Aboard the Natty B

This morning, Lynn and I took a tour of
the research Vessel, Nathanial B. Palmer.
We got there too early and one of the Fleet
Ops guys working the Ice Pier gave us a small
tour of the Pier, showing us a few things,
including a large crack that has formed across
the pier itself. I also got some good shots of
the Palmer too from a Pier-perspective. It's
very large...pretty much a floating building.


When we got onboard, we were taken all around,
including the galley, living quarters and bridge.
I was impressed how neat and clean the whole ship
is and of course by all of the scientific equipment.
The bridge acts as the command center for all
operations on the ship and seemed a little like a
huge airplane cockpit.


One scientific project we saw while on the ship was
a large coil of cable (or cables) that the Palmer
would lower down to the floor of the ocean to map
not only the ocean floor, but what was below the
floor; composition, minerals, etc. It was pretty
fascinating. This was our second time on the Natty B.
and although it didn't have the gee-whiz effect on us
that the first trip several years ago did, it still
was good to see a different aspect of the Antarctic
Program in action.