Those in charge of keeping the night watch must first take an oath.
Not really. But they like to joke about it, because the night watch can get pretty exciting and we seem to have many Game of Thrones fans here on board R/V Falkor.
Night gathers, and now my watch begins…
The main job of the scientists on the watch is to log the bathymetric and seismic data collected every day of the MEGATERA expedition – and there is a lot of data! In addition to logging data, they also note any interesting geological features that they come across, such as faults and channels.
The science control room on board the R/V Falkor houses all of the data experts have collected. The new readings can be viewed on a series of monitors displaying bathymetry, navigation, seismic information, and many other relevant indicators.
It can initially be quite an intimidating sight: there is a lot of information on display and it can seem overwhelming. However, the team soon finds a rhythm working with the equipment and software, feeling at ease with the workflow. Before they start collecting data, they mark out lines (paths) for the ship to follow. The lines R/V Falkor follows can change at a moment’s notice, depending on what kind of features they come across. This is why it is so important to always have an alert eye on watch as the course could be changed at any time.
I am the watcher on the walls…
Another job of the scientists on watch is to prepare for the unexpected.
Say, a rogue fishing boat that comes very close to crashing into our streamers. This actually happened 2 nights ago.
The adventure started when the scientific team received a call from R/V Falkor’s bridge informing them about an unresponsive boat that was heading our way. The crew tried to make contact with the boat in both English and Indonesian, to no avail. It was pitch black, 3 am. The only things barely distinguishable were the location lights on our ship and on the buoys at the end of the streamer.
This was quite a surprise, since we were in the middle of nowhere and had not seen another boat for days. Fearing the worst, the crew decided to alter the course to avoid a collision with our streamers, which stretch back 1200m. The night watchers anxiously followed the navigation displayed onscreen as the boat got closer and closer. A huge sigh of relief filled the Science Control Room when it finally missed our streamers.
For this night and all nights to come
The watch can be a pretty challenging job, as it requires constant attention. The night watch, from midnight till 8am can be especially tough, although the team does play some music to keep us going.
But then you come across a feature like a fault, channel or seamount. To discover and see something that no one else has ever seen is a truly exciting experience. It is these sights that keep us motivated and drive us on to make further discoveries. Then the watch – and the oath – are completely worth it.
