…. a large crane for a small scientific instrument.
Waiting for an instrument to surface always involves a bit of tootling about if the water is quite deep.
So as soon as the sun came up, we awaken instrument number 5 and get it in its way.
A quick pick up and we are off to the sixth and last for this project.
As six was hiding behind an island with five on the other side, we can’t talk to it through the water until we get a clear line of sight – or sound in this case.
The downside is that results in a longer wait – during this one the bridge officers seem to have been practising their knots.
Once on deck and tied down its back to port.
Entering the port we pass a lighthouse at the end of the mole and come alongside – six ocean-bottom seismographs lined up, data extracted and ready to be offloaded.
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These instruments are no bigger than 1m cubed and weigh just 100 kg, so it doesn’t take a lot to lift them.
But we make use of what we have access to – a 20’ container spreader on a crane, normally used for offloading freight vessels.
Seems rather overkill!
And with that, this one was done.
All instruments recovered and each full of data.
Now to pack everything away in the shipping crates and frames for the homeward journey.
Which will get back first? – the container from Costa Rica or this one from the Azores.
OBS'ing at sea 