Arrived in Victoria BC

We are almost home after our soon-to-be 47 days at sea. We arrived in Victoria, BC at ~ 0730 this morning under calm seas and cloudy skies to offload the ROV ROPOS.  With a ship packed full of gear, it was good to have some time yesterday to begin packing and cleaning. We must offload all of the science and engineering gear (many truck loads) in Seattle and clean the labs and cabins for the next oncoming science party. The day was also spent report writing and backing up data. Video alone is 30 terabytes!

During this leg, there was a lot of discussion with, and by, the VISIONS ’13 students regarding the importance of outreach and engagement. They have formed an impressive team and are fine, young ambassadors for the ocean sciences. Cody Turner, a recent graduate from the UW School of Oceanography undergraduate program, instigated a live broadcast by the students presenting a summary of the work that they conducted on the cruise. They worked hard on this broadcast and yesterday there were numerous practice runs with significant help from our onboard video broadcast expert, Ed McNichol. It was an impressive show and a good model for follow-on years. In the evening, they gave more detailed presentations of their work to the science and engineering team. Stay tuned: their videos, TV-style broadcasts, and articles will be posted later on this website.

The days coming in at the end of a cruise always hold mixed emotions: the need to be home with loved ones, looking forward to simple events like cooking for oneself, and the gift of quiet. Yet it is always somewhat sad to know that this group of people will never come together again in the same way.

Today we will venture into town and re-grow legs for terra firma.