They came to learn about R/V Falkor and life at sea. The first 24 hours aboard certainly offered them a crash course. Not long after leaving port in Guam it was time for lesson one: mal de mer (sea sickness). The malady was especially harsh on three of the five adventurous storytellers, but as the sun rose the next day and the waves mellowed down, they slowly began emerging from their cabins, ready to reconnect with the excitement of their missions.
State of the art technology on R/V Falkor empowers experts to produce new science, but that is just the start. Getting that knowledge out to the general public is fundamental to create a tipping point towards a society that is more aware of its link to the oceans. That is where Lucy, Jena, Andrew and both Brock Junior and Senior come in.
Lucy Bellwood, Andrew Kang, Brock Callen Jr. and Sr. and Jena Kline are on board Falkor to learn about multibeam mapping and assist resident Marine Technicians when mapping the remote Johnston Atoll.[/caption]
Come On In!
Outreach was the reason Brock Callen Jr. decided he wanted to sail on Falkor. As a professional sailboat racer and ambassador of 11th Hour Racing
Different disciplines definitely come together in this transit to Hawaii. While the motion of the ship heaving, pitching and rolling might not have been enjoyable for Jena Kline, this teacher from ‘Iolani School
The common goal is making knowledge accessible and useful for everyone. One very creative attempt to do so is in the hands of Lucy Bellwood
Brock Callen Sr. was very impressed when he learned that all of the knowledge and data that is produced from Falkor's research is launched in the public domain. He could identify with this effort to bring the ocean closer to people. Brock’s primary objective on this journey is to experience what both scientists and crew go through in advancing our knowledge about the oceans. Once he is back on Martha’s Vineyard, he will share the lessons learned in order to improve seamanship education, marketable maritime skills and environmental awareness practices within the sailing community.
Every day Falkor is at sea offers a new opportunity. Sailing at twelve knots towards the remote Johnston Atoll, the five resident storytellers are taking this transit time to learn all the skills necessary to be a part in the mapping of the seafloor. They are collecting experiences to take back home with the hope of bring the ocean closer to all of us.