1st servicing

Operation : Basic Cleaning

Date : Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Time: 1102 - 1128

Observation: High sediment deposit on instrumments and supporting structures.

Very little algal growth but few patches of hydoids on lines/cables

Light Sensors: Cleaned sensor windows with chamois. 1102 - 1107 local time

Used soft toothbrush to remove sediment from the inner grooves and outside of cases.

The deep sensor appears to have an impression (approx. 2mm long and <0.5mm>

CTDs : Removed screens and brushed away sediment with soft toothbrush.

Cleaned outercase also. Slackened Tie wraps were tightened.

SAMI: Outer case and mesh cleaned and brushed

Suppoting stuctures : Cleaned with chamois and brushes.

Pylon, Spectra line, chains and cables were not serviced.

Station Operating!

By 10am local time, June 7, 2007, all the instruments were in place and the station was transmitting. The hourly in situ (only) data are available here, and the in situ data integrated with other data, plus a lot of other information on Discovery Bay Marine Lab (in background), West Fore Reef, the instruments, and the funding for this operation can be found here. Photo by Bernadette Charpentier.

Jim

Instrument Installation Team

From left to right, Chris Langdon (UM/RSMAS), Jim Hendee (NOAA/AOML), Mike Jankulak (UM/CIMAS), Nancy Ash (NOAA/AOML), and Anthony Downes (skipper, DBML).

(Photo by Bernadette Charpentier)

Congratulations!

Peter Gayle, Principal Scientific Officer of Discovery Bay Marine Laboratory (DBML), and Jim Hendee, Program Manger for ICON/CREWS, shake hands just after the completion of the installation of the CREWS station at West Fore Reef near DBML.

Photo by Bernadette Charpentier.

Instrument Layout

Layout of the instruments, just after completion. Click to enlarge.

Photo by Bernadette Charpentier.

Underwater Layout

A view from about 30' away shows Nancy Ash and Jim Hendee attending to preliminary wiring of the station. The eight chains are fastened to the bottom at radii of 30' away from the center to meet at stainless steel hounds on the pylon just below the water level. June 6, 2007.

Jim

Photo by Bernadette Charpentier

SAMI pCO2 instrument installed

Early this morning Chris Langdon and Nancy Ash installed the SAMI pCO2 at about 5m depth. Click image to see larger.

Photo by Bernadette Charpentier.

Bottom of the Pylon

The bottom of the pylon sits on a round 2" stainless steel trailer-hitch welded to a stainless steel plate fastened to the bottom, and is held down to the plate with extremely strong Spectra line. The weight of the chains up top also help to keep the station pinned down to the ball, and also serve as shock-absorbers during heavy seas and winds.

Note the zinc bar welded to the bottom plate, and the grounding plate positioned vertically on the pylon (wiring inside runs up to a lightening arrestor at the very top of the pylon). Click image to enlarge.

Photo by Bernadette Charpentier

Stringing Cables

The instruments are temporarily fastened to the stick on the first day so that Mike Jankulak, aloft on the pylon, can begin testing data throughput to the data logger.

Depth of the station is 20', top of the station is 18' above water.

Photo by Bernadette Charpentier.

Underwater Work

Nancy Ash and Jim Hendee work on preliminary attachment of instrument cables to the pylon, June 6, 2007, so that Mike Jankulak can test the wiring to the data logger aloft.

Jim

(Photo by Bernadette Charpentier)

Brain Surgery

Mike Jankulak attends to the wiring of the "brain" (i.e., the data logger), satellite transmitter, radio transceiver, GPS antenna, and various meteorological instruments.

Photo by Bernadette Charpentier

Progress

The "brain" (data logger, serial connections, etc.) was installed today, along with temporary placements of the instruments to get readings. We had the ever present ocean swell, with winds reaching 20 knots by noon, but mostly workable.

Image shown is Mike Jankulak, aloft, hoisting the RM Young Windbird from Chris Langdon.

Chris Langdon, Nancy Ash, Mike Jankulak and Jim Hendee