Date: Thu, 10 Oct 1996 13:01:45 -0500

NBP SITREP 5-6 OCT 96
(forwarded by Bob Anderson)


R/V NATHANIEL B. PALMER DAILY SITUATION REPORT

               GMT DATE:  05 OCT      06 OCT      06 OCT      06 OCT

               GMT TIME:   1800        0000        0600        1200
           POSITION:
                    LAT:  56 55S      57 46.6S    57 57S      58 06.7S
                   LONG: 170 07W     170 05W     170 27W     171 02.1W
            WEATHER:
        TEMPERATURE (C):   5.5          4.5        -0.5         -0.6
      AIR PRESSURE (MB):  985.3        980.1       995.0       1003.3
  RELATIVE HUMIDITY (%):   93.8         71.1        58.8         56.9
        WIND SPEED (KN):   40           45.6        50          18-22
         WIND DIRECTION:   NW           W           WSW          SW
        VISIBILITY (NM):  2-4 RAIN      2-4         3-5          3-4
             CLOUDS (%):  100 st.        50 CS       100 st.       100 NS

              SEA STATE:  6-7           8-9         8-9           8
            SEA ICE:        0             0           0           0
     ICE TOTAL (TENTHS):
         NEW & GREY ICE:
             GREY-WHITE:
       THIN ICE (30-60):
       MED ICE (60-120):
    THICK ICE (120-200):
     OLD ICE 2 Yr. Plus:
        SNOW DEPTH (CM):
           ICE PRESSURE:
          ENGINES/PITCH:  2 ME F/A    2 ME 50%     2 ME 40%     2 ME 40%
 FUEL ON BOARD (@ 0000):                                        370,600

REMARKS:  UNDERWAY FROM PORT LYTTELTON, NZ, TO THE ROSS SEA FOR JGOFS
PROCESS I CRUISE (NBP96-4A). THE SHIP ENCOUNTERED BAD WEATHER AND HEAVY
SEAS ALL DAY. AT 10:00 (22:00 GMT), THE SHIP HEAVED TO IN RESPONSE TO
THOSE SEAS. AT 14:48, A LARGE WAVE BROKE OVER THE STBD MAIN DECK
SHEARING

THE DECK EYE BOLTS HOLDING THE SEISMIC GUN WINCH AND THE MOORING FLOAT
CONVERTIBLE VAN IN PLACE. DUE TO THE SEVERITY OF THE SEAS, NO PERSONNEL
WERE PERMITTED ON DECK. THE LOOSE VAN AND WINCH PARTIALLY DAMAGED THE
MLML TM VAN, KNOCKING OFF ITS DOOR AND CAUSED MINOR DAMAGE TO THE CAFE
THORIUM VAN. THE MOORING ANCHORS HELD FAST, CONTAINING THE VANS FROM
EXCESSIVE MOVEMENT. AT NO TIME WAS THE SHIP IN DANGER OTHER THAN TO
SCIENCE EQUIPMENT ON THE BACK DECK. AT 20:00 (08:00 GMT), SEA
CONDITIONS ABATED ENOUGH TO PERMIT PERSONNEL ACCESS TO THE MAIN DECK
LONG ENOUGH TO SECURE THE VANS AND WINCH.

REGARDS, JAMES ORZECH, MPC