Next Section | Table of Contents

OPERATIONS

Astoria, Oregon, Port Call

After the 17 day transit across the Pacific Ocean, the ship arrived in Astoria ~1.5 days ahead of schedule at 1600 h on 18 June 2004. All times presented in this report are local ship time, which was Universal Time Coordinated (UTC) – 7 h. The Astoria port call leading up to Expedition 301 was extensive because of the activities required to remobilize the JOIDES Resolution for IODP operations as well as loading all of the special hardware required for Expedition 301. The mobilization actually began long before Astoria with the official acceptance of the drillship JOIDES Resolution on 31 May 2004 in Gamagori, Japan. In Japan we (1) loaded laboratory equipment and supplies required to bring the shipboard laboratories back up to operational status, (2) loaded some bits and BHA subs, (3) had the Active Heave Compensator serviced.

In Astoria, ~40 truckloads were used to deliver the materials required for remobilization and Expedition 301. Items loaded included drill pipe, all bulk materials (mud and cement), casing, all remaining operations drilling equipment, a new heave compensated logging line/winch, laboratory equipment and supplies, and all of the specialty hole completion equipment required for replacing two existing CORKS and installing two new CORK systems.

The Astoria port call was scheduled for 8 days, but was completed in just over 7 days. The Expedition 301 portion of the Astoria port call officially began at 0600 h on 27 June. Because of the early ship arrival, excellent weather, and exceptionally efficient loading activities and coordination, the ship was ready to depart Astoria only 1 h after the "official" Expedition 301 port call began. Once the oncoming Captain was satisfied with the ship's readiness for sea and the last of the expedition hardware was loaded, the ship was deemed ready to depart Astoria for the first site.

Next Section | Table of Contents