The R/V Thompson left the University of Washington dock early this morning for Victoria, Canada to load the ROV ROPOS and its crew members. Our transit north out of Lake Washington, through North Puget Sound, and across the Straight of Juan de Fuca to Victoria was met with gorgeous weather. The science party spent the rest of the day settling in, planning for the upcoming days at sea, and attending safety meetings. Once in Victoria, ROPOS was loaded on board and its crew begain the final touches of preparing the ROV for the next three weeks at sea. We will be leaving the Esquimalt graving dock in Victoria at approximately midnight tonight to transit back south off the coast of the San Juan Islands to conduct the initial testing of an OOI primary node.