20 May 2004

Joined: 23 Mar 2004 Posts: 87

May 20, 2004 Thursday
1:30 PM Alaska Time

We are moving through ice toward station 7. Sometimes the ice is thick
enough that we have to stop, back up and bang the ice several times to
make a path. There have been several polar bears spotted, but I have not
seen one yet. Don’t worry; I will keep looking. I have seen seabirds.
Kittiwakes are following the ship looking for food in the water the
Healy is turning over as it moves through the ice.

Ice crack formed by the Healy.

Moving toward an ice lead. The Healy uses ice leads whenever possible.

Kittiwakes are following the Healy looking for food.

Obviously it takes longer to break ice than to motor through open
(ice-free) water so arrival at station 7 has been pushed back to 9 PM.
Station 7 is a processing station, which means there will be sampling
completed for all the projects. We anticipate working through the
night. While the scientists wait to get to station, they are busy at
their computers. Documentation is key for science work. They translate
notes into logs, map positions, and input data.

Laura Belicka from the University of Maryland and Lee Cooper from the University of Tennessee input data during the travel to station 7.

Down the hall from my quarters is sickbay. Medical Officer, Brian DeMio,
and Chief Health Service Technician, Jim Connors, are assigned to the
Healy. They mostly take care of minor injuries such as bruises, cuts
and falls. However, they have the training and equipment to take care
of more serious health matters. The Healy is designed to work like a
four bed hospital. They can even do surgery if needed.

Medical Officer, Brian DeMio, is a Physician’s Assistant (PA). Brian’s wife bought him a water bottle for his daily water requirement. It is important to stay hydrated in the arctic.

Chief Health Service Technician, Jim Connors.

The examination tables inside sickbay.

You may see from the pictures that both men are growing a beard.
Although Coast Guard personnel must be clean-shaven while in port, they
may have facial hair while at sea. There is a contest going on to see
who can grow:

1. The least hair with the most effort
2. The most hair with the least effort
3. The most unusual beard

I will post the winning pictures at the end of the cruise.

To see photographs taken by Steve Roberts of UCAR/JOSS, click here.