Cruise Log: July 16, 2008

We woke to calm seas and blue skies this morning, a wonderful change from the very rough seas yesterday! The ship arrived at our first site, Rainbow hydrothermal field, sometime early this morning (~ 4am). The JASON team spent the morning setting up transponders around the site which will be used to very precisely locate the vehicle while it is working on the seafloor. The scientists spent the morning making the last adjustments to equipment that JASON will take to the seafloor.

Just after lunch all of the scientists gathered on a deck overlooking the back (fantail) of the ship to watch the inaugural launch of JASON on this cruise. The sun was hot and the water was a beautiful deep blue. The JASON team was assembled on the fantail wearing life jackets and prepared both JASON and Medea for launch. Leed-lines were placed on Medea to help guide it safely to the water. Phil, the JASON team’s expedition leader, climbed into the crane that would lift JASON off the deck and place it into the water. Everybody stood to watch. But, unfortunately, it would still be a couple of hours before JASON would enter the waters of the Atlantic.

At the last moment, communication with Medea was partially lost and just after that communication with JASON was lost. Operations were halted and trouble shooting began. After the problem was resolved (a bad connection) the scientists and crew members gathered on the deck again. This time the launch went off without a hitch! JASON was gently lowered into the sea. It stayed close to the ship for a few minutes before it was released and allowed to float a short distance away. You can almost imagine that it is a living being when it bobs and bubbles in the waves.

JASON can’t go too far without Medea because of the 50m long tether between them. So moments after Jason was launched, Medea was raised off the deck by the ship’s winch and then lowered into the water by moving the A-frame out away from the ship. Casey and Jimmy, two of the JASON crew members, were guiding it into the water. Medea made it safely into the blue sea and the descent to the seafloor began. The deck and fantail cleared quickly as no one wanted to miss dinner! It took approximately 1 hour for Jason to reach the seafloor. The first order of business will be to survey the study area and identify hot spring locations to sample.