29/1/11: Time 1910 utc, position 15 deg 28'N 8 deg 56'W just south of Galley Head Speed 14 knots
The vessel is now making best speed towards St John's Newfoundland, we are sailing in a North easterly breeze and are hoping to make good progress to the west over the next 24 hours whilst the weather is in our favour as we expect very strong headwinds towards the middle of next week which will slow the vessels progress significantly .
We departed Cork at 1500 hrs after a very busy day of getting the vessel fuelled and provisoned for the trip and loading lots of scientific equipment.
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| Newfoundland fisheries expert Prof. George Rose and (left to right) Aodhan Fitzgerald, Ciaran O'Donnell and Robert Bunn (Marine Institute), Wade Hiscock and Cecil Bannister (Newfoundland) Dave Stokes and Sheena Fennell (Marine Institute) - Photo: Cushla Dromgool-Regan (Marine Institute) |
We departed Cork at 1500 hrs after a very busy day of getting the vessel fuelled and provisoned for the trip and loading lots of scientific equipment.
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| Prof. George Rose is briefed by Ciaran O'Donnell on the workings of the ship |
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| Wade Hiscock and George Rose being briefed on the layout of the wet fish laboratory aboard RV Celtic Explorer by Robert Bunn of the Marine Instiute - Photo: Cushla Dromgool-Regan (Marine Institute) |
Three of our fisheries science services team David Stokes , Robert Bunn and Ciaran O'Donnell had a busy morning helping the Canadian scientists get to grips with the wide array of fisheries research equipment aboard the vessel which will be required for the overwintering Cod survey which Prof. George Rose will be leading once the vessel reaches Newfoundland.
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| Prof. George Rose - - Photo: Cushla Dromgool-Regan (Marine Institute) |
The Bird and mammal research team of Emily Wilson from memorial University , Alessandro Pierini and Conor Ryan from GMIT who are conducting visual observations for Whales and Dolphins from the crows nest during daylight , bird observations from the bridge and 24 hour a day acoustic monitoring using a ultra sensitive towed hydrophone have settled into their watch pattern already and have already spotted a resident pod of bottlenose dolphins just outside Cork Harbour as well as numerous acoustic contacts using the towed hydrophone.
Sheena Fennell who is leading the Oceanograophic component of the survey is preparing and planning for the acusition of expendable Bathythermmograph data (xbt) beginning later tonight which basically are expendable temperature probes which when used every 20 miles of the journey will give a detailled picture of the oceanographic structure of the Atlantic over the entire crossing .
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| Marine mammal acoustic gear being loaded on board - Photo: Cushla Dromgool-Regan (Marine Institute) |
Sheena Fennell who is leading the Oceanograophic component of the survey is preparing and planning for the acusition of expendable Bathythermmograph data (xbt) beginning later tonight which basically are expendable temperature probes which when used every 20 miles of the journey will give a detailled picture of the oceanographic structure of the Atlantic over the entire crossing .
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| Sheena Fennell checks oceanographic buoy system - Photo: Cushla Dromgool-Regan (Marine Institute) |
Prof. Rose and his technician Wade Hiscock are getting to grips with the vessels fisheries acoustic equipment and are very impressed with the quietness of the vessel!They hope to collect echosounder data for the entire transit.
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| The sea-going scientific team - Photo: Cushla Dromgool-Regan (Marine Institute) |
Thats it for the moment , the crew and scientists are settling into watch patterns and hopefully everyone will have their sealegs by the time the heavy weather comes our way!
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| Passing Cobh on the way out to the Atlantic - Photo Conor Ryan |
Blog by Aodhan Fitzgerald - Marine Institute
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