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Search update 11th March 2008
David Mearns - Search Director, The Finding
Sydney Foundation
We've had such a lousy string of luck since the start of this search
is was about time that things started to go our way. An enormous
amount of effort by the Williamson & Assoc's technicians, in
particular Carter Le, has been put in to get us up and running
again. So we were all greatly relieved when the SM30 sonar was
deployed in the early hours of the morning and the first images
revealed the search was back on track. There is still far more
seabed geology in the southern third of our search box to my liking
(and I am a trained marine geologist) and the technical gremlins
haven't completely left us, but we are searching today and that's
all that counts.
At
one point in the current trackline the sonar images started to look
very much like the king of debris field I am expecting to see
associated with Kormoran's wreck. As the SM30 sonar updates only
once every 4 seconds (ping rate) the images scroll down our screens
at the pace of a snail so it can take up to 30 minutes before a
feature reveals itself as either geology or a bona fide target. The
expectation and excitement in the room rises to the point it is
palpable while the images are studied and analysed very carefully.
In this case it was more seabed geology but our senses are being
sharpened for the real thing.
The
trough I wrote about yesterday is still sitting on the coast of WA
and doesn't look set to move east until Thursday. Meanwhile the
winds and swell are still high but we are in a following sea today
so the ride is comfortable. I have included a photograph of the
navigation screen the helmsman uses to keep the Geosounder on track,
which not only shows how well he is doing staying within our 25
metre guide lines but how he is doing it by 'crabbing' down the line
with the ship at a constant 15 degree angle to starboard.
John Perryman - Senior Navy Historian (Observer)
Today was by far a much more positive and productive day. With the
SM30 back in the water in the early hours of the morning we were
soon heading into the southern end of our search box. it did not
take us long to start picking up good paints of geological features
in some areas while in other areas the sea bed appeared featureless.
this was certainly a morale boosting victory following the testing
times of the previous few days and it feels good to be back in our
search box with our eyes fixed on our various monitors and sensors.
At the time of
her loss, Sydney was carrying a Walrus aircraft mounted on a 53 foot
long catapult located between her two funnels. To launch the
aircraft the catapult was rotated so that it pointed to seaward.
From this position the aircraft would then be hurled into the air
and take flight. it could also be lowered over the side of the ship
by crane for water take-offs if necessary. This crane was also used
to recover the aircraft from the water on completion of a sortie.
This was often a difficult evolution in choppy seas as can be seen
in the accompanying photograph.
Also at the time of Sydney's loss, six members of the Royal
Australian Air Force were posted on the strength of her crew to
operate and maintain the Walrus.
Glenys McDonald - Director, The Finding Sydney Foundation
(Observer)
The crew of MV Geosounder come from all parts of the globe. Their
usual work routine is five weeks at sea, followed by five weeks at
home, and they thrive on this type of existence. I have come to look
forward to my evening chats where we do a fair amount of
philosophising about the 'good old days' when we were young.
The
crew from Williamsons & Assoc's are infectiously happy. They work as
a great team, either deploying or recovering the fish in some very
interesting sea conditions at all hours of the day or night, and
then spend countless hours either monitoring screens or with the
sonar under maintenance. My room mate Kelly is on her first
deployment doing this type of work and I am in awe seeing her out
there on the back deck doing her job alongside some big strapping
men.
It
gives me great comfort on this trip to have the combined wealth of
experience of Ark Wright of Williamson's and David Mearns aboard.
This is their day job and they do it professionally and without
fuss. John Perryman is keeping us in high spirits with some
absolutely amusing stories of life at sea, and anecdotes from the
history of our Navy. One of the hardest working groups on board are
the three Electric Pictures crew who are everywhere - back deck,
survey room, they even catch you having a nap on deck.
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