Weekly Hydro Ship Activity Report - March 26 through April 1, 2023

NOAA's National Ocean Service sent this bulletin at 04/04/2023 04:22 PM EDT

For the Week of March 26, 2023

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Weekly Hydro Ship Activity Report

Welcome to NOAA's Weekly Hydrographic Ship Activity Report! We hope you enjoy this reader-friendly layout for our weekly report as we update you on the progress of our NOAA-ship and contractor-run surveys. Please continue to direct your correspondences to progress.sketches@noaa.gov. 

Highlights of this edition

  • NOAA Ship Fairweather conducted survey operations on OPR-M328-FA-23, EXPRESS.
  • Geodynamics conducted survey operations on OPR-F330-KR-22, Albemarle Sound, NC.

NOAA Ships

FERDINAND R. HASSLER

Recap
  • NOAA Ship Ferdinand R. Hassler is alongside MOC-A in Norfolk, VA.
NOAA Ship Ferdinand R. Hassler, Photo courtesy of NOAA

Looking Forward

  • The ship is navigating through a few outstanding items associated with their winter repair package and looking forward to resuming operations in the Spring.

THOMAS JEFFERSON 

OPR-K371-TJ-23 Approaches to Galveston, TX

Recap
  • NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson conducted survey operations on OPR-K371-TJ-23, acquiring on sheets H13706, H13707, H13708, and H13709 prior to arriving in Galveston, TX on 31MAR2023. 
NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson, Photo courtesy of NOAA

Looking Forward

  • Thomas Jefferson will get underway from Galveston, TX on 03APR2023 and begin conducting survey operations on OPR-K371-TJ-23.

Fairweather

OPR-M328-FA-23 EXPRESS

Recap:

  • NOAA Ship Fairweather conducted survey operations on OPR-M328-FA-23 EXPRESS, acquiring on sheet H13688.
 NOAA Ship Fairweather, Photo courtesy of NOAA

Looking Forward

  • Fairweather will continue acquisition on OPR-M328-FA-23 EXPRESS.

RAINIER 

OPR-T382-RA-23 American Samoa/PRIA (RICHARD)

Recap
  • NOAA Ship Rainier departed Pago Pago, AS, and transited to work on H13735 while conducting dive operations in Swains Island, AS.
NOAA Ship Rainier, Photo courtesy of NOAA

Looking Forward

  • Rainier will depart Swains Island, AS, and conduct dive and hydrographic survey operations around Tau, Rose Islands, sheets H13736 and H13737 respectively.

Contracted Vessels

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OPR-E351-KR-22 Southwest Chesapeake Rivers

Recap

  • R/V 505 conducted mainscheme MBES and SSS data acquisition in H13766 and H13767 with a shortened day on 27MAR2023 due to a mechanical issue, fill and investigations in H13765 with a delayed start on 01APR2023 due to high winds, and performed a patch test on 31MAR2023.
  • R/V Endeavor conducted mainscheme MBES and SSS data acquisition data acquisition, bottom sample acquisition, and crosslines in H13767, mainscheme in H13766 with a delayed start on 01APR2023 due to high winds and fill in H13766 and H13767 and performed a patch test on 29MAR2023.
  • R/V Pulse conducted mainscheme MBES and SSS data acquisition in H13766 and H13767 with a delayed start on 01APR2023 due to high winds.
  • R/V Spectrum conducted mainscheme MBES and SSS data acquisition in H13766 and H13767 and fill and investigation acquisition in H13765 with a partial weather day on 29MAR2023 due to an equipment issue and a delayed start due to high winds on 30MAR2023 and 01APR2023, and performed a patch test on 30MAR2023.
  • R/V Taku conducted mainscheme MBES and SSS data acquisition in H13766 and H13767 with a delayed start on 01APR2023 due to high winds and performed a patch test on 29MAR2023.
  • R/V Voxel performed maintenance on the vessel engines on 26MAR2023 and 27MAR2023, conducted mainscheme MBES and SSS data acquisition in H13767, transited to Urbanna, VA on 29MAR2023, had a standby day on 30MAR2023 to set up logistics and the new marina, began mainscheme MBES and SSS data acquisition in H13771 on 31MAR2023 with a delayed start on 01APR2023 due to high winds.

Looking Forward

  • R/V 505 and R/V Spectrum to conduct fill and investigation in H13765 and resume mainscheme MBES and SSS data collection in H13766 and H13767 mid-week.
  • R/V Pulse and R/V Taku continue mainscheme MBES and SSS data acquisition in H13766 and H13767.
  • R/V Endeavor plans to transit to Urbanna, VA early in the week and join R/V Voxel in mainscheme MBES and SSS data acquisition in H13771.
  • Office staff will continue processing and reporting and review acquired H13765 fill and investigation data. 
Geodynamics

 

OPR-F330-KR-22 Albemarle Sound, NC

Recap

  • R/V Substantial surveyed in H13755, H13758, and H13760 collecting SSS-MBES. Weather condition affect on SSS data quality forced Substantial to relocate and survey in calmer water when possible. As weather events were often prolongated, the vessel made short-term returns to port in Coinjock. Minimal downtime related to the MVP and vessel generator occurred during the acquisition period.
  • RV Benthos focused on SSS-MBES acquisition in the shallower portions of H13755 and when SSS quality deteriorated, the vessel relocated to collect SSS-SBES in H13761 calmer waters or conduct H13761 set line spacing SBES. Minimal downtime related to software, sound speed instruments, and vessel generator occurred during the acquisition period.
  • RV Chinook focused on SSS-MBES acquisition in the shallower portions of H13755 and H13758 and when SSS quality deteriorated, the vessel relocated to collect SSS-SBES in the calmer waters of H13761 and H13762 or collected set line spacing SBES in these sheets. The Chinook also performed SBES recon/XL acquisition. Minimal downtime related to towed gear occurred during the acquisition period.
  • RV 4-Points began survey operations collecting recon/XL SBES data in H13755, H13758, H13760, H13761, and H13762 to better define the 2m NALL, 3.5m coverage break, and poorly charted shoals. 4-Points then continued SBES survey in H13761. Minimal downtime related to software and vessel generator occurred during the acquisition period.
  • USV X-15 began survey operations collecting SBES data in H13762. Downtime due to onboard generator was significant, however was resolved on 23MAR2023.
  • USV X-19 began survey operations collecting SBES data in H13762. Downtime occurred with the USV due to mechanical issues.
  • Data processing at Geodynamics headquarters started with the ingestion of SSS-MBES and SBES recon data. Data processing of SSS, MBES, and SBES has continued through the reporting period. The office continues to ingest survey data and focus on QC review, documentation and fill/recovery plans. No features have been reported on to date.

Looking Forward

  • R/V Substantial will continue SSS-MBES survey in H13760.
  • R/V Benthos and R/V Chinook will prioritize SSS-MBES in H13755 and H13758 (shallow areas). SSS-SBES and set line spacing SBES in H13671.
  • R/V 4-Points will continue set line spacing SBES in H13761.
  • USV-15 and USV-19 will continue set line spacing SBES in H13762.
  • The office will have a kick-off meeting with OCS and continue processing of SSS-MBES-SSS.
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OPR-E347-KR-22 Central Chesapeake Bay, MD

Recap

  • Survey operations on the R/V Oyster Bay II continued on various sheets to fill holidays. Poor weather at times dictated which sheets to survey, with 01APR2023 down for weather all day.

Looking Forward

  • Survey operations on the R/V Oyster Bay II acquisition will continue weather permitting.
  • Data Processing ongoing in the Newport, RI Data Center and Field Office.