Dispatch 22: Hump Day : Beaufort Gyre Exploration Project

Sometime between yesterday and today, we reached the midpoint of our cruise on the CCGS Louis S. St. Laurent. While we expected to be nearing the northernmost point of the expedition around this time, we find ourselves sitting about 3 miles offshore of Barrow, Alaska. To fortify the Louis against any more difficulties arising in the ship's electrical control system as we proceed into the remote interior of the Arctic ice pack, we are picking up an expert on the system who will accompany us for the remainder of the cruise. Furthermore, we will take the opportunity to exchange a couple of crewmembers with replacements for operational reasons.

There are also a few other advantages to this diversion. While waiting for all of the personnel to arrive on their airline flights, Cook Paul Devlin takes the opportunity to do a little shopping at the local grocery store for some fresh provisions. Three grocery carts later, Paul has a full helicopter load. It will be a welcome delight to everyone onboard to again have fresh salad and vegetables at meals. Along with the groceries, several Anchorage newspapers are also brought back so that we may catch up on some of the latest news. It is rather awesome to think that since we've been gone, the solar system lost a planet, now that Pluto was declassified by the International Astronomical Union.

In the evening, all of the new members have arrived onboard, although some without their luggage which was lost by the airline. No time to wait for the bags -- we're immediately steaming north again -- so these poor souls will have to borrow clothes from others onboard and buy toiletries at the ship's canteen to last them for the next three weeks.

Looking back on the first half of the cruise, here are a few pictures that didn't make it in previous dispatches.

Dispatch 22: Hump Day

Rick Krishfield

August 26, 2006