First Float is Away!

Our first float, Adventure, has been deployed.

 

Adventure—Tacoma Science and Math Institute

Location: 153° 05.02139’E; 50° 00.02028’ S

Time: Thu Jan 12, 2023 01:01 UTC

Float Number: 1121

Float Type: Navis

Float Program: SOCCOM

This float was adopted by the SAMi ROV underwater robotics program at the Tacoma Science and Math Institute in Tacoma, WA. The Science and Math Institute is located in Tacoma’s Point Defiance Park adjacent to the Salish Sea. The school is founded on five principles: Empathy, Balance, Thinking, Community and Adventure. 

“We hope with the adoption of the Adventure, SAMi students will find new ways to bring adventure into our science learning community.”

This map shows the location of the float deployment, approximately 910 km south of Hobart, Tasmania.

This map shows the location of the float deployment, approximately 910 km south of Hobart, Tasmania.

Popular activity

This was our very first activity of the expedition (we’ve already been onboard for 8 days with not much to do but set up the labs) and everyone was excited to see what was going on, so we had quite an audience for this deployment. People are also curious about the floats themselves as not many have seen them before. This ship has an abundance of mechanical equipment onboard, such as cranes and the big A-Frame, but the floats are easily deployed by hand over the side of the ship. After a quick training session yesterday, the crew of the IBRV Araon deftly handled the float and sent it successfully off to its new home in the Subtropical South Pacific Ocean.

The float Adventure is being held by a crew member on the deck of the ship

 Adventure is ready to deploy. Photo by Jenn Magnusson.

a selfie of Jenn while the crew deploys the first float over the side

The crew handled the over-the-side deployment of the float so I was able to watch and record. Photo by Jenn Magnusson.

The float Adventure in the wake of the ship as it is being deployed

Adventure gently settles in the slow wake of the IBRV Araon. Photo by Jenn Magnusson.