Thursday, August 18, 2022 Today is August 18th, 2022, and our third day sailing aboard the research vessel R/V Sally Ride. It is a completely new experience to be on a research vessel. The whole experience has been quite a learning experience for me. You have to relearn how to walk with the boat rocking, be […]
Perspective Shift
Wednesday, August 17, 2022 Fog is deceptive. It descended on the R/V Sally Ride as we moved from Puget Sound to the open Pacific. Our world was compacted to a small circle of visible water and the echo of the foghorn in the yellow clouds. As we stood on deck, tracing the skyline for a sliver of […]
Gratitude
Tuesday, August 16, 2022 Today was our first official day out at sea. I feel both excited to be here and nervous about seasickness. So far, I’ve managed to escape feeling sick. I owe this to a good combination of ginger, hydration, and plenty of time outside. The ship’s crew have taught us an incredible […]
Prelude to life at sea
Monday, August 15, 2022 The day began with my 8:30am alarm going off on the night stand next to my bed. I got up, showered, prepared for the day and headed to breakfast. Being in downtown Seattle at 9am was a refreshing yet intriguing experience. Took a cool walk to the Public Market Center while […]
Walk the Sailor’s Walk and Talk the Science Talk
It was a bittersweet morning today as we said goodbye to the deck and crew of Langseth. We hunkered down the runway onto the dock and were eager to stretch our feet and explore the land. Once on the ground, we combed the San Diego area. We went searching for wildlife, uncovered fossils at the […]
Monkey’s Fist
One of my favorite parts of this entire trip has been interacting with the crew. In particular, I’ve loved getting to know Patrick, the A.B. that I interviewed. Interviewing him over breakfast was the first time I’d really sat down and talked to him, and he met me again later that day on the deck […]
Interview with The Captain
Me: Would you please state your name. Mark Lando Me: How long have you been sailing? Mark: 32 years. Columbia was the first shipping job I had in 1989. I began as an officer. I have been captaining for 22 years. Me: Is there any schooling required to be a captain? Or does experience matter […]
Interview: Patrick, an AB (able-bodied seaman).
Name: Patrick Position: AB (able-bodied seaman). This particular job is a new one for him. Main duty: General maintenance. He switched to this job because he wanted something new. Work Schedule:Regular. He keeps watch in the wheelhouse for four hours (4:00 to 8:00 am), spends four hours on deck, and then he’s on break for […]
Leaving the Sea Behind
Matt McHugh was born and raised in Massachusetts. Following in the steps of his father and friends, he decided to attend the Massachusetts Maritime Academy studying engineering. From there, Matt worked for AmGen, a pharmaceutical company in Los Angeles, automating processes, streamlining workflows, and other very exciting projects. Eventually, because he had gone to a […]
Why is the Sidewalk Moving????
We started the morning attempting to watch a sunrise behind a cloudy sky and gazing at the city lights in the distance. A pod of dolphins greeted us by leaping out of the water, dancing through the waves. The sun slowly but surely broke through the clouds to warm our skin. A pilot hopped aboard […]
