Picking up the sample gear was not as easy as setting it out

Well my wish to get involved with the research side of things here has already commenced. In preparation of setting out the sample gear last night, we had to make modifications. The students were open to my help ( and tools and silicon). We worked together to make the sample gear a bit better. Or so we thought.

Modifications done, we loaded up and set out to find those mooring balls. There are 20 inch mooring balls set by the Park Service at this site. Boaters and divers can tie off to these instead of dropping a bottom disturbing anchor. These also make a good place to secure a sampling system to catch some fish larva swimming by.

 There are three mooring balls. The guys wanted to put out four sampling traps so we put the forth one on a tether that allowed it to hang about 50 feet down current from number three.

But these pretty romantic pictures were of the placing of the traps last night. This morning pickup was not the same. In fact you will notice no pictures.

As usual this week, another storm moved in and demanded our attention. We were on the water just as the eastern sky was showing some light. We went down the creek with little issue. But, once in more open water, the surface got rougher. The transit out to the mooring balls was a little slower and a lot rougher than previous trips. Then the fun started. The seas were about 3 feet with a short period between the crests. Also the wind was running about 30 degrees off the waves.  The end result was two slightly conflicting forces wanting to have their way with my boat.

Let's talk about the boat for a minute.  It is a good boat and I like it. But... it has a relatively flat bottom and, apparently, little to no keel. Evan told me it was like driving a box. In the conditions this morning it was as likely to slide sideways as go in the direction I wanted. Note that this handling issue is only in close quarters. Underway, steerage control is good. But I had to put the boat where the guys could reach the traps.

Remember those 3 foot waves? Many times the bow of the boat was playing submarine. I don't mean spray over the bow.  I mean 3 inches of solid water above the bow as the bow drove into the oncoming wave which then washed across the deck. I don't mean to make this sound dramatic. The boat is able to deal with this easily. But it makes for a rough ride - and a busy captain. It took me 7 tries to get the first trap. The others were not quite that bad. But I did not get pictures of the process.

And through this Matt and Andy were slipping, sliding and bracing themselves all over the aft deck. But they did a good job of covering for my inability to give them good access to the traps.

But - they were disappointed with the results after the effort.  So it is with research.

cz, 1555 9/23/2014