Archive for the 'Glen Tarran' Category

The real science begins!

Ok so if you asked me a week ago would I be glad to be getting up at 4am, in the dark, with it raining and a little windy I would have said no, a big no in fact, I couldn’t think of much worse! But come 4am yesterday I was glad, glad we were finally underway and doing what we are at sea to do.

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Posted by: Rob Ellis on Saturday, 1st Oct, 2011

Departures, dry runs and dolphins!

So yesterday finally marked our departure from Avonmouth and AMT21 was officially underway, much to the delight of both Andy Rees the AMT program manager and Glen Tarran the principle scientific officer on board!

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Posted by: Rob Ellis on Friday, 30th Sep, 2011

The “F” Word

Right, where are we and what day is it? We had fish for dinner last night, so that was Friday. Therefore, I guess today is Saturday. Difficult to tell when you get into a routine and you are doing pretty much the same things every day of the week, starting in the dark and often finishing as it’s getting dark.

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Posted by: Kelly-Marie Davidson on Saturday, 24th Oct, 2009

KT Tunstall – Thursday 16th October 2008

Currently typing away in time to KT Tunstall. Oh yes, it’s 1930 here and I’m about to turn in to try and get 8 hours sleep for once. I figure if I lie in bed for 8.5 hours I might get 8 hours sleep out of it. Unbelievable luxury. It basically means everything went smoothly today. If you are as mathematically challenged as I am, that means getting up at 0400, for the first conductivity-temperature-density (CTD) trace. The poor blighters analysing nutrients have to get up at 0300 to set up their instruments, so I guess I’m lucky.

 

Just as a random comment, we crossed the Tropic of Cancer overnight (23.5 degrees N). The next big line will be the equator, probably in 6 days time. There are loads of people who haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Neptune before and a couple I know of who have been foolish enough to forget their certificates, so they cannot prove they’ve crossed the line before. This basically puts them back in the firing line of Neptune’s justice. First timers beware: Neptune can be harsh to those traversing his realm and the crew can carry out all sorts of unmentionable things to crossing the line initiates in His name.

 

Oh, by the way, it’s really difficult typing in the dark but as my cabin faces west I had a lovely view over the sea just after sunset when I started typing and couldn’t be bothered to move. It really is very dark already. We’re in the Trade winds at the moment, so it’s a brisk force 4-5 all the time. RRS James Clark Ross seems happy with it though. The bruises I obtained during our stormy transit down the North Sea and English Channel have been munched by my white blood cells now so I don’t  look quite so battered any more. Coo, I’ve just realised, this is the end of our 14th day at sea. 24 to go!!

 

Right, that’s the end of KT Tunstall so time to turn in. Mmmmmmm, perhaps a little chocolate first?……..

Posted by: Kelly-Marie Davidson on Thursday, 16th Oct, 2008

Hot, hot, hot – Thursday 16th October 2008

Hot, sweaty, currently letting my feet breathe. Training shoes have got up and walked off on their own! Heat generated by 2 flow cytometers in the main lab is like having a 3 bar electric fire on ALL day. The air coming off the lasers is also a tad warm. Main lab is now festooned with ducting, a mobile air con unit and in-line fans in an attempt to dump heat out of the lab and keep the instruments cooler. The humans will just have to suffer. 34 degs C in the lab at the moment, so I’ve escaped for an hour before the next water samples (conductivity and temperature with depth) are hoisted up.

Posted by: Kelly-Marie Davidson on Thursday, 16th Oct, 2008