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September 16, 2008

Dear Friends and Family,

The Louis prepares to retrieve its helo. (Picture courtesy of LT Appleberry)
The Louis prepares to retrieve its helo.  (Picture courtesy of LT Appleberry)

Greetings from the frozen north.  The ship is covered in ice and operations with the Louis are in full swing.  Two weeks remain in our operation with the Canadians and things are progressing smoothly.

After flight ops finished on Saturday, we made a beeline for our rendezvous point with the Louis.  On Tuesday we met them and commenced flight operations to allow the science parties on both vessels to meet and discuss the plans for the coming weeks.  After the meetings were finished, the Louis was able to lower its seismic gear so that we could commence the first transect.

The crew receives helo familiarization training with the pilot and flight mechanic of the Canadian Coast Guard helo attached to the Louis. (Picture courtesy of LT Appleberry)
 The crew receives helo familiarization training with the pilot and flight mechanic of the Canadian Coast Guard helo attached to the Louis.  (Picture courtesy of LT Appleberry)

While the primary mission of this phase is to assist the Louis with their seismic transect by breaking a path through the ice for them, we still continue to map our location with the multibeam.  During our transit to the seismic locations, the Louis is actually breaking a path for us to increase the quality of our data.

The crew went all out on Wednesday for our Casino morale night.  Lounge singers and waiters provided the perfect atmosphere while others manned the tables.  The more courageous members of the crew quickly took to making bets with hundreds of “HEALY dollars” at Blackjack, Roulette, Poker, and Crabs.  It turned out to be a night a glamour and fun for all.

Wally talks with the TOW from ECC while they are making their round. (Picture courtesy of LTJG Smith)
Wally talks with the TOW from ECC while they are making their round.  (Picture courtesy of LTJG Smith)

Over the past couple of days, we have been fortunate enough to exchange crew members with the Louis for at least a few hours time. We have even been able to allow some of their deck watch officers to operate the helm and drive the ship through the ice while our DWOs have conned the Louis.  This cooperation has provided a greater understanding and appreciation for the others' organization.  While the U.S. Coast Guard and the Canadian Coast Guard have many of the same core values and objectives, our day-to-day operations can be quite different.  We have all enjoyed learning a little bit about our sister service.

Until Next Week,
Tara Schendorf
Public Affairs Officer

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