22 January 2007

To All R/V Roger Revelle CLIVAR/CO2/Repeat/I8S participants and NZ loaders:

[Every now and then in this note I get a bit officious. Sorry. I know nearly all of you need none of this. Just making a few points clear.]

Everything is looking great!

We will have 36 participants at sea. (Only one empty berth!)

I have Physical Ability To Work at Sea and participant information for all participants (except certain SIO Shipboard Technical Support (STS) personnel who are exempt from sending it to me). Thanks!

Word is that R/V Roger Revelle may arrive in New Zealand somewhat early. This does not affect our departure date.

Gene Pillard, who will be our SIO STS Resident Technician (and hence our principal interface during loading in Dunedin) told me that he will be happy to get to work loading for our cruise at least on 31 January, and maybe earlier. There is no need, however, for anyone to change their travel & loading plans. The rule is, if you are early, you check in with the Res Tech, and the Res Tech will tell you if you can go to work or should go away. You must not get in the way of unloading and clean up from the previous leg. The science team for the previous leg owes us sparkling clean labs, staterooms, and heads, and it is our obligation to give them a chance to make it so.

THE PLAN REMAINS: We will load in earnest on January 31st. As far as I can tell, we will be working starting in the morning, if you are there. If STS Res Tech lets you load earlier, it’s your business, but see the next paragraph.

Regarding your staterooms: I have not yet assigned them. (Sorry, I have too much to do. I’ll get to it in the next day or two only if I can.) At any rate, they are not to be occupied until the time of your choice after the noon meal on January 31st. By that time Gene and I will have posted a list. Changes with 100% mutual agreement of all parties involved are OK, of course, but we must know exactly which room and which berth each participant occupies, so any changes must be presented to Gene or me, including any changes made while underway.

Remember: You must surrender any alcohol brought on board immediately to the Officer on Watch.

Remember: Participants at sea must be on board no later than the morning of the departure date, 04 February. I do not intend to wait for any missing persons. Also, the ship might have moved to a fueling dock, or whatever. It’s your business to get to the ship and get on board.

We will have a talented young outreach and education team with us at sea: Pien Huang, Cassandra Lopez, and Daniel Park. Because loading is such a dynamic time, I have asked all three of them to be present beginning 31 January. Feel free to involve them … they are there to work as well as to develop outreach materials. We will also have four graduate students: JJ Becker (SIO), Dian Putrasaha (SIO), Lora Van Uffelen (SIO), and David Ullman (U Wisconsin). They won’t show up quite as early, but, once they are on board, feel free to involve them in your activities.

I am leaving for New Zealand Wednesday night. I intend to check in briefly at the ship on the morning of January 27th, but do not intend to be present again until sometime late in the morning of January 31st. I do not expect to have email from 25-31 January.

My email address, once I am on board Revelle, will be jswift@rv-revelle.ucsd.edu.

The night before we sail, I hope all of us - officers, crew, science team, loaders, etc - can get together at the Speight’s Brewery/Pub in Dunedin. I’ll buy some of the beer!

See you soon.

Best Regards,
Jim Swift