We arrived at Laysan island this morning. The weather is still in our favor and we've arrived to light winds and only a small northwest swell. Today we're helping out our U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service colleagues by transporting supplies and personnel to their camp on Laysan. The camp is staffed year round and the only way to get supplies to them is by ship.
We launched our boats at 0800 this morning and began moving their gear and supplies. Loading and offloading gear to a boat along side a ship is inherently risky. Safety is our primary concern and we always ensure our safety protocols are discussed each morning before starting any operations. We also talk through our operations and ensure everyone understands their role and the overall plan for the day.
There are a few large items that we can load by crane, but most of the equipment and supplies must be loaded by hand. This can be back breaking work for both the crew on deck as well as those in the boat. This is a very coordinate effort by all parties involved, from the officers on the bridge trying to find the best possible position to minimize the pitch and roll of the ship, to the boat operator who must decide how much gear can be loaded without compromising the stability of the small boat. The Oscar Elton Sette is very good at it.
Today we finished quickly. There wasn't a lot of USFWS gear and our launch point is very close to the island, making for very short boat runs. We completed offloading the Laysan supplies, recovered both of our boats, and were underway by lunch to our next stop, Lisianski Island.
Today we served as support for science, a very important role. Out here, we need the support and cooperation of each agency to accomplish our missions. It is important that we all work together towards a common goal; to preserve and protect our precious natural resources here and throughout the Pacific.
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