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| Daily Updates: June
2003 |
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TODAY'S WEATHER
Partly Cloudy
72°F (22.2°C)
Latitude: 36° 57'N
Longitude: 61° 35'W
Wind Direction: SSW
Wind Speed: 22 Knots
Sea State: 4
Sea Temperature: 71°F (21.7°C)
Swell(s) Height: 8 Foot
Barometric Pressure: 1010.5 MB
Visibility: Unrestricted
BREAKFAST
French toast with maple syrup
Grilled ham
Homefries
Oatmeal
Gingerbread muffins
Fruit
LUNCH
Red beans and ribs soup
Chicken quesadillas
Sloppy Joe sandwiches
Grilled grouper
Homefried rice
Hungarian beans
French fries
Fruit
Ice cream bars
DINNER
Beef brisket
Roasted carrots and potatoes with gravy
Filet of sole amandine
Saffron rice
Sauteed cauliflower and snow peas
Pumpernickel bread
Oh Henry bars
Rockin' and Rollin'
June 1, 2003
By Joe Appel
Late Sunday night, we were still heading to
the Muir seamount, albeit a little more slowly than we'd originally
planned. Swells around 12 feet and gusts of wind above 40 knots
led the ship's captain to seal off the deck at 7:30 p.m., and
lower our speed to under seven knots.
For the rest of the night, we were confined to watching the ocean's drama through
port hole windows. Even without the view, there was no doubt the seas were rough;
we all felt it in our bones and our bellies. The traditional evening foosball
games found competitors begging for the ship's roll to favor their side.
A day like this seemed like a good one to head
below to the engine room, and find out how much power it takes
to get through some rough stuff.
1st Assistant Engineer Gary McGrath walked us through the maze of turbines, compressors
and tanks. "This is the fullest power we've been putting out since the trip began," he
shouted over the roar of the engines. "With 38 knot headwinds and a lot of distance
to make up, we need to gun it a bit."
From noon Saturday to noon Sunday, the ship had used 3,700 gallons of fuel. If
that sounds like a lot, it is: the average isn't much more than half that.
Although it takes a lot to move a 277-foot research
vessel through churning seas, we're lucky to be on RV Atlantis.
By all accounts, the boat rides very smooth. But that's hard to hear
when the foosball game doesn't go your way.
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