The VISIONS 05 Expedition Begins

Thursday, September 1, 2005

Mitchell Elend

Daily Report

The VISIONS 05 expedition launched on a beautiful, sunny September morning. The University of Washington’s 274-foot research vessel Thomas G. Thompson motored out of Seattle’s Portage Bay, opening three drawbridges on its way to the salt water of Puget Sound and beyond.

The ship, with a crew of 22, carried 36 expedition participants, including scientists, engineers and technicians. Some of the scientists will depart the ship via small boat and seaplane or fishing vessel later in the second and third legs of the expedition making room for yet more scientists who are waiting to come aboard.

It took 45 minutes for the ship to pass through the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, which lowered the ship 20 feet from lake level to the level of Puget Sound at the noon low tide. Family and friends watched, waved and took pictures as the ship descended in the ‘elevator’ and departed.

After lunch, the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Jason II was “dunk” tested in the sound near Shilshole Bay. A lot can go wrong with the mechanics and electronics of the complex ROV system so it is better to discover any problems while inside protected waters and near to where spare parts can be obtained.

After a successful test of Jason II, two people were carried ashore on the ship’s small boat. University of Washington Professor of Engineering Deedee Meldrum and Dave Robertson of UWTV waved goodbye as the Thompson headed for the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean. They will rejoin the expedition later in the program.

Impressions

The first day of a voyage is always exciting. At the dock, gear is loaded onto the ship at the last minute… duffel bags, extra tools, that pound of gourmet coffee that I cannot do without. There is a sense of relief as the gangway is hauled away: If I forgot anything it’s too late now and probably isn’t important anyway.

The gang’s all here. Some faces I have seen before and some are new, the mood is lighthearted and positive. There is plenty to do for everyone, gear has to be taken out of boxes, stowed and tied down but no one can resist going out on deck to enjoy the sights as the ship makes it way out of the bay, under bridges and through the ship canal. I call my wife on my cell phone “…we will be at the locks in twenty minutes!”

A beautiful park with rose gardens and sloping terraced lawns surround the big and small locks where ships, work boats and pleasure craft all converge to pass through to the sound or back to the inland lakes. As we pass into the large lock we can see salmon jumping. They had just come through a “fish ladder” built on the side of the small lock to allow the fish passage to their spawning grounds.

I see my wife and two daughters as our mooring lines are taken up. There’s lots of waving and picture taking and I watch as my kids, seven and three, run up and down the steep sloping lawn, laughing as they go. Going away for a month is hard but at least I can leave them laughing.