Captain’s Log
Thursday, June 5, 2025
Dixon Entrance, North Pacific
R/V ONE OCEAN, day #33
Sometimes small things matter. You may have noticed the “R/V” designation for One Ocean, and that’s no small thing. Education matters, science matters, communication matters and research in some form provides the base for all of it. One Ocean is our platform, research our objective and education our purpose. Welcome to Research Vessel One Ocean!
Onboard and onshore routines take time to develop. Personal and physical adjustments to life onboard a newly recommissioned vessel is only part of the equation. Sailing with friends for a day or two obviously doesn’t carry the same emotional challenges that attach themselves to longer voyages. We are a crew of five living together on a floating tiny home – sharing space, meals, stories, work and quiet time one day at a time – for the next 420 days – give or take a few.
I’m sure later we will quantify the number of people, hours, dollars it has taken to get to day number 33 of this voyage. The numbers will be significant, especially the amount of volunteer effort from the staff and students of Skagit Valley College’s Marine Technology Center – so significant we probably should have named this boat “Commitment” – but that name had already been used by Bill Pinkney when he became the first African American to sail alone around the world via the Southern Ocean. My old Valiant 47 “Lone Star” became “Commitment” and served Bill well, but that’s a story for another time.
Most of last night, after a terrific shoreside meal at ‘Blacktail’ in Daajing Giids, we motored north 80nm to the northeastern end of Haida Gwaii.
Later today we will visit Langara Fishing Adventures at the very northwestern corner of the island. Jenn worked at the “Lodge”33 years ago and we sailed here two years ago with Herb McCormick aboard Dancing Bear.
It was a memorable visit and a difficult sail none of us thought we would want to repeat. Jenn has friends working at the lodge and we’ve been asked to ‘drop in’ for a meal – with an opportunity to share our story with some of the guests. “Singing for your Supper” is what that used to be called. The owner of the Lodge has donated a 4-day package for 2 later this year or next – proceeds with thanks going to R/V One Ocean. We are now 30 miles from an anchorage - where someone else makes dinner tonight.
Changes in communication technology have made the biggest difference between the ‘09/10’ AtA expedition and this one. All our research and education information is available to schools, teachers, students, home viewers and anyone with a connection. The cost of transmitting from One Ocean is significantly lower than it was 15 years ago and the reliability of that transmission is excellent. All of that means education organizations can supplement their curriculums with interesting, important and science -based information at no cost to their programs. R/V One Ocean and crew will say hello to a much, much larger audience – looking for the next ocean stewards!
Ciao,
Mark Schrader