Wednesday, March 7, 2012 turned out to be the perfect day for a “Shakedown Cruise” for OSU’s newest research vessel, the R/V Oceanus. Under sunny skies and light winds and with a new crew, the R/V Oceanus pulled away from the dock at Hatfield Marine Science Center passing her sister ship, the R/V Wecoma, which is due for retirement at the end of this month. Crew and scientists alike snapped photos of the R/V Wecoma as we passed her, and waxed nostalgic about previous ventures aboard. All agreed it was an odd sensation to be leaving her behind at the HMSC dock.

But this was a day of new beginnings and much excitement. For many of the crew, this was their first opportunity to sail aboard the R/V Oceanus, and their only opportunity to try out new equipment and systems before they commence a busy season of research out at sea. The day began with a safety briefing by Jeff Crews, the former captain of the R/V Wecoma and new captain of the R/V Oceanus, and the donning of survival suits by scientists and other visitors, an important but humorous activity to witness. The vessel then proceeded to anchor in the middle of Yaquina Bay, where crew and science staff had the opportunity to practice the deploying of coring equipment, which resembles a lunar landing module and is designed to collect samples of ocean sediment. Practicing such procedures in a calm bay for the first time, allowed staff to identify potential challenges while protecting both the crew and vessel.

The R/V Oceanus then turned seaward, passing beneath the Yaquina Bay Bridge, through the jetties, and out into the Pacific Ocean. Her mission in the ocean: allow the captain and mates to see how she handles and practice holding station while other oceanographic equipment was deployed. Scientists from OSU’s Ocean Observatories Initiative took this opportunity to launch “Jane” , an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) or glider, from the back deck of the Oceanus. Jane will spend the next 3 to 4 weeks at sea, diving to 200 meters, collecting information on ocean conditions, including changes in temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen. Scientists and crew watched as Jane began to submerge then moved to the next task at hand, the deployment of the CTD rosette, another instrument used to collect data on salinity, temperature and depth. The CTD is a large piece of equipment that contains numerous water sampling bottles that collect samples at specified depths for further analysis by scientists aboard. The CTD is one of the most often deployed pieces of equipment and requires the boat be steadily maintained in position as it is deployed and retrieved from the deep.

After a full day of constant activity, the R/V Oceanus began her short journey home. To the delight of passengers and crew, a number of Gray whales were spotted near the vessel. It had been the perfect day all around. The final challenge was the first docking of the R/V Oceanus by her new crew. This too went beautifully, as the R/V Oceanus returned from her first successful cruise to her new home.

(Post and photos by Tracy Crews, Oregon Sea Grant marine education coordinator)