Moving on the HEALY!!!
Saturday brought move-in day on the HEALY - my home away from home for the next six weeks! We got up early, had breakfast at the hotel, stored our bags...and then off to the HEALY! The first task at hand was off-loading a flat bed trailer of supplies and equipment into the science labs.
Loading the USCG Cutter HEALY!
There were SO many boxes...about 50 Zarges boxes that cost nearly $9000 to ship from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts to the Marine Science Center in Seward where they were stored until we arrived. Zarges boxes are aluminum shipping boxes. A very convenient way to package and ship equipment. I wasn't there for the packing, so every box was a surprise...microscopes, bongo nets, office supplies, bottles – LOTS of bottles for ALL of the copepods we hope to catch, snacks, coffee, etc.
Zages shipping boxes
The main science lab went from empty to a mess in no time at all! We had to get unpack everything before we could organize and put away the materials. There were also lots of people so it was easy to get into one another's way.
The messy Main Lab
The unloading and unpacking took the entire day. We had a break for lunch and I managed to capture some gorgeous pictures of our surroundings here in Seward. The weather was absolutely perfect!
Beautiful mountains around Seward
At 1400 hours(time on the ship is in military time so midnight equals 2400 hours), we got to move into our rooms. I took the top berth and share my stateroom with Kristina. Kristina is a recent college graduate from the University of Rhode Island with a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology. I will interview her in a later journal!
I have the top bunk!
We had a short inbrief – a meeting held by the Coast Guard Marine Science Officers to give us important information about life on the ship. It was an abbreviated meeting due to it being a weekend and not many people being on the ship. We will have our full inbrief after we leave port on Monday.
After our briefing, we went out and enjoyed dinner in town. We will be eating on the HEALY enough! On the way back to the ship, we saw a black bear walking down the street in downtown Steward!! Too bad my camera wasn't handy!
New vocabulary
Berth: bunk, bed or where you sleep
Stayed tuned to this journal as we make final preparations of the departure of the USCG Cutter Healy!! Until then...
“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever” Mohandas Gandhi