Day 42 TOO MUCH FUN!!! (10 knots to nowhere)

Jason did it! The deepest dive—more than 4 miles beneath the surface. Then, for 22 hours Jason slowly moved up a major fault to the south of Guam collecting a total of 21 rock samples. The last watch of the dive, also the last watch of this expedition, was spectacular beyond belief. This watch seemed to have been custom made just for me. There was biology everywhere—beautiful anemones, swimming sea cucumbers, octopuses with webbed arms that practically turn themselves inside out. I grabbed so many pictures that I will be up all night sorting through them.

That was so fun much fun but then… I GOT TO DRIVE JASON. Matt can be gruff when he’s working but he is a very patient teacher. I got to drive for a long time and I never crashed into the bottom. I developed a new respect for the pilots who not only drive, but also collect samples and work the camera adjustments and focus. This was one of the most fun days of my life.

Akel was victorious in the ping pong tournament beating Tony B. by a narrow margin. The tournament started with 16 players and continued for 2 weeks the winner being determined in the final 12 hours of the cruise.

Words of wisdom in our final hours—as you read our end-of-the-cruise quotes, remember that this has been a very LONG expedition.

Linda Tatreau A dream come true. I loved every minute. I still want to do an Alvin Dive.

Patty Fryer I’ll be baaack!

Tom Fedenczuk Interdisciplinary research between geology and biology is key to good science and good chowder! This mud is making me hungry

Samuel Hulme Please, don't make me go back in that freezer!

Jim Gharib In homage to one of my favorite professors (Tolkien): "We loves this sediment, we loves it, my precious... gollum, gollum"

Mike Merrill "What a long strange trip it's been to get some really expensive Blue Mud while going 10 knots to nowhere."

Mike Mottl The purpose of life on Earth is to weather the crust.

Charlie Leahey "We all work in a one factory town and all our efforts help produce scientific discoveries." -Captain Custodian

Chris Moser Sure this is the last core. I'll believe it when I see it!

Geoff Wheat One more.....

Parker Rogers It’s a great cruise and great people, but a 1.5-inch thick New York cut steak, blood red, that kicks you in the teeth when you bit it will go a long ways. Peace Bro.

Dax Maupin Every product you create is a piece of your own death.

Matt Heintz In less than 48 hours I’ll be in Cairns.

Nathan Becker The weather looks just swell.

Larry Branovitch Thank God it’s over.

Robert Harmeling If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.

Tony Burke Are we there yet?

Rob Hagg What did the dog say when a train ran over his tail? It won’t be long now.

Richard O’Connell This is the most pleasant scientific crew I’ve had the pleasure to sail with.

Andrea Bock If I see one more rock…. Craig, you owe me big time!

Tony Monocandilos I coulda bin a contendah.

Hasheem Bell Do not talk about it, be about it! Everyday is a great day! No pain, no gain! It is a lovely day in paradise! Keep climbing and keep shining!

Terra Eddy "The soul of a sluggard craves and get nothing but the soul of the dilligent is richly supplied." -A Proverb

Science Summary - Day 42, May 3rd

Science Objectives, Day 42:

The forty-second day of the cruise, May 3, we will dive on the East Santa Rosa Fault south of Guam. The dive will be an attempt to sample the fault face and thus to collect rocks from the deep mid-crustal level plutonic rocks of the forearc. The dive will take Jason2/Medea to its maximum depth capability. This will be the last dive of the cruise.