What's Happening Today - Nov. 22

It has been a wonderful day and somewhat relaxing in that we recovered the DSL-120A sonar around lunch time, so most people didn't have to stand watch. To be sure, Dana, Al, Al, Rod and Andy - the 'ABE Guys' were busy getting ABE ready for it's next dive (#57) which started tonight in the 9° 50'N area. But others took time to decorate 'squish cups', get some sun on 'steel beach', or go swimming in the pool. Andy Billings was busy getting the towed camera ready for its next dive tomorrow morning. We've official named it the "Towed Camera THING"! It doesn't look like much but it works like a charm. Andy has even rigged up a rock coring device which we're going to try out too. We'll let you know how it worked in tomorrow's posting.

Dinner, cooked and served by Carl, Jay and Linda was DELICIOUS. Turkey -of course, cooked to perfection, mashed potatoes, tiny carrots, corn and lima beans (my personal favorite), perfectly seasoned stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, home-made rolls, and sourcream pumpkin pie (which I made with help from Jay and Linda).

We send our best wishes to family and friends and hope they have had a safe and bountiful Thanksgiving.

Best Regards,

Dan Fornari

Patrick Hennesy, the Bosun, and John Cawley, an Ordinary Seaman, repair the sheave on the starboard hydroboom which is used to deploy the rock corer and the camera. We noticed that it was squeaking when we recovered the towed camera the other night. Today it was repaired so that it will be ready for us to use tomorrow for another camera survey.

Close-up of the bearing that was replaced. Patrick is pointing to it with the screwdriver.

Ken Sims plotting the DSL-120A sonar fish location this morning in the Computer Lab.

Maurice Tivey (left) and Hans Schouten discussing the magnetics data that ABE has collected and relating it to the features seen in the sidescan sonar data collected by the DSL-120A.

Patrick Hennesy, the Bosun, getting a haircut today in the Main Lab from Linda Bartholomee, the Mess Attendant.

Margo Edwards concentrating on processing the DSL-120A sonar data today in the Computer Lab. on R/V Atlantis.

Manny Lopes helps a wayward booby bird get aloft again after it landed by mistake on the fantail of the ship. These birds need the wind to take off from their perch and the ship's rails blocks the wind so they have trouble taking off once on deck. Manny gave this one a lift and it headed back to its flock which has been feeding off the flying fish around the ship since we've been in this area.

Decorating 'squish cups' on the fantail. (From left) Brent Garry, Brooke Stembridge, Tomoko Kurokawa, and Jennie Morgan. 'Squish cups' are styrofoam cups that are decorated with waterproof pens and then sent to the bottom of the ocean so they are squeezed under the pressure of a mile and a half of water. Often they are sent down with Alvin. On this cruise we'll use the towed camera to take them to the great pressure of the ocean depths.

One of the transponders - the acoustic beacons that we use to navigate ABE and the DSL-120A sonar -being recovered today.

The transponder being carried back to the fantail by Patrick, John and Pat Hickey, the Expedition Leader. It was refitted with a new release wire and dumped back over to help form the new transponder net for our southern survey area between 9° 29'N and 9° 26'N.

Dan Fornari relaxing in the pool this afternoon. He kept calling for someone to bring him one of those drinks with the little umbrellas, but...

Officially named the "Towed Camera THING". Here, it's fitted out with the acoutic beacons (yellow spheres near the top of the frame), and the trial rock core device (the gray steel sphere is visible just under the left corner of the battery box).

The science party - wishing everyone back home a wonderful Thanksgiving. Top Row- left to right: Ken Sims, Dana Yoerger, Al Duester, Al Bradley, Brent Garry, Brooke Stembridge, Michelle Cooper, Rod Catanach, Kate Buckman, Paul Johnson, Andy Billings, Jennie Morgan, Mark Rognstad, Dan Fornari, Tom Crook. Bottom Row - left to right: Maurice Tivey, Tomoko Kurokawa, Hans Schouten, Margo Edwards, Akel Sterling.