Almost there

17 08N x 163 23W In a final push this evening I think we might actually have everything ready for tomorrow. We shall see. The seas are still pretty rough (ok, well, not really) but we still hope the wind will die down by morning. I gather there were 20-30 foot swells when the team was last here 2 years ago. We should get to Johnston about 1am and be ready to launch boats after the 730 dive meeting. I'm really excited to see what Johnston looks like under water. It would have been neat to see what it looked like before the Navy flattened it, too.

As far as opperations go, we will be launching the tow team to conduct the long range observations around the atoll, the REA team which will conduct more detailed surveys at a smaller number of sites, the oceanography team which will replace and install several oceanographic buoys and then conduct shallow water CTD casts and water sampling proceedures, and a terrestrial team who will camp on the island for 3 days surveying birds and land animals for the US Fish and Wildlife service.

I think I have finished up everything that needs doing tonight. The cameras are set, the GPS is loaded, the boat wiring is done, SeaBirds are set, the towboards are ready. Off to the rack...