Go with the flow

We always joke—sort of crassly—that there’s no such thing as “safely out to sea”—not for mariners anyway. You come to appreciate the beauty of the ocean on the good days, but you also learn the harsh reality that the ocean doesn’t care about you. This is especially true when navigating the force of large currents.

An aerial view of R/V Neil Armstrong and a deployed surface buoy. (Photo by Croy Carlin, © Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)

Ocean currents can be challenging when you’re trying to ensure scientific missions go off without a hitch. I often say that the Gulf Stream, in particular, is “the PhD class” in ship handling during science operations because it can move up to 5 knots (6 miles per hour). To give you perspective, one knot of current is comparable to 25 or 30 knots of wind (28 to 34 miles per hour). So, five knots can feel like 150 knots of wind—that’s hurricane strength. It’s like an unstoppable conveyor belt running under the ship. As the Gulf Stream heads east toward Europe, you also get an area called “the north wall.” Here, stark temperature differences around and in the current can exacerbate extreme weather events and generate intense waves.

Being a relief captain in these conditions is like being a symphony conductor. You’re seeing all the vectors in your head: the current, the winds, what the ship can do, and what the equipment can tolerate. As scientific instruments go in the water, your job as captain is to position this 240-foot-long ship with the direction and speed of the water. If you don’t maneuver the vessel correctly, expensive equipment can easily get ripped away, slip underneath the vessel, or worse, damage the integrity of the hull. In this way, scientific vessels require a lot more handling than, say, a container ship moving from point A to point B.

“I feel great pride, not only in the institution but also in the reputation that WHOI ships have in putting science operations first.”
—Mike Singleton, relief captain, R/V Neil Armstrong

It’s tough, but I like the challenge that currents present. I feel great pride, not only in the institution but also in the reputation that WHOI ships have in putting science operations first and consistently getting the job done.

Mike Singleton has worked at WHOI for over 17 years. Consecutively, he has logged over nine years at sea as both ordinary and able-bodied seaman, chief mate, and now relief captain for the R/V Neil Armstrong.