CREWS/C5 Buoy Installed!

The buoy was installed this morning.  By late afternoon, the buoy was transmitting data successfully.

Deployed Station Underwater

Here's a view of what the station configuration looks like underwater.

Ruleo delivers

Ruleo Camacho snorkels the cement down to John Halas, who is filling in the drilled holes with cement in order to hold the mooring pins solid.

Pins Installed

The mooring pins were installed by John Halas of Environmental Moorings International, Inc. and Ruleo Camaco of the Department of the Environment.  Cement holding the pins needs to dry for five days, then the buoy will be ready to be installed on Monday, March 19.

John Halas

Randolph Christmas holds us steady

Depth reached

John finally achieves the full depth of drilling for the insertion of the mooring U-pin.

Tapping the barrel

John Halas (on the right) runs the drill while Ruleo Camacho taps the barrel to loosen the core so it will fall out and John can continue drilling.

Drilling started

John Halas begins drilling with a core barrel bit in the old dead coral head.

Drilling commences

John Halas and Ruleo Camacho commence drilling for the bottom pins.

John Holds the barrel while Ruleo taps out a piece of the cored coral head.

                         The pins will be placed in the holes, then the holes filled with cement.

Up in the boat, the crew mixes the cement, then sends a snorkeler down with the cement.

Buoy Assembly Finished

With much help from the Department of the Environment, the buoy was finally assembled at Urlings Marina by Joe Bishop and Natchanon Amornthammarong.

Site Chosen

The proper site was chosen on Monk's Head Reef, part of Cades Reef off of south Antigua.  Depth is around 31'.  Here is the site location.

17.015549 N
61.872303 W

Topside Drilling Instructions

John Halas makes ready the drilling gear and instructs Department of the Environment personnel in the proper operation of the gear in the field.