I’ve just returned from sea, it was a hard trip, but with a lot of positive energy and interesting results! We are currently working on a mitigation experiment that makes every trip a huge challenge. Each time we meet the challenge we are filled with motivation and enthusiasm to keep going and do even better!
On the first night, steaming toward the fishing grounds, the vessel crashed into a reef! I was in the bunk when I heard the sound of crunching metal against rock! I jumped out of my bunk and ran to the deck to find out what had happened. To my surprise, I was the first to arrive so tried to see some sign as to whether the vessel was sinking or not. I realised that we were apparently ok and that if any water was leaking in, it was slow enough to mean that we were in reach of rescue.
The crew tried to find any signs of a hole or damage, but the dark night prevented easily determining this. With nothing found, we continued our journey. The next day, the mechanics informed the skipper that the vessel was gradually filling with water and that the water pump would not be enough to keep us dry. We had the option of returning to land or trying to patch the damaged hull. Two fishermen dived overboard and managed to screw a metal plate to cover the hole, allowing us to continue.
Amazingly, we spent 20 days at-sea in poor weather conditions, with just two calm days during the entire trip. During this time, we set 16 longlines for tuna and swordfish. I was hoping to use the tori-line on all sets, but only managed this on six occasions. This was because the gales and storm force waves caused the vessel to shake violently, breaking the locking system we used to hold the tori line to the side of the boat. With a broken locking system, the tori pole swung freely into the wrong position, ruining our tests.
I realise it may seem like something simple to fix, but I assure you that every procedure on a small vessel in rough seas is always much more complicated and dangerous than it appears! I had assistance from the crew to try to fix the pole but we were defeated! Indeed, even on reaching the calm waters of the port, it took four men with strong arms to replace the broken davit.
From the six sets we managed before the breakage, we suffered complicated entanglements between the gear and the tori line! This is where our good relations with the captain and crew are so important, they know what we are trying to achieve and give us huge support and understanding.
It is important though, for our research, to really test new designs in the most difficult conditions as what we eventually recommend will have to stand up to harsh environments every day. These results are crucial for our understanding of how we can continue to improve mitigation measures that save seabirds.
I’m really glad to be here sharing another adventure with you about how we work at sea saving albatrosses. All the best!