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Guglielmo Marconi’s first radio signal crossed the Atlantic in 1901, but for decades afterward long-range radio transmission was limited to the nighttime, when atmospheric conditions allowed the relatively weak equipment of the day to cover such distances. This was especially problematic for arctic explorers of the era, who were still trying to reach the North Pole, because their journeys were mostly limited to the summer months, when the sun shone constantly, precluding long-range radio communications. Times have changed a bit. HEALY is near 75 degrees North, just 900 miles from the pole, yet we have satellite connectivity 24 hours a day. Our satellite links allow us to carry out the ship’s official business, they keep the scientists connected to their databases ashore, they allow the crew to access the Internet, and they even give us access to the telephone system. And even at this latitude we also have three satellite television channels from the Armed Forces Network which bring us sports, entertainment & news programming such as CNN and Fox. We are, however, on the ragged edge of the TV satellite’s reach: Even a small course change can put the ship’s stack between the antenna and the satellite because the “bird” is so low on the horizon. When this happens it knocks out our signal and leads to simultaneous groans from the crew’s lounges around the ship (though we’re all really glad to have this intermittent access to The World.) The science missions this week proved very successful and rather arduous, especially the divers and boat crew. We deployed our “LCVP” (an aluminum landing craft) several times, always, it seemed, on bitter cold, windy days. Despite the hazards, the deck crew safely lowered and recovered the unwieldy boat with our large cranes, and the divers were able to complete their surface-supplied dives and “grab critters” – mostly jellyfish- which pleased the scientists. On one of these trips the wind shifted while the boat was away, and a large ice floe moved against HEALY, blocking the boat from returning. We maneuvered the ship to a clear position, which sounds straightforward but was complicated by the fact that our options were limited; wherever we went, there had to be a clear-water path through the maze of ice floes for the small boat to reach us. This resulted in a long day for the boat crew and divers, but they were greeted with hot drinks and warm food upon their return. As I mentioned last week, we were able to celebrate the Fourth of July with a display of expired pyrotechnics. It was judged by all to be an unimpressive spectacle given the bright sunlight, but it’s the spirit that counts. We also held our second “Ice Liberty” on Saturday, and everyone was able to get off the ship for a bit to stretch their legs. Nobody suffered a polar bear mauling, so as XO I judged the event to be a great success. Several crewmembers marked this week with significant professional achievements. On Saturday evening our Doc, Ensign Mike Carr, called out bingo numbers. This week’s big winners were: The people who run the best galley in the Coast Guard are shown below. Led by Senior Chief Shawn Forsythe, our food service specialists prepare three quality meals each day plus “mid-rats” (midnight rations), a full meal offered to late-night watchstanders. They also run a bakery during the overnight & turn out everything from fresh bread to apple turnovers for the crew and scientists to enjoy the next day. As I’m writing this, the crew is finishing off Sunday’s dinner, which features T-bone steaks, baked potatoes, seasoned rice, black-eyed peas, steamed carrots, a full salad bar, and 3 choices of desert. Just four cooks work in HEALY’s galley to pull off this feat four times daily for 150 Coast Guardsmen & scientists. Where does all this food come from? As Senior Chief Forsythe likes to say, HEALY is a floating grocery store. We sailed from Seattle with over $214,000 worth of food in our inventory. We will consume about $70,000 of that inventory before we pull into Dutch Harbor next month and take on provisions. Our food service crew includes FS1 Ivy Zitting (Roy, UT), FS2 Kristina Serfass (Houston, TX), FS3 Evan Elliott (Mobile, AL), FS3 Linzi Deggans (Burleson, TX), and SNFS Tamekia Wright (Neptune, NJ via Jamaica). Finally, if you haven’t visited “Fred’s Place” (www.fredsplace.org) you should. For 10 years Fred Siegel, a retired Coast Guard CWO4, has hosted a site that’s become a must-read for all Coasties and their families. In the weeks since we sailed on this deployment to the North Pole, Fred has generously given HEALY “front-page” billing, and he recently began a “Letters of Support” campaign to collect greetings for our crew from folks back home. He’ll be sending the first batch of supportive e-mails next week, and we’re eager to hear from HEALY supporters around the world. Thanks again, Fred! Ed's Note: Aw Shucks, tain't nuffin' - my pleasure! For Captain Dan Oliver, Command Master Chief Pete Perron and myself, thanks for all your support. You’ll hear from us again next week.
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The Coast Guard Cutter Healy, homeported in Seattle, Washington.
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