Timetables before and during a CLIVAR cruise

3-6 months

• purchasing: For an off-the-shelf LADCP, it takes a couple of weeks to generate a quote and get a purchase order throught. Then it takes 3 months from receipt of the PO for RDI to build an LADCP. Add ground shipping next) and 6 months before a cruise departs, it’s time to start thinking about what needs to be ordered. This includes LADCP, replacement cables, or new batteries.

• brackets: Be aware of which group is doing the CTD operations. The rosette they use may or may not have brackets for the LADCP or a housing to mount the battery. These need to be constructed and tested before shipping, so the timing for new brackets is similar to buying a new instrument.

  • PMEL no longer uses the 36-place rosette, and in fact has not wanted to use the SOB, but has supplied their own battery for use with the LADCP. Check 4-5 months before the cruise to make surethey have brackets for the current LADCP in use.
  • ODF has LADCP brackets for a down-looking and uplooking pair. The diameter of the brackets for the downlooking instrument will work for the wh150 or the wh300. ODF also has an expanded-metal box designed for the battery. Make sure they bring that too.

2-3 months

• passport: Make sure you have a passport that expires at least 6 months after the date of entry to the final destination country. Some countries want you to have at least 2 blank pages in your passport.

• visa for foreign travel: You might need a visa. The Chief Scientist should figure out about this and warn you in time, but it never hurts to check.

• shipping: About 2 months before the cruise, gear should be assembled and shipping arranged. It takes about 6 weeks for a ground (shipping container) shipment to get where it’s going. Any laptop or disk that is shipped should be configured prior to shipping (see Computer Installation).

• computers: if new laptops need to be purchased, this is the time.

• think about the where the gear is going after the cruise

• The chief scientist will be sending out an email asking about what bench/labspace is needed by the different groups. See Space needs for general requirements.

• The chief scientist will be sending out email asking about hazardous materials and chemicals. We have two documents if interest, both for the Safe Orange Battery.

  1. Oil in the battery
  2. The batteries themselves

4-6 weeks

• travel: buy plane tickets, make hotel arrangements

• laptops: configure any laptop or disk that may not have been shipped (see Computer Installation). These may go as carry-on luggage.

• think about what other parts are missing and need to go as carry-on

  (USB disk, cables, o-rings)

0-1 week

• loading: Arrive at the port the day before the ship arrives. We are usually not allowed on the ship the first day it is in port; the previous scientists need to get their gear off that day. Scientists usually start assembling around 8-9am the first day to get vans on board and unload them. We’re lucky if all the boxes are identified and available the first day.
• setup for cruise:
  • Once the LADCP is ready to communicate with the acquisition computer, talk to the instrument and adjust the communication and data baud rates.
  • LADCP: The CTD people usually want to put the LADCP on the rosette but it is ours, so we need to offer, or offer to help. Sometimes they want to put the cables on and sometimes they want us to do that. It is important to be available to help or orchestrate the mounting of the LADCP, securing of cables on the rosette, and stringing of cables to the acquisition laptop and power supply (details)
  • acquisition PC and power supply need to be appropriately located in a dry accessible space near the hangar, probably the wet lab just aft of the hangar. The LADCP acquisition PC should be networked, and IP noted. The laptop and power supply should be attached to the LADCP cables and communication tested, prior to being secured.
  • processing PC and work space: The LADCP operator will presumably have a space they can set up their laptop for remote access to the LADCP laptop. Processing might occur via ssh to the LADCP laptop or might occur locally.
  • See this detailed installation agenda.

Each cast

See LADCP operator: Typical cast

• fill out one logsheet per cast (prompt and checksheet)
• make instrument ping, instrument collects data
• download to PC
• check that backup exists
• copy to processing computer if that is necessary
• run first step of processing to make sure everything worked on that cast and the instrument is ready for the next cast
• process the data from the cast
• add info to the overall cruise log about processing status

Daily

• Process data gathered over the previous night
• update ancillary data (eg: 2dbar ctd data, underway data, ADCP data)

Every few days

• update section figures
• update web site (if there is one)
• verify that all data are present and backed up

End of cruise

The last cast may take place a few miles from port, or there may be a long transit to get back to port. A few days before getting to port everyone will be packing their gear.

• see the list of data to bring back from the cruise.
• pack and arrange for shipping. This will usually be airfreight, eg FedEx, arranged through the ship’s agent. Initiate this process by asking the apropriate person on the ship who to contact. Ask the captain on a UNOLS vessel, or the chief scientist, or the FOO on a NOAA ship. The captain or FOO wants to know everything that is leaving the ship. Then contact the ship’s agent to start to arrange for shipping.