Nat Robb
Group Hug
Mike Rodaway
Loading tanks for fills at BMF
Project Participants and Sponsors
Monitor National Marine Sanctuary
Mariners’ Museum Monitor Center
The Mariners’ Museum
UNC Wilmington’s National Undersea Research Center
Maritime Studies Program, East Carolina University
UNCW’s R/V Cape Fear
Coast Guard Stations Hatteras Inlet and Ocracoke
Sartek Industries
Ocean Management Systems
Maxtec, Inc.
Harvey’s Dive Suits
Breaking out the Longjohns
Tuesday, April 3, 2001
A big welcome back to the USS Monitor Project Head Honcho, John Broadwater, who has now arrived on the scene!
Back out to the wreck site again this morning…the team was able to put six divers on the bottom. The task wish list was divvied up. Tane, Tami, Shawn and Chad took plum-bob measurements from the top of the ERS (Engine Recovery Structure) to points on the wreck to determine the orientation of the structure in relation to the wreck and the distance of the structure’s feet to the turret. Terrence and Keith took NURC’s video camera to the bottom to capture a record of the grout bags, and get shots to determine what structure stabilization would be necessary behind the turret once the engine is removed.
Too bad Poseidon didn’t cooperate. We experienced 6 feet of visibility in the first 170 feet of water but below that it cleared up. On the bottom visibility increased to 30 feet. Water temperatures were frigid, 46 degrees Fahrenheit on the surface and 58 degrees Fahrenheit on the bottom. This made the required decompression stops quite chilly! "Andrea Doria!?!…It was like diving the Chopa." indicated Cambrian Foundation President, Terrence Tysall. Due to the poor conditions today only minor progress was made on the Monitor 2001 Expedition NOAA Phase I Task List.
To answer yesterday’s trivia question:How many divers on the Phase I Monitor Expedition have been diving on the Andrea Doria?
The answer: 4 Can you guess which ones?
So back to the drawing board…we will try again tomorrow. The same tasks are slated, so I guess you could call this one a "do over". NOAA Weather Forecasts indicates that there is a chance that we may be able to sneak out under the weather tomorrow. We sure hope so.
Back at the dock divers went about hauling tanks back to the Coast Guard BMF (Boat Maintenance Facility) where we have set up our gas bank and mixing station, and readied themselves for the nightly group meeting.
The Staff:
- Boat
- Captain- Dan Aspenlighter (UNCW)
- Dive Supervisor/DMT- Doug Kesling (NURC)
- Chamber Operator- Glenn Taylor (NURC)
- Historian- Jeff Johnston (MNMS)
- Principle Investigator- John Broadwater (MNMS)
- Dive Supervisor/DMT- Doug Kesling (NURC)
- Bottom Divers
- Terrence Tysall
- Keith Meverden (ECU)
- Shawn Douthat
- Chad Roberts
- Tamara Ebert
- Tane Casserley ( MNMS)
- Keith Meverden (ECU)
- Support Divers
- Mark Corkery
- Mike Barnette (NOAA)
- Mike Barnette (NOAA)
- Sweat Diver
- John Barone
- Zodiac Support
- Nat Robb
- Mike Rodaway (UNCW)
- Mike Rodaway (UNCW)
Send questions or comments to the Trilobite.