May 12th, 2003; Transition day

Today was a transitional day for the shipboard scientists—taking gear and samples off the ship from the previous leg and moving equipment onto the ship in preparation for Leg 6. The ship’s crew was involved in loading provisions for the next leg, and our roving reporter captured some of the activity on the port side of the R/V Western Flyer. The ROV pilots removed gear from the ROV Tiburon and made repairs to the vehicle. By late afternoon, most of us were hot and tired, and a group of us made another pilgrimage to Balandra’s Bay for a swim. Others went to La Paz for shopping, relaxation, and a night in town. 

Captain Ian Young and Dave French were spied passing boxes of fresh produce toward the galley door during one of the food deliveries.

During the afternoon, Charlie Paull, Patrick Mitts, and Juan Carlos Herguera went in search of a rock saw to cut the rocks we collected during the previous leg. Cut slabs often reveal more detail in the rock and aid in understanding the composition and origin of the rock. Having this information before sailing on the next leg would aid us in developing better sampling strategies for rocks exposed on the seafloor. They had success at a local cemetery stone yard (see left below). This stone yard is a multi-generational, family-run business headed by Carlos Gonzalez. They have one diamond rock saw. This saw is the corner stone of the business and is treated with the utmost care and respect. After careful planning and discussion by three of the family members about how to make the cut through the rock sample, the rock was cut into slabs. An accompanying photo shows the rock saw under a tarp at the stone yard. After returning to the Western Flyer, Charlie and cohorts laid the slabs out to dry in the hot sun (see right below). 

– Bill Ussler, reporting

Charlie Paull at the cemetery stone yard, inspecting a slab of rock just cut on the diamond rock saw, which is under the canopy.

Slabs of rocks collected during Leg 5 have been cut on the rock saw at a local cemetery stone yard. In
this photo, they have been spread out to dry.

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