**Guest blogger Randy Christian is a crew member on R/V Sally Ride, but this month is working on FLIP, Scripps’ FLoating Instrument Platform. FLIP is deployed on a project offshore of Southern California, accompanied by other members of the SIO fleet, R/V Sproul and R/V Sally Ride. You can learn more about Randy in this blog post introducing him as second mate, though … Read More
Crew Introductions: Able Seaman
“It’s so awesome – the research, the science…you feel like you’re doing something good with your life. Just to know I’m part of it – loading the gear on, making sure everyone’s safe when they’re operating. It gives you that satisfaction of bettering the world. I wouldn’t get that from a 9-5 job. I’m incredibly grateful to be here.” AB … Read More
Technicians At Sea: Resident Marine Technician
“I get to work with the world’s smartest people, the top scientists. I ask a lot of questions, I try to learn what they’re doing just for my own insight. These are the professors I could have taken grad school classes from. Over dinner I can learn the grand scheme, the big picture, over a napkin instead of a textbook. … Read More
Crew Introductions: Ordinary Seaman
“I’m going to work on deck, I’m going to move forward. I am one day going to be captain of a vessel. It might be twenty years down the road, but no one’s going to stop me from doing this.” Elysia is the ordinary seaman (O/S) onboard R/V Sally Ride, which is perhaps an unexpected job for someone who grew up in the … Read More
Technicians At Sea: My Story
“Not all those who wander are lost.” – J.R.R. Tolkien, Fellowship of the Ring If I’m going to write a series of blogs about technicians at sea onboard R/V Sally Ride, I may as well start with myself. If you’ve read the brief intro in the About the Author section on this page, you’ll know that I have always been … Read More
Let the Games Begin!
[ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”10″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_basic_thumbnails” override_thumbnail_settings=”0″ thumbnail_width=”240″ thumbnail_height=”160″ thumbnail_crop=”1″ images_per_page=”130″ number_of_columns=”0″ ajax_pagination=”0″ show_all_in_lightbox=”0″ use_imagebrowser_effect=”0″ show_slideshow_link=”1″ slideshow_link_text=”[Show slideshow]” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]Crew and scientists alike work long hours out at sea onboard R/V Sally Ride. We don’t get weekends or holidays off, and there’s no sick days. So a bit of distraction is always welcome, and some of us take our down … Read More
Crew Introductions: Second Engineer
“Not many people can say they love their job, that they like to work. I can.” Second engineer Sue Swader has been on the water since infancy, and loves it. Her grandparents have a sailboat and she spent summers sailing with her family to the Channel Islands, including Catalina and Santa Cruz. When she’s not working on the water, she’s playing on it – … Read More
Crew Introductions: Second Mate
“This is the job I wanted…it’s just a great environment, great people, involved in interesting work that I feel is contributing to the bettering of the world. I feel like I’m part of something big here.” R/V Sally Ride’s Second Mate Randy Christian came to the maritime industry via a circuitous route. One day while taking classes at the Evergreen State … Read More
Shrinking Cups!
On many research cruises, the science party creates fun souvenirs out of styrofoam cups decorated with Sharpies and then sent to the bottom of the ocean. In this case, they traveled to a depth of about 1,200 meters in a porous bag (in this case senior cook Mark relocated onions to donate to the cause) zip-tied onto the frame of the multi-corer. Styrofoam … Read More
Hitchhiker’s Guide
Have you ever considered what super powers you would choose if given the chance? Mine would be a Disney princess-like ability to befriend wild animals. The closest I ever come to this feeling is out at sea, where everything from birds to dolphins and whales get curious and come to check us out. It always pleases me when animals visit … Read More