We finished our transit this morning around 0800h and started gearing up for the prelay grapnel run* just off Haystack Rock, Pacific City, OR. The grapnel was in the water by 0900h or so and we headed west on Segment 5 cable route. The grapnel is picked up every 10km to check it is clear of any debris. The first check came out clean; the second check is due anytime soon (it is now 2100h).
What a beautiful day… the wind is picking up now but we’ve had a great day out here (well for those that got a chance to get out anyway). If it stays like this tomorrow, we may even be able to see some firework! Happy Fourth of July!
—Cecile Durand, the OOI Regional Scale Nodes Marine Maintenance Manager at the University of Washington, reports from aboard the TE SubCom Dependable.
*The prelay grapnel run, or PLGR, is a route clearance operation used in areas where the cable is planned for burial and is done to ensure that no obstacle lies across the planned OOI cable route.