Six-Day Log

Storegga Slide Coring Cruise

Written by Michele Hatton
Educator & Florida State undergraduate geology student

Thursday, September 9 – Reykjavik, Iceland

At 1:13 AM, I bolted awake. Not from an angry sea, but from a drop in speed. I climbed up to the galley and wolfed down two bowls of Rice Krispies. As usual, the odd person or two were up at that hour, seamen working the graveyard shift. We have been steaming for Iceland for two days and are due to arrive at 8 AM. I fired off a jubilant email to my husband, reporting that I was back in ship-shape, all traces of nausea – gone.

By 6 AM, people were up and about, pointing out the rise of land in the distance as the outline of a misty, drizzly, harbor slowly emerged. A small red boat sputtered our way to drop off the docking captain, who was charged with maneuvering our ship, safe and sound, to its parking spot. It was cold, windy, rainy, and foggy, but most of us remained on deck, feeding our eyes on all the images…land, ships, other people…

Tonight, staying true to the tales of sea captains and crews, the ship’s crew descended upon the Dubliner, Reykjavik’s finest, and only, Irish bar. Some of them started at noon. By the time most of the science crew arrived, a 14-member, brass, bar-hopping band popped in to blast us with old Beatles songs. We couldn’t have wished for a better welcome.