We are now approaching the end of the cruise with only one week remaining before coming back on firm grounds. As days go by, we accumulate more and more discoveries, but also lack of sleep! In order to keep the attention up and break the daily routine, we celebrate a few special dates such as hump day (which marks the middle of the cruise), St Nicholas day (we carved little dice from dredged rocks with O-D-E-M-A-R on each face as a gift for everyone on board), and we even set up a Christmas tree in the lounge.
Last Sunday was the most peaceful day so far. After recovering the Victor, the AUV team had some trouble communicating with the GPS satellites that enable precise positioning of Abyss. Willing to help, Benoit started to practice what we now call the ‘voodoo dance’ in order to convince Abyss to do her best with the GPS. (Un)surprisingly, it worked!
At some point in the afternoon we came across an abandoned sailing boat. The captain sent two crew members on the zodiac to investigate. It turns out it had been adrift since June 2013 after its crew had been rescued from a major storm off the coast of Portugal.
This impromptu Sunday break was an ideal opportunity to go fishing, as the boat always attracts numerous fish species. Crewmembers managed to catch a tuna and a big Mahi-Mahi!
This impromptu Sunday break was an ideal opportunity to go fishing, as the boat always attracts numerous fish species. Crewmembers managed to catch a tuna and a big Mahi-Mahi!
In addition, everyone got a chance to recharge their batteries for the last week ahead…