At a party on Saturday I learned the German word for steel-toed boots – and, yes, of course, it is only one word – Stahlkappenstiefel. Or something to that effect. Why was I speaking German at the Bering Sea Sendoff? Oh, my friends, you didn’t think I would have only *one* rockingly awesome adventure lined up for my post-layoff year, did you? I found out last week that I’m spending August and September in Germany on a Burns Fellowship.
I’ll work in a German newsroom for two months – probably a weekly magazine or a daily newspaper. The idea is that I work half time for them and half time for my regular freelance clients and anyone else who wants to pay me to write. Anyone? Anyone?
When I say I was “speaking German” I exaggerate a bit – really, these two German guys were speaking German and I was going, “ja!”…”nein!”…”[halting, brief, and grammatically questionable statement]!”
On Friday I resolved my all-consuming dilemma: What knitting to take on the ship?
Clockwise, from top left: Lace scarf (in the pink bag), sock yarn, and a stack of instructions for knitting socks; yarn for lace scarf; yarn for baby blanket; assorted yarns in case I want to make a hat or something; yarn for super pretty scarf that will make me happy as I knit. The needles I need for these various projects are in the middle. I’m also going to knit wristwarmers for myself on the way to Dutch Harbor. Three flights, none shorter than three hours – I think I’ll have time.
This is probably way too much knitting, but I’d really hate to run out, and there’s no real restriction on how much stuff I take (this all fits into one tiny duffel bag).
Check it out: my survival suit. (With the steel-toed boots.) I gather I’m supposed to wear this whenever there’s heavy equipment going over the side of the ship. I borrowed it from WHOI, which is nice, because I don’t want to have to store this dang thing for the rest of my life.
And just in case you’re wondering, no, I have not gained 50 pounds since the last time you saw me. That’s aaaaaalllll suit.
This video gives a bit of background information on the cruise – along with lots of pretty pictures. I’m not in the video, but I’m the person who the scientist is looking at when she’s talking, so, you can imagine me in the room. I went up to Woods Hole in January to do this interview and meet the people who will be editing my dispatches from the ship.
Ok, I’m leaving the day after tomorrow. Holy cow. I’ve reached the point where I’m doing triage on my giant to-do list – the rest of the quizzes will get written after I get back. I’ll file for an extension on my taxes. Ok, but I really have to write those stories for National Geographic before I leave. Gack! Back to work!
Want to follow along with the ship before I get to it? There’s a teacher on the ship now. Here’s her journal. I talked to one technician who’s on both the current cruise and my cruise, but I think most of the scientists on my cruise will be new.
Thursday I had coffee with Simone Welch, the teacher who will be on the ship with me. Simone, unlike me, had been reading the other teacher’s journal and thus was able to pass on the information that it was minus 13 on the ship the other day. Dudes. That is cold. I mean, I’ve survived plenty of 13 below – I did go to college in Minnesota – but I was thinking, like, maybe teens, maybe single digits. I’m not sure I’m mentally prepared for this.
My goal: Don’t develop a reputation for being The Whiny One.
Here’s a list of places where you could follow my Bering Sea trip:
Dang. That’s a lot, huh? Polar Discovery is the main work I’ll be doing, so if you were picking two, I’d do this blog and that site.
Over the weekend I was in Arizona for a retreat. It was totally idyllic, with hummingbirds and citrus flowers and warm weather, and I spent many hours every day listening to people talk about interesting things. It was a retreat for board members from the various Revels organizations around the country. (Mine is The Washington Revels – our biggest production, the Christmas Revels, is the coolest thing I do all year.)
So, at lunch the second day I discovered that one of the board members from another city is a former commercial fisherman. Who has worked in the Bering Sea. I had to switch lunch tables when I found out. He had stories about ships sinking and giant halibut and whatnot. I asked for advice, and he said his stock piece of advice is to figure out how the zippers on the survival suit work before you need them. But he said I don’t need that advice, because I’m going with professionals and they will take care of me. I’m guessing the Coast Guard is serious about safety training.
Anyway, he gave me a tip which I will now share, in case you are ever fishing with long lines off Alaska. The problem: Orcas are smart. They know what that gear is for, and they’ll hang out chomping your fish as if you were running a free all-you-can-eat buffet. Which you are, really. He says it wouldn’t be so bad if they took the whole fish, but they leave the head so you still have to take it off the hook. Some people shoot at them, but that is illegal and also not very nice.
Here’s the non-lethal method: Pull in your gear. Check the radar for a blip. Go over there. That blip will be another fishing ship. Circle around the other ship about three times until the orcas are like, hey, wait, this ship has fish, too, and the buffet is open! Take your boat and fish somewhere else.
You know that volcano in Alaska? It’s been canceling flights into Dutch Harbor. (Not the volcano itself. I don’t think it calls and cancels. The airline cancels the flights. But I digress.) Dutch Harbor is the place I have to fly to next Wednesday. (Oh my god. Next Wednesday. Do you know how soon that is? Soon. And I leave here Tuesday. Which is even sooner.)
So I was very relieved just now to see this in a mass e-mail from the chief scientist: “Note also that I am not planning to sail without you if the volcano delays your arrival into Dutch.”
I hope that applies to the science writer, too. I understand that I’m not 100% essential personnel on this cruise. But probably if I’m delayed, scientists will be, too.
One of the coolest pieces of gear I’ve had to get for my trip:
Steel-toed rubber fisherman’s boots! They’re not just tough, they’re xtratuf! I’ll wear these whenever there’s heavy stuff moving around on deck. Every time we get to a sampling station, a bunch of big equipment will have to go overboard. There will be cables and winches and whatnot, and steel-toed boots are required. I’ll also be wearing a big red flotation suit…I should dig that out and take a picture in it.
Look at this sign I saw in Baltimore over the weekend. Heh.
