Date: Sat, 1 Feb 1997 06:21:43 +0000 (GMT)
From: Jason Goodman <sci5@knorr.whoi.edu>
To: Everyone Who Cares <aharleytoo@aol.com>, cjsmith@MIT.EDU,
        cmitchel%admin1@carleton.edu, deepa@matrisome.mit.edu,
        dmm@muddcs.cs.hmc.edu, dressler@carleton.edu,
        gcollins@pggipl.geo.brown.edu, goodman@aloha.net, goodmanj@MIT.EDU,
        jcostello@carleton.edu, jhango@MIT.EDU, kkazkaz@carleton.edu,
        marc_moskowitz@hmco.com, marymary@MIT.EDU, mkalke@indiana.edu,
        nkritzer@westpub.com, rebecca_kavich@cayennesoft.com,
        rebecca_moskowitz@mathworks.com
Subject: Hurry up and wait
Message-Id: <Pine.SUN.3.91.970201052255.5497A-100000@mike.knorr.whoi.edu>
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  The ship left the dock at 0630 this morning.  We went to a fueling
station and got gas, which took several hours.  During which, the captain
held a briefing and explained what all the alarm bells and running around
shouting was last night (which I slept through, of course.) There's a
heater/radiator system which heats the ship's interior using waste heat
from the engines.  Last night, it was cold but no engines were running, so
the pipes froze in one of the heat exchangers.  This somehow caused a The
problem is very serious: if it stays broke, the ship will have little 
propulsion or heat.  So we're back at the dock, fixing the problem, and 
will probably set sail on Monday.
  What a drag.  But it does mean I might get to see more of Halifax.  
Some of the CTD crew went for dinner and movie and stuff tonight.
  Since Naomi expressed interest, I'll describe the ship some more.  It's
-- errr, big.  It took me 85 paces and a full minute to walk from one end
of the maindeck to the other -- that's probably 300 feet, in a
not-quite-straight line.  There are 22 crew and 20 scientists: the
scientists are generally highly educated and a bit geeky, while the crew
are rough sailorly types.  The two groups interact in really interesting
ways, as you might imagine, and there's a strong dichotomy.  There are
four livable decks.  The first platform (belowdecks) holds science and
crew staterooms, an exercise room, a small lab and a laundry.  The main
deck has a large deck aft for launching and recovering equipment, deck
space for two or three cargo containers, another deck area on the
starboard side for launching the CTD, two enclosed hangars for the fantail
and CTD deck areas, a main lab which occupies half the length of the port
side of the ship (and which has about 20 computers in it), an analytical
lab (currently being used by the meteorologists -- they've got five more
computers), a "wet lab" adjoining the CTD hangar, a messroom which seats
30, a galley, a lounge and some crew quarters.  The 01 deck (above
maindeck) has the foredeck, a place to store two more cargo containers,
two cargo cranes and a CTD winch and the "doghouses" they're controlled
from, a medium-sized lab (with five more computers: I'm typing at one
now), and a large library.  The 02 deck contains staterooms for the
captain and the chief scientist, and a chart room.  The 03 deck contains
the bridge.  I'm not mentioning engineering spaces here, 'cause I don't
know much about them.
  Watchstanding varies wildly: the CTD group I'm in has 8 hours on, 16 
off, with three rotating groups.  Most of the bridge/deck crew stand 4 
on, 8 off, twice a day.  Some areas have only two people for a job: they 
stand 12:12 or 6:6.  A few people have no watch, and just work whenever.  
Science happens 24 hours a day.  I've got the 8pm to 4am watch, which I 
rather prefer, since I don't have to get up in the morning.  We'll see if 
I can deal without sunlight forever.
  As far as ecosystems and life-support go, the ship has gihugic 
generators and a water desalinification plant.  Waste water goes 
overboard when out of port, there's a garbage incinerator for 
nonbiodegradable stuff.  The entire forward quarter of the first platform 
contains stores: two large walk-in freezers, a walk-in fridge, and racks 
and racks of dry food.  I helped them load it all up yesterday.
  In a nutshell, it's a floating Carleton College.
  I'll try to describe our research plan some tomorrow.
  I've still got the cold Carolyn gave me, though it'll be gone by the 
time we leave port.
  Jennie, nevermind about that mailing list: mail sent to all of you goes 
via satellite only once.

						Jason