28 June 2018 Hitching a Ride…

Black legged Kittiwakes hitching a ride.

Today the sky turned grey and the sea looks dark and cold. The water is getting deeper in depth as we head towards our testing site. We still have another 16 hours to go until we arrive at out first station. We are finishing off setting up equipment, testing computer connections, moving chemicals and getting ready for the first shift. We are splitting into two shifts with the first shift starting at 1am and everyone joining station 2 at approximately 6am.

While we are waiting to start, I am continuing to explore the boat. Rick Null is the chief engineer and gave me a tour of engine room. We started in the control room looking at the way the ship can be controlled by computer. There are four engines and three thrusters. They are 360 degrees directional so it can keep the ship within 1ft of a position for a length of time. The ship requires 180,000 gallons of fuel to be full and never falls below 30% in case of emergencies. It is like a mini city. It has all the facilities to be self-sustaining in terms of sewage, water, and waste disposal. After this we went into the heart of the ship with ear protection to see it all in action. We also tried out the watertight doors and looked at all the emergency systems that are in place to make this ship as safe as possible. The ship’s engine rooms were incredibly clean and well maintained, which is a credit to how hard working the crew are and the pride they have in their ship. The tour ended with a visit to their coffee machine for a decent brew!

Engine #1 of the Sikuliaq.

As we approach our research site we are seeing other fishing vessels. One of them, The Misty Dawn, I recognize from the Deadliest Catch! The sea is so calm, like glass and we are lucky to experience a smooth ride so far. There have been some sightings of orcas today. We also took a little stroll to the bridge to do some bird watching. We saw black-legged kittiwakes, northern fulmars, tufted puffins, short-tailed shearwaters and fork-tailed storm-petrels. We also saw two fur seals swimming next to the ship. On the port side, there were plenty of birds hitching a ride, enjoying the rest and shelter from the wind.

Mary Beth Decker and Rick Null in the Engine control room.

Name: Rick Null

Position: Chief Engineer

From: Texas

How did you end up on the R/V Sikuliaq?:
Originally a journeyman in numerous trades, Rick started out as an electrician aboard a ship and worked his way up the levels of engineering. He had a call from the previous chief who needed some help when the Sikuliaq was first built. Rick was in between jobs and joined the crew.

What are the best and worst parts of your job?: The best parts of being on the Sikuliaq are the people and the food. The worst part of the job is missing family at home and the poor internet communication.

Thank you Rick for the great tour and coffee!