Status August 11
Pete:
I think we just saw the Arare go by on the sonar. Its really amazing to see the bottom in such detail.
Kale can take calls if you want to refer the reporters/ producers from ABC to him. Maybe its time to do another press release RE: the search is under way.
Art:
We have toured McArthur Reef and are proceeding to deploy the SM-30 sonar at the southwest end of the area. It is very calm here in Kiska Bay.
For info we are using Alaska Time minus 2 hours on Aquila. The sun will set here about 2100 our time.
Photos:
Kevin Beck taking a wave in heavy seas while securing the sonar depressor while in route from Dutch Harbor to Kiska.
Dinner in the galley with left to right Bill Heather, Matt Meyer, Carter lee, Anji and Kale Garcia, Matt Kelly, and Jay Larsen.
Electronic technician (ET) Jay Larson monitoring the sonar data of the first deployment of the sonar outside Kiska Harbor
Pete:
I will try video next.
I took video of the rough seas and could capture a image of them but I would have to pull out that tape. I am sure we haven’t seen the worst of it yet.
We have done several search lines closest to Kiska. Mostly mellow seas in Art’s initial search lines nearest the island.
A couple of targets were identified for further investigation. The sonar acted up today with “drop outs” and “noise” and Art’s crew is working on it now.
The weather changes hour to hour. I thought I saw the top of the Kiska volcano thru the clouds and fog. It was probably a false summit. Since dinner winds have started to gust and the rigging is starting to howl from it.
I jumped the gun in thinking we saw the Arare so I will leave the sonar analyzing to the pros. Basically the screen in the photo shows uncorrected sonar returns of mostly undersea geological formations and trawl net scars on the sea floor. The bottom half of the screen shows a “sub bottom profiler” that is a basic downward depth sounder below the “fish” with contrast intensity that indicates hardness(rock).
Did you know “Turbidity flow” the term for undersea landslide?
Its really amazing here and we saw some war relics on Little Kiska island.
We have a photo of Kano Maru on the beach near some distinct rock formations and I have been keeping an eye out for that location. Maybe they scuttled that damaged aft gun over board in shallow water?
Art:
We have had some problems today with noise in the sonar system from various causes but they seem behind us after three sessions on deck for investigation and tuning. We have completed Lines 100, 101, 102 and 103 and are running 104 for the second time due to noise on the earlier run. We have no sunken ships yet but we do have a possible large, rectangular barge about 50 x 20 meters.
Later today we will run lines near McArthur Reef.
Wind is NNW 20-30. We are in a lee behind Kiska Island much of the time so seas are only 3-5s. Temps are in mid forties with some sporadic snow and sleet in the squalls. Weather is very variable.