Patrick Robinson on the eastern Weddell Sea--The science that goes on during a research cruise is always exciting, but what is it like living aboard a research vessel for weeks at a time?

A view of the cabin. Photo: Patrick Robinson

The first thing I noticed was the noise and movement of the ship.  As we plow through dense sea ice (up to 6 feet thick!), there is constant booming and grinding.  The captain steers the ship to find the easiest path through the ice, but there is still an earthquake of noise and motion each time we break apart a new slab of ice.  In fact, there is so much motion it is difficult for me to type right now!  The ship is always working, so this continues through the night and most of us struggle to get enough sleep.  Fortunately, the bunks are very comfortable.

The ice that we have to break through. Photo: Patrick Robinson

The mess hall. Photo: Patrick Robinson.

With over 50 people on board, there are a lot of mouths to feed.  We have several cooks that provide three hot meals every day (even to those working the night shifts).  The mess hall is a nice place to catch up on what everyone is doing.

Check out the nice lounge! Photo: Patrick Robinson

Photo: Patrick Robinson

When we have extra time in the evenings, we can enjoy comfortable chairs in the lounges, watch a movie, or chat with the diverse group of people onboard. We have at least 6 nationalities represented and when walking the halls it is very likely to hear several languages.

We are still traveling south and should enter Weddell seal territory within the next couple of days.  Stay tuned for updates!