7:37 AM Local time – I woke up, somewhat sweaty and ready for more sleep as usual, to the sound of the engine being turned off. After a few seconds I realize that I am indeed still onboard the Sea Dragon, and I had woken up just before the wake up calls. Given this early strategic advantage over the rest of the crew I made a quick dash to the heads and prepared myself for the day. A splash of water in the face, a couple gulps of water, skipping the granola breakfast bar for today and fetching my PFD (Personal Floating Device) in order to attend the deck.
7:51 AM Local time – I can’t find my gloves. I came to rely on them during the trawling sessions as the first days without resulted in some minor injuries (e.g. rope burn). Although the ship is not extremely large there are plenty of spots they might have gone. Luckily I spotted them, hiding in the storage above the stairs. I am now ready for another day of trawling.
10:35 AM Local time – I pull hard on my lines to stabilize the trawl. Although today weather conditions were not bad, the trawl likes to destabilize and swing about as if it wants to break free. Thats where I come in (with the help of Pierre), making sure the trawl doesn’t destabilize and hit somebody in the head. The trawl is dangling over the water, and I hand over the lines to Francesco. For my next act I have to unclip the PFD, make my way to the other side of vessel, get the line, and take over again. As the trawl is pulled on deck I jump to grab it and together we guide it down on its final resting place on top of the container it shipped in. I make my way around the trawl to secure it to the ship one last time, feeling excited, sad, relieved and tired at the same time.
And so ended the 6th of July, day 13 of The Ocean Cleanup expedition from Bermuda to the Azores. After 11 days of trawling, we successfully finished trawl number 31, 32 and 33. It is great to see we managed to pull off the main goal of the expedition without any injuries or problems.
On a more personal level, we have also been working hard on preparing The Ocean CleanApp for the upcoming Mega expedition. I am happy to say that we have been able to fix all the bugs, and the app is ready for prime time. Programming on a vessel was definitely a first for me, and like most things on board requires a bit more effort than you expect on main land. As the boat jumps about, you have to keep focus on your screen, keep your equipement in check, and fight off nausea and head aches.
We only have a few more days left until we arrive at Horta and the expedition ends. Before starting this trip, I had close to zero sailing experience, and my sea voyages were a few ferry rides. After 2 weeks at sea, I have learned and experienced so much, it is hard to sum it all up. I met some incredible people, got to see the research from close by, learned that everything takes up much more energy onboard, seen amazing star nights, programmed in the middle of the ocean, learned to tie a proper knot, got chased by thunder storms on the ocean, experienced the endless water horizons around the ship, working in watch shifts, experienced the intense light of the full moon, learned to live on minimal (1) shower per 2 weeks, had some amazing food, learned to walk bent over to prevent head injuries, and so much more…
1:15 AM Local time – I close my laptop and finish my tea, my task of writing today’s blog post is done. Tim is writing a new inspirational quote on the galley white board. It is time for me to head back to the deck to gaze at the stars and see the bioluminescence before finishing the shift.
– Harrie Pieters, The Ocean Cleanup Gyre Expedition, Bermuda to Azores, July 9, 2015
Pictured: Harrie handles the tag line for the trawl deployment.