th is as follows:

April 18:
0048: Mary Ann aborted at 220 meters
0110: Mary Ann on deck
0409 & 0505: DOTs deployed
1035: Ginger recovered from survey of 3F
1255: Mary Ann deployed to survey 3-4E
1720: Ginger deployed to survey 4F
1835: Departed to survey DOTs
2236: Back on station to monitor vehicles

April 19:
0220: Transited to recover DOTs
0545 & 0809: DOTs on deck
1115: Mary Ann recovered
1331: Mary Ann deployed to survey 4-5E
1516: Ginger recovered
1938: Ginger deployed to survey 5F
2112-2355: Net trawl, repairs to hydraulics

April 20:
0000: Transited to deploy DOTs
0222 & 0330: DOTs deployed
0448-0735: DOT surveyed
0744: Ginger tail leak detected, mission aborted
0845: Ginger on deck
1250: Mary Ann recovered
1635: Mary Ann deployed to survey 5-6E
1839: Ginger deployed to survey 5F
2345: Net deployed for trawl survey

You’ll notice a couple significant events in the last few days, including two vehicle aborts. Mary Ann suffered a fault in her recovery float release system and aborted the other day at 220 meters. The issue seems to be related to a ground fault in her proximity sensor. Greg Packard suspected a cable or connector problem, so the cable assembly to this component was replaced and the ground fault cleared. There have not been any issues with it since.

Ginger also suffered an abort when monitors in her tail thruster assembly detected what they interpreted to be a leak. When she was recovered, the team opened up the assembly and found no salt water, but residues of oil and condensation. It’s likely a minor amount of oil used in the winding of the motors on this board, burned off along with some slight remaining moisture in the unit, which set off the leak detect. This was probably a good thing as it may have prevented further damage from overheating.

There was a distinct burnt electronics smell and further investigation found some components of the electronics board had indeed become extremely hot, enough to char wiring and traces. Greg suspects there may have been increased resistance in some of the traces on this board. The board was replaced, some wires re-terminated and e-mails went out to Hydroid, who later informed us they had this problem in the past (somewhat vexing we weren’t informed before ours failed). Our plan is to open up the thruster assembly after the current dive, and inspect the board for any indication the problem continues; if so, we may change some of the wiring to jump the traces and wire directly into the components.

Other news is the repair of the hydraulics on the RVSJ A-frame. In actuality, the broken fittings have not been repaired, but capped off. We no longer have the capability to run the A-frame pendant up and down, but this does not prevent net tows (two have been successfully completed). I want some time now to catch up with sample pictures — I hope to do this in the next day or so.

We suffered our only injury on the job to-date during this repair. Bob McMillen, a seaman, was up on the A-frame using a wrench and sheared off the very tip of his right ring finger. He’ll probably lose the nail, but Captain Gunther and Frank Lombardo, one of the HBOI submariners who is also an EMT, are taking care of him. He’s a top hand and taking it in stride, but it was painful and remains so, to be sure. Not a serious injury, though.

During a recent survey, we detected what we suspect is an underwater cable that could possibly be running from Hawaii to Australia (at least that is the general direction of the target). During the mission Ginger recently aborted, we sent her to do a low camera pass over this target. Though not very distinguishable in the picture, the cable can be seen where it lays across the bottom. Impressive our sonar picked it out in the first place really, given its low profile and diameter (maybe two to three inches?). We were able to track its course for 12 kilometers across our survey.

In that same run, we also found something else man-made that continues to confound us. In that image, we can see a hole with some kind of wire coming out of it (perhaps 6 inches across) in a small protrusion on the bottom. This was not detected by sonar but was found in the re-image files when we looked at the cable. We have no idea what it is, but we do know it is not an airplane.

That’s about it for now. As I mentioned, I will try and catch up on my ‘creepy fish’ file and send some images soon.

1747 To Ted Waitt: Just Had A Freaky Episode
I had a freaky episode that started out like a blind spot in the middle of my eye that turned into kind of a “C” shape made out of flashing lights, which expanded and then went away in just over half an hour. Didn’t give it much thought; figured I just spent too long looking at my computer or got caught in some lights without really noticing. Then, half an hour ago, the exact same thing happened in the other eye! Very visible line of flashing lights that started out as a spot, turned into a C then expanded outward for over half an hour. Man, I was freaked. Thinking this can’t be something bad. I am NOT gonna be a reason.

I thought about just not looking into it (denial is always an option when it comes to medical stuff), but I couldn’t take it and looked on the Internet. Ophthalmic migraine has the exact same description and is not uncommon with people who had migraines as a child (as I did) and is often accompanied by a headache (which I have had all morning). Nothing to worry about, not dangerous, no permanent damage and I don’t require treatment. Freaky though. Phew.