Pioneer Turnaround

Twice each year, scientists, engineers, and technicians make three short (7-10 day) trips on the research vessel Neil Armstrong to service and replace moorings that make up the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) Pioneer Array 100 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard. The trips require that the ship be packed full of gear on the way out and back. The time in Woods Hole between individual trips are short, however, which means that each turnaround in port must be a carefully choreographed operation involving ship’s crew, dock crew, and many others to ensure that old gear is removed and new gear is loaded in time for the ship to keep to its busy schedule. Watch as everyone makes the turnaround happen over the course of about 28 hours in port in a timelapse that lasts about three and a half minutes.