This morning I watched as a rainstorm approached and enjoyed the quiet of the morning pedaling away on the stationary bike on deck. After breakfast, it was the same routine as usual, including computer work and prep for the upcoming dive days, until we were interrupted by what sounded like a metallic bumblebee the size of a Volkswagen just outside of the dry lab. You see the ship's crew is never idle when we are out at sea and when all other work is complete the Chief Boatswain (person in charge of all aspects and running of the decks) sets everyone to work needle-gunning. That is everyone that is part of the ship's crew. I am not sure who originally invented this method of rust removal, but needle-gunning surely was originally a cruel sort of punishment. The crew go out with handheld grinders and power tools that look like basting brushes made of steel fibers to blast away what ever spots of rust have crept up. As the noise was dampened only slightly by earplugs, most of the science party went in search of quiet areas, which can’t actually be found on a 200’ ship. We were also scheduled to complete our neurological exams that serve as a baseline for normal functioning in the case of a dive accident. I'm happy to say that I am cleared to dive although my hearing was not quite up to par (I wonder why). So there is one more step out of the way before we get in the water at Wake and now I am hoping that the crew won't need to be needle-gunning for all of the next five days. But thankfully, even if they do, they keep the ship running and not I.
With that I will say goodnight and best wishes, Cristi
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