NOAA Teacher at Sea
Jennifer FryOnboard NOAA Ship, Oscar Elton SetteMarch 12 – March 26, 2012
Mission: Fisheries StudyGeographical area of cruise: American SamoaDate: March 20, 2012
[caption id="attachment_10330" align="aligncenter" width="300"]Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Pictured is our NOAA ship Oscar Elton Sette.[/caption]
Life on the ocean aboard NOAA ship Oscar Elton Sette
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There were four decks or levels to the ship which include:
• Flying Bridge Deck: observations take place as well as storage
• Bridge Deck: Navigation can take place from the bridge or the trawl house. The trawl house
faces toward the stern of the ship and is used to control the ship during “fishing.”
Boat Deck: Officers’ & Chief Scientist’s staterooms. A stateroom is where you would sleep
on a boat or ship. Your bed is called a “rack.” Most staterooms on the Oscar Elton Sette have
bunk beds. The boat deck is where the small launches/rescue boats are stored.
There is a FRB, Fast Rescue Boat, and two small launches.
Quarterdeck/ Main Deck: Ship’s store, survey officers’ staterooms and the back deck, used
for fishing. *The term quarterdeck was originally, in the early 17th century, used for asmaller deck, covering about a quarter of the vessel. It is usually reserved for officers,
guests, passengers. It is also an entry point for personnel.
Lower/ Galley Deck: Crew’s and scientists’ staterooms, library, two lounges, galley, where everyone eats their meals.
Hold: Gym for exercising and engineer’s storage area.
Communications, Oscar Elton Sette maintains a Web site titled Student Connection (http://atsea.nmfs.hawaii.edu), which provides semi-weekly communication between students and the ship. Students can follow the vessel’s daily operations through regularly posted pictures and write-ups through this site.
NOAA Commissioned Corps Officers are a vital part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA). Officers provide
support during NOAA missions ranging
from launching a weather balloon at the
South Pole, conducting hydrographic or
fishery surveys in Alaska, maintaining buoys
in the tropical Pacific, flying snow surveys
and into hurricanes.
NOAA Corps celebrates its 205th
birthday
this year.
Find out more about the Corps, its mission and history from the "About the Corps" link.
[caption id="attachment_10448" align="aligncenter" width="300"]Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Pictured here is the entire science party aboard the NOAA ship Oscar Elton Sette.[/caption]
Here are some ship terms to remember...
Stairs are ladders
Stairwells are ladderwells
Ceilings are overheads
Floors are decks
Bathrooms are heads
Halls are passageways
Big halls are companionways
Pointy end is the bow (pronounced like "wow")
Stubby end is stern
And liberty, which is shore leave -- time off on shore (enlisted get liberty & officers get shore leave)
Who's Piloting the Ship?
A steer is what you BBQ
You steer a car
You pilot a ship
The person on the wheel of the ship is the helmsman
The wheel is called the helm
You steer a course
You pilot a ship
Wishing you fair winds and following seas
Student Questions:
Q: Have you seen any butterfly fish?
A: The most interesting butterfly fish was a juvenile. It was about the size of a marble and it had horns. It was certainly one of the most interesting specimens we caught.
[caption id="attachment_10522" align="aligncenter" width="300"]Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. This is a juvenile butterfly fish. It is the size of a small marble and has horns.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_10521" align="aligncenter" width="300"]Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. The butterfly fish is rather rare and this made the scientists very happy to see one.[/caption]
Q: What do you do when there IS a fire?
A: While onboard the NOAA ship Sette we had several fire drills. The scientists and I were to report to the "Texas Deck" which is just behind the bridge where the captain pilots the ship. During the "Abandon Ship" drill, I learned to put on a big orange "Gumby Suit" also known as a survival suit. When worn it keeps you afloat and warm while in the water, and since it is orange, it is very visible.
[caption id="attachment_10526" align="aligncenter" width="225"]Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Teacher at Sea, Jennifer Fry and crew member James McDade muster on the Texas Deck during an Abandon Ship drill aboard NOAA ship Sette.[/caption]