Teacher at Sea: May 16, 2004 Log

Timing the Tide

Curtis Watkins, NOAA Teacher at Sea

Unloading drilling equipment from landing craft at low tide.

The day started when the alarm went off at 4:45 AM to meet at 5:15 AM because we had to be at the airport to be transported by helicopter to Mad Dog Island. After Wally took the drillers to Mad Dog, he returned for Shawn, John and myself and agreed to fly over the RAINIER so John could get an aerial video shot of the vessel. We arrived at Mad Dog to find the landing craft beached on the sand bar with the equipment being moved off the craft with the onboard crane. Jennifer and Bill had taken the skiff to the island and were already there. I videoed and photographed Wally sling load the drilling equipment from the sand bar to the island drilling pad. The drilling pad consisted of locally cut logs using a chainsaw mill and the heaviest sling load was 1,800 pounds. Time was critical for this operation as the sand bar would be covered with the tide. Wally, a safety conscience pilot, had to suspend the operation due to poor depth perception caused by the sand bar being completely covered by the tide.

Assembling drilling equipment.

The owner's eleven year old son, Jordan, gave me a guided tour of the landing craft. Then we returned to the main camp awaiting the low tide. After having lunch at camp, I found some deer tracks while walking around the neighboring island and was told there were recent sightings of wolves. I took a nap when we arrived at the main cabin because I was bushed but was awoken by Wally and his chopper returning with a sling load of supplies for the camp. I ended up hooking up a couple of sling loads of fuel and luggage that had to be taken up to the main camp while Bill unhooked the loads at the upper camp site. We returned to Mad Dog via the helicopter to find the drill was set up and ready to start operation. We had a great interview with the drillers about how this part of the operation worked. We departed Mad Dog by helicopter for Petersburg. After packing to board the RAINIER the next day, I turned in early. It was a long, amazing day.