Log - July-20-2003 by Gerhard Behrens Previous | Next Expedition Expedition | People Leaving St. John's, Newfoundland We are in the harbor at St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada. The Healy is docked and is getting ready for the next part of its trip. First it had to set some gas: 500,000 gallons, to fill up the tank. The ship can hold about 1,250,000 gallons of gas. That's enough for 62,500 cars! The crew also fixed and checked the machines that keep the ship running. The scientists got themselves ready, too, but not always in the way you might guess. With two days in a city, they took hikes, went to restaurants, listened to live music, visited historic sites, strolled through the port, made phone calls to home, and went to Wal-Mart to buy last minute items. The photo shows the Healy in port and St. John's waterfront. A Russian research ship was in town. This picture was taken from Signal Hill, a point above the harbor used for defense and for signaling ships. The first radio signal sent across the Atlantic Ocean arrived right on this hill over a 100 years ago. Part of the science experience is enjoying the places where you go; it's not all work! But there was some work, too. Boxes of tools and supplies had to be opended and equipment had to be set up or stored away safely. In a day, the ship will be moving in open water, so if things aren't put away, tied down, bolted down, strapped down, screwed down, or latched tight, these things will fall, roll, or slide away. The computer I'm writing this on has two screws holding the monitor to the table, the table is bolted to the floor, and the chair is extra heavy; all done so they don't move when the ship does. Even my coffee mug has a wide, rubber bottom and a tight fitting lid so it won't tip, or spill. Today was the last full day in St. John's, Newfoundland. People spent the day walking around town, shopping for last minute supplies, and enjoying the weather and beautiful scenery. Also, there were last minute calls to family members to say goodbye "in-person". The future contacts will be via email, and those times are limited to two 1-hour time slots each day. I spent the afternoon hiking around "Signal Hill", and looking out at the Atlantic Ocean. The trails were well marked, and not difficult, but the views were splendid. It was here that Guglielmo Marconi received the first trans-Atlantic wireless signal on December 12th, 1901. This spot is the easternmost point on the North American Continent. Interestingly, we are in a half-hour time zone, which is 1.5 hr ahead of Eastern Standard Time. Air temperature was around 80 degrees, (a temperature we'll not see again for some time). Science crew were busily getting things tied down, and unpacking instruments needed for deployment. Here is a picture looking down on the Healy and back into St. John's Harbor from a point along the trail leading to the top of Signal Hill. The Healy is in the lower right hand corner, and almost dead center in the picture is a white Soviet Research Ice Breaker Vessel that is also docked in St. John's.