Moving On

40°28.04’ N, 68°50.19’ W

We are now officially cruising into the North Atlantic! The first day is always exciting. Bustling to load and lash our gear in the labs. Last minute purchases from the stockroom. Calling loved ones before losing cell service for one month. But then the horn blows and the ship slowly pulls away from land. You glide through the calm blue waters of the harbor, stand on the aft deck and see your town from a new perspective for the first time. The tiny buildings and green trees fade below the horizon. You now have a vast blue world to explore.

The RV Atlantis is an incredible place to work. The resources are unbelievable (I still can’t believe that I’m blogging from here) and it is full of treasures. Take Alvin for instance. This little sub is perhaps the most famous oceanographic diver, and it is right here with us. The crew is even more impressive. This is their home and they went out of their way to welcome us aboard. Not to mention the food they served us. You may think we subside on canned beans and sour kraut, but our cook prepared some delicious sesame-crusted tuna steaks for dinner. Did I mention this place is incredible?

The sea is calm, the ship is stable, our gear is stowed, and all is well. It’s time to get some rest before the big day tomorrow. We will be gearing up for some tests at approximately 1730 h (Eastern time) before moving on.