Line Handler Extraordinaire

So for the past few weeks I have been volunteering as a line handler. Essentially I get paged, go to the ice pier and help tie up or release the ships that have been docking here.

Our first foray into line handling was to release the R/V Nathaniel B Palmer, although first we received a tour of the ship. I was most excited to see the galley because it was themed like a diner! It is a research vessel, so there is a lot of science going on, however its current science mission is to study ocean acidification.





After that we tied up the Oden Icebreaker then released it a few days later.



Right now we have the fuel tanker, USNS Richard G. Matthiesen. I actually missed tying it up because it was at 2 am and i slept right through the page.



These ships are pretty big and it is rather amazing that they can make it through the ice. The research vessel does have an ice rated hull, and obviously the Oden has an icea breaking rated hull, but the Matthiesen does not. Surprisingly it only has a single hull, so the ice has to be cleared out of its way so it doesn't rupture and cause an enormous spill.