IPB

( Log In ) Log In is for TREC Teachers & Researchers only

 
Reply to this topicStart new topic
> May 22, 2006 – Logistical Preparations, All of the things you need to do to get ready to go
Misty_Nikula_Ohlsen
post May 23 2006, 03:43 AM
Post #1


Advanced Member
***

Group: TREC Team
Posts: 134
Joined: 18-April 06
Member No.: 31



Well, it is about 7 weeks until I will leave for the Kuril Islands and there is still so much to do!

Last week, on Wednesday, I had a conference call with Janet Warburton from ARCUS, Jill Ferris from Veco Polar Resources, and Ben Fitzhugh, one of the Principal Investigators for the project, to discuss the logistics of the field research, getting to and from Russia and gear considerations. I thought that I would fill all of you in on some of the highlights.

1 – Before I can even leave, I have to get my travel immunizations, which include an updated Tetanus and Diptheria, Hepatitis A and B, Rabies and Japanese Encephalitis. Luckily, I have already had two Measles, Mumps, Rubella shots, so I am good there. I have to talk to my doctor about the need for updated Polio, Typhoid Fever or Cholera vaccinations and get a TB skin test. I also need to find out about seasickness medications in case we run into bad weather. I have been told that this will be the calmest time of the year in the Sea of Okhotsk, but to still expect 1-2 decent storms. I only tend to be seasick in rough weather and then I tend to be VERY sick! Ugh.

2 – I will be flying out of Seattle the evening of July 11, through Los Angeles and Seoul, Korea, arriving in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia on July 13! How does that work out? Well, we are taking an overnight flight out of Los Angeles and we lose a day by crossing the International Date Line. It ends up being about 24 hours of traveling! Coming back home will probably take longer, though since we will most likely have to spend the night in a hotel in Seoul to make our connections to Seattle. We will leave September 1 in the afternoon and arrive Seattle on September 2 in the morning. Yes, I know that seems shorter, but remember that there is a hidden 24 hours for the International Date Line.

IPB Image
The Kuril Islands and the Kamchatka Peninsula

3 – We will be on the ship, Gipanis. We will leave Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk aboard the Gipanis on July 17. The couple of extra days are partly so we can get everything loaded onto the boat, have time to purchase extra supplies that we will get in Russia (rather than haul them from here and pay extra baggage fees) and so that we can register with the Russian officials. This requires us to turn in our passports in at the hotel and wait about 24 hours to for our visas to be cleared.

4 – Onboard the Gipanis, I can expect cramped, but comfortable conditions. We will share a bunkroom with 1-3 other people and share shower/toilet facilities. Having spent 3 weeks at sea in 2000, this is not a surprise to me. There is a Laundress to do our laundry and a kitchen staff that will prepare the meals, however. (That’s BETTER than at home!) Ben has said that the food will be “Russian”, which seems like an obvious conclusion, when I considered it, though I have no idea what that means as far as tastiness or exotic appeal. smile.gif There is also a SAUNA on board (maybe this won't be all THAT bad . . . )

IPB Image
The Gipanis!
Please see the Photo Gallery for more pictures of the Gipanis' facilities!

5 – Jill will be sending me some of the gear that I need from Veco, such as knee boots (we will buy hip waders in Russia), rain gear, fleece pants and jackets, gloves, sleeping bag and pad, bug nets, a small, internal frame backpack, plug converters for Russian outlets and power supply, and a basic first-aid kit. Some of the gear will be arriving next week so I can try it on for size, first.

In the next couple of weeks, I will be receiving a Satellite phone similar to the ones that we will use in Russia so I can practice uploading my Journal posts and pictures. It is illegal to bring a Sat-phone into Russia, so we must rely on the ones available there, and ARCUS is renting one for a couple of weeks to be sure that I have all of the proper connections, etc.

Coming soon – Meeting Ben and Jody, my co-Pis; Trying on Gear; and “Playing” with the Satellite phone.
User is offlineProfile CardPM
Go to the top of the page
+Quote Post

Reply to this topicStart new topic
2 User(s) are reading this topic (2 Guests and 0 Anonymous Users)
0 Members:

 



- NSF Acknowledgment & Disclaimer Time is now: 28th March 2024 - 07:04 PM