Project x

Having a project was not our intention especially on St Helena Island but one
came looking for us anyway.
As we do as cruisers when we are not fixing the boat, we spend time in cafs,
provisioning in the super market or checking out the local environment.
Coincidentally we were walking past the tourist office when the tourism office
manager grabbed our attention. I've got a project for you!
We were a little baffled by his enthusiasm, what sort of project would he have
for a cruising family? Listening carefully to what he was saying made it clear
why he was asking us.
Contact details were exchanged, we were off on our first ever project since
Carpe Diem.
After a week of emails and waiting for a satellite phone from Capetown/South
Africa we where ready go. Carpe Diem sailed off it's mooring and headed out to
sea.
Our project lay approximately 100 nautical miles north of St Helena in the
depths of the South Atlantic Ocean.
For some reason it felt like being in a Bond film and we were the stars of the
show.
The project was to intercept and clean a submersible glider that was remotely
controlled by Rutgers University in America. The vessel patrolled between the
depths of 100 and 1000 ft never coming to the surface. It's job is to collect data
from the ocean and only run on battery power. The problem was that it was
slowing down and concerns were raised about it reaching it's destination.
For the first time since it left South Africa it was going to be brought to the
surface with the co ordinance from the control room in America sent to us in
text via the satellite phone every two-three hours. On board we had created a
drift line on the chart using the co ordinances given just in case we over shot the
final position.
Six minutes it took us to find the submersible after reaching the last way point,
thanks to pre planning of the drift line. There it lay in front of us, a long thin
yellow torpedo like shape, 7 ft long with small wings and a tail, just bobbing on
the water.
It was quite obvious that I was the only volunteer to brave the cool Atlantic as
Hannah had volunteered herself for the helm and the kids as the look outs.
Armed with only a plastic card, I jumped in just metres from the vessel. There
was no way I was going to swim any distance.
It was very clear why the submersible had slowed, it was covered in goose
barnacles. Carefully I removed the growth, holding the vessel up with one hand

and scrapping it with the other as the vessel was neutrally buoyant. Peering pass
the glider I could see jelly fish in the depths below, I didn't want to be here
long.
Hannah and the kids circled me, making sure they had good eye contact with
me at all times.
All was done within an hour and I boarded Carpe Diem. A quick relay to head
quarters America that all was completed and they were able to start their testing.
We watched it disappear into the depths and 8 hours later we were given the
okay to head home. It won't be until tomorrow before we get back to St Helena,
with 120 nautical miles to cover.