10:30 a.m.:  The weather is clear and things are running smoothly.  During the night we reached the end of the Newport line and are now heading back to shore.   The team has been closely watching the HIT and SeaSOAR data.   This morning we made a sighting of the vessel Joides Resolution to the north which was doing some ocean floor drilling.   After lunch today will be a fire drill for all science crew.

The tuna pictured was caught by the crew while we were in warmer offshore waters.

12:30 p.m. :Today after lunch was the fire and abandon ship drill.  All science crew had a chance to try on their exposure suits and lifejackets.   We then met on deck and learned our life raft numbers and were instructed on how to deploy them in case of an emergency.

4:30 p.m.:  The HTI and SeaSOAR are now working well.   The SeaSOAR had to be reeled in temporarily to remove a fairing on the cable that looked like a black fringe.  Now that it has been removed, the SeaSOAR is not operating properly.  The SeaSOAR team will be watching carefully over the next few hours as the ship moves into shallow water over the continental shelf.   These turns have been planned to take place during daylight hours so observers can watch for crab pots and other lines that could potentially snag the SeaSOAR cable.   Click here to see the current location of the ship.

6 p.m.:  On the inshore leg this evening the SeaSOAR struck a crab pot line.  One of the rear PVC fins  was damaged and is undergoing repairs now and should be back in the water this evening.  Damage to the instruments was minimal.

8:10 p.m.:  SeaSOAR repairs were made and it was returned to the water.  The remaining fairing was also removed from the SeaSOAR cable.  The team now begins the East-bound leg from Yachats towing the SeaSOAR at 7 knots through the night.

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