09-08-05: Surprise from TEXAS..., ...a very close visitor exchange Options

[Ute_Kaden]

Surprise from TEXAS – A very close visitor exchange
9-8-08

Ship Position at 2005/09/08 20:49:01 UTC -
Longitude: 148 48.025 E Latitude: 88 27.822 N
Sunshine> snow showers> fog
Air: -7C

Good ice conditions, big leads, great progress toward north and toward coring stations 18, 19, 20 at the Lomonosov Ridge

Since we rendezvoused with the Swedish icebreaker Oden visitors are excanged by helicopter between the Oden and the Healy daily and planning meetings take place on both ships. During today’s lunch somebody asked me: “Are you from Texas?” I turned around and to my surprise, in the middle of the Arctic Ocean, another TEXAN, Amanda Rinhart. Amanda Rinehart from Texas A & M, University Galveston, was visiting Healy. She works on the Swedish icebreaker Oden with Dr. Rainer Amon from the Department of Marine Science. They study “Dissolved Organic Matter” by collecting water samples using the CTD (Conductivity, Temperature, Depth), Rosetta water sampling system. “We are looking at the terrestrial biomarkers and optical properties of the organic matter”, Amamda said.


Amanda, a sudent at Texas A & M, Galveston doing research on the Oden and Ute Kaden, BISD Brownsville, TX (student at University Houston) meet at USCGC Healy

During their visit the weather went from superb to awful. Patches of fog rolled in and made flying operations impossible.

How to get home?
What comes now “Was never heard of” said a coastguard member. They had learned that big ships should better keep a safe distance to each other. Healy stopped and the big icebreaker Oden came along our port side, close, very close, closer…
The word spread and spectators from both ships came on deck. We waved and exchanged greetings. The scientist exchange was done per crane and basket from the Oden, Chief scientist Coakley and Darby were lifted to the Oden for the science planning meeting! A successful maneuver and we hope that Swedish chocolate got exchanged too?. Captains showed great driving skills!


Oden is coming closer


Oden is just meters from the Healy!


Crane transfer of people in a basket


People watch from the Helo deck Oden is departing

The Oden vanished in the fog quickly and we are on our way to coring station 18, 19 and 20 on the Lomonossov ridge.


Oden disappears in the fog


Best regards,
Ute