Aloha kakahiaka kākou!
The ship that brings us people and supplies arrived on Saturday! We say a very fond and thankful fairwell to Melinda Conners, and welcome new FWS Volunteers Lindsey Kramer and Curt Youngren!!! Lindsey has been working for the National Park Service on the Big Island, and comes to us with a marine science background. Curt owns his own construction business in Alaska, and has taken a break to come fix all our broken and aging facilities. We're very glad to have them.
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| FWS Volunteer James Macaulay works with the Kahana crew to offload supplies and send empty propane cylinders back for filling. The Kahana crew is incredibly helpful and friendly -- making the sometimes stressful offloads a fun event. I was really thankful for such a great volunteer crew -- They were all over everything that needed to be done without ever a moment's hesitation. Made things flow -- and safer. Thanks Team Tern and Kahana crew! Photo by FWS Volunteer Sarah Youngren. |
The offload itself was a bit of an adventure, with the Kahana's tender vessel engine overheating, and us with only the small whaler Mōlī. Sarah Youngren braved the rather hefty swell on the front of the Mōlī, while we bashed repeatedly into the side of the Kahana - a large steel boat -- shuttling people back and forth to the island. Staff and volunteers headed to Laysan Island took the opportunity to see Tern, and got a rather exciting ride in return when we had to haul the Kahana's tender with the Mōlī.
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| Offload of supplies or water park ride?!? Towing the temporarily disabled Kahana Tender, Melinda Conners (at left) heads up to Midway and then home. Michelle, the new Laysan Biotech, along for the ride with Kahana crew Nalu and others. Photo by FWS Volunteer Sarah Youngren. |
All's well that ends well, though!!! We got most of our supplies, and had a regular Christmas day unpacking everything. The Kahana headed up to deliver supplies and personnel to Laysan Island (which had been evacuated after the tsunami, which created a lot of damage there). They then head to Midway Atoll. We'll see the Kahana on the way back down, when they'll be delivering the rest of our supplies -- and hopefully, some new (used) fiberglass boats from Midway. Yeah!!!!
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| Laysan Albatross chicks contemplate the Tristram's storm petrel plot sign. Photo by FWS Volunteer Sarah Youngren. |
That's great, the supply ship came in. They have made those freaky sci-fi movies about when the supply ship comes in. Those are big propane tanks, hate for one of those to fall over and roll into the drink! You guys take care and be safe out there.
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