Alvin 6500
Engineering observations
Riding in an observer seat for the last three consecutive Alvin dives were engineers of different kinds: an Alvin mechanical engineer, an Alvin engineering technician, and a WHOI software engineer who is on board for sea trials. Here are their dive stories. Alvin engineers Nick Ellis and Kaitlyn Beardshear before dive 5082. Hannah Piecuch ©Woods…
Read MoreSea trials shake-out
There is no pressure test facility in the world that can fit Alvin. So we have to dive. (Photo by Hannah Piecuch, ©Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution) As Alvin goes deeper, things that were invisible on land and on the ship emerge under the pressure of the deep sea. Dives 5082 and 5083 and 5084 are…
Read MoreReverse Himalayas
On Tuesday, after four days of transiting south, the Atlantis arrived above the Puerto Rico Trench, which is 8,600 meters deep, and the place where deepest dives of this expedition will take place. Alvin dove in the trench on Wednesday, July 13, with a goal of reaching 3,500 meters. Bruce Strickrott was pilot, Rick Sanger…
Read MoreWhat is it like being an Alvin swimmer?
The Alvin swimmers ride the sub into the water, unhook the main and tail lines to get it free of the ship, snorkel around the vehicle to complete final checks, board the waiting small boat, and watch it disappear into the depths. The swimmers are a highly visible part of launch and recovery, the last…
Read MoreOceanus Magazine: Who is Alvin and what are Sea Trials?
HOV Alvin is at sea for engineering tests to dive 6,500 meters deep, able to reach 99% of the ocean floor. If you haven’t been following the process, we’ll catch you up here.
Read MoreInto the deep sea at last
Blue skies and blue seas. Alvin mechanical engineer Fran Elder as swimmer during recovery on Dive 5080. (Photo by Hannah Piecuch ©Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution) The last dive of the week took Alvin off the continental shelf, off the slope, and into the truly deep sea. With a 2,500-meter goal, Dive 5080 on July 8…
Read MoreFrom one sub to another
When Alvin submerged for its second open water dive of sea trials on Thursday, July 7, it was operated by Senior Pilot Bruce Strickrott and carried two crew members who have a lot of experience with submersibles of other shapes and sizes. Randy Holt, Alvin’s new Expedition Leader, has piloted shallow-diving acrylic sphere and steel…
Read MoreInto open water
Swimmers (and Alvin engineers) Fran Elder and John Dymek assisting with retrieval of Alvin after its first open water dive of the year. Photo by Hannah Piecuch, ©Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution The human-occupied vehicle Alvin resumed sea trials on Wednesday, July 6, with a dive in Hydrographer Canyon, a deep incision in the continental shelf,…
Read MorePermission to dive!
On Wednesday, June 29, 2022, human occupied vehicle Alvin submerged for the first time since returning to port for repairs in the fall. This was a tethered wet test, an opportunity to make sure the sub is ready for diving at sea. “We go through all the systems and make sure they are working,” said…
Read MoreWelcome aboard, Alvin!
Human Occupied Vehicle Alvin is getting ready to set sail on R/V Atlantis in July to resume work to certify the sub’s new maximum dive rating of 6,500 meters (4 miles). Watch the livestream of the vehicle loading here. We’ll keep you updated as the trip unfolds with regular blog posts and pictures.
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