Sunday 30th April 2000
Trobriand Islands, Papua New Guinea

We are now up at the Trobriands after steaming through the night. It was about an 18 hour journey, and for much of the way we had heavy rain and 10-20 knot winds with a slight swell. Nothing too rough however. I copped the 2400-0200 watch (12am-2am) but thanks to several cups of coffee was not feeling too tired, so enjoyed the feeling of being ‘skipper’ for a couple of hours!

The rain was pelting on the windscreen, and massive flashes of sheet lightening periodically lit up the dark night sky. STARSHIP was making good time with speed over the ground (SOG) of 9.8-10.1 knots. As watch-keeping is a big part of our daily routine I will run you through what it involves and how our wheelhouse is laid out :

The first time you take a seat in the wheelhouse at night it looks like the cockpit of a plane, there are screens, panels, keypads, buttons and switches everywhere … a little intimidating! When you work your way through it all from left to right it is actually not that complicated. To begin with there are two radar screens, which we usually set on different ranges, for example 6 nautical miles and 12 nautical miles. On these screens you can see the coastline of any land within range; any large boats nearby; and even rain squalls! Radar is invaluable when traveling at night or in poor visibility.

Dave on the bridge, an impeccable example of watch technique.

The next large screen basically monitors the operating systems of STARSHIP’s engine, generators, fuel gauges, cooling system, and electrical system; letting you know if everything is running as it should be and enabling you to pinpoint any problems. There are several smaller mechanical gauges on the console giving backup readings to this monitor, as well as engine revolutions, wind direction and speed, water depth, and boat direction and speed.

The next big screen is a GPS / Chart plotter, below which is the autopilot panel. Displayed on this screen is the chart of the current region we are in, and our course and waypoints. Trevor plots these in using the key-pad, and when we are on watch we simply acknowledge each time the boat reaches a waypoint by pushing a button, the autopilot will then change course, putting us on our next heading. If we spot an object on the radar that we need to avoid, we can simply switch back to ‘manual’ control and steer the boat around it using a jockey stick! (There is a wheel, but it is never used!). The GPS also provides information on position, heading and boat speed, speed over the ground, local time, and distance and time to the next waypoint. We also have a barometer; forward-sonar for maneuvering in shallow water, as well as a night vision scope, night vision spotlight, and video monitors of the engine room and aft deck. Almost everything is fully ‘redundant’; that is we have two autopilots, two GPS ‘s, two radars, etc … just in case something goes down.

On the ‘graveyard shifts’ we also do hourly checks of the engine room, filling out a log sheet with various gauge readings as well as latitude, longitude, heading, speed, and weather conditions. Phew … few things to get your head around aren’t there!

Well, back to today; Lou and I gave the boat a complete rinse down while Michael, James and our guests, Obie, Peter and Wolf went ashore on reconnaissance. I'll let James briefly explain that :

Hi again virtual crew ... a brief run-down on the events of the afternoon. Enrico expertly piloted STARTENDER up the shallow channel that follows the western shore of Kiriwina Island which is populated by around half of the 40 000 Trobriands. Upon arriving on the small wharf that serves as the local fishing jetty we were mobbed by children that seemed to emerge from the piles. I began to realise that kids in these parts actually travel in swarms.

A swarm in germination.

We walked a kilometre down the coral sealed road and came across a low lying village of tightly compressed huts, constructed in the traditional manner with raised sleeping platforms. A few modern modifications had been afforded with innovative use of corrugated iron. Young Papuans again materialised out of thin air and became a frenzy of excitement when Michael showed them their own image on the back of the digital camera. Friends called friends and within minutes the small swarm had grown to a frantic assembly of 100 children leaping, cheering and grinning into the lens of a bewildered Michael. This general trend continued all afternoon.

It was then off to the airport, catching a lift in the cargo tray of the local school truck. We rendezvoused with Olaf, Evie, Benjamin and Håkan; young Swedish anthropologists and archeologists who will be researching the unique cultural aspects of Kiriwina Island. What they find may well reveal clues to how South East Asia and by extension, the South Pacific, was populated many thousands of years ago.

That's the end of my field notes, more tomorrow - James 

Back to you Dave :

They returned late evening with several guests, a group of Swedish anthropologists studying the Trobrian people, so it was very interesting to learn a little more about the island culture. I can see the next couple of weeks being a fascinating time, and look forward to learning more about the traditional culture, and passing it on to you.

Anyway, it is late now, and our guests are still here, so I had better go and mingle!

Tomorrow Lou will be doing the journal for a few days, while I get on with writing some ‘science specials’. I have really enjoyed sharing our experiences with you, and will be with you again soon … so thanks for all your feedback, and keep it coming, I enjoy hearing from you!

Catch you in a few days, 

Diver Dave.