Posted: Tue Jun 21 1994 16:33 EDT  (OMNET Message)
   From: WHOI.Ships
     To: RVOC.OPERATORS, UNOLS
Subject: ATLANTIS II

IN ORDER TO CLARILY AND CORRECT SOME OF THE PRESS REPORTS
ABOUT AN INCIDENT THE ATLANTIS II SUFFERED ON JUNE 16, A PRESS 
RELEASE WAS ISSUED TO OUR LOCAL PAPER HERE.  THIS IS QUOTED BELOW.
I APOLOGIZE FOR THE PRESS RELEASE TYPE STYLE, BUT IT IS AN ACCURATE
ACCOUNTING OF WHAT HAPPENED AS BEST AS I COULD RECONSTRUCT.
REGARDS,
JOE COBURN

BEGINNING QUOTE
THE RESEARCH VESSEL ATLANTIS II AND THE MANNED SUBMERSIBLE ALVIN,
BOTH OPERATED BY WOODS HOLE OCEANOGRAPHIC INSTITUTION (WHOI), SAILED
FROM NEWPORT, OREGON, JUNE 16 AFTER WEATHERING A SEVERE WAVE EARLIER IN
THE WEEK WHICH CAUSED THE TEMPORARY LOSS OF THE SHIP'S STEERING AND A
SMALL RELEASE OF SULFURIC ACID FROM ALVIN'S BATTERIES.  AS A PRECAUTION
SEVERAL CREW MEMBERS WERE SENT TO THE HOSPITAL AND WERE RELEASED WITH 
NO INJURIES.  THE SHIP AND SUB WERE NOT DAMAGED AND HAVE RETURNED
TO NORMAL OPERATIONS.

WHOI MANAGER OF MARINE OPERATIONS JOSEPH COBURN SAID THE ATLANTIS II,
SUPPORT VESSEL FOR THE MANNED SUBMERSIBLE ALVIN, WERE CROSSING THE
BAR AT THE ENTRANCE TO YAQUINA BAY, OREGON, ON JUNE 13 WHEN A LARGE WAVE 
HIT THE SHIP.  "THE WESTERN RIVER 'BARS' ARE KNOWN FOR VERY LARGE AND
STEEPLY BREAKING WAVES UNDER CERTAIN WEATHER PATTERNS," COBURN SAID. 
"A LARGE WAVE CRASHED OVER THE ATLANTIS II'S STERN AND POURED THROUGH A 
DECK VENT.  THE VESSEL'S ELECTRICAL STEERING SYSTEM WAS SHORTED OUT AND
THE SHIP FOUND ITSELF WITHOUT STEERING CONTROL IN A VERY NARROW ENTRANCE.
QUICK, SEAMANLIKE EMERGENCY ACTION ON THE PART OF THE CAPTAIN AND THE DECK AND
ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL AVERTED FURTHER PROBLEMS AND ATLANTIS
II PROCEEDED SAFELY INTO THE HARBOR UNDER ITS OWN POWER."

"CAPTAIN PAUL C. HOWLAND SKILLFULLY MANEUVERED THE SHIP OUT OF THE DIFFICULTY
AND INTO SAFE, CALM WATERS BY THE USE OF THE TWIN PROPELLERS AND BOW THRUSTER,
AND THE RUDDERS WERE MANUALLY PLACED IN THE NEUTRAL AMIDSHIPS POSITION,"
COBURN SAID.  "AT THE CAPTAIN'S REQUEST, A U.S. COAST GUARD BOAT PUT A LINE
ABOARD TO HELP THE SHIP MAINTAIN ITS HEADING IF NEEDED.  THIS TURNED OUT TO
BE UNNECESSARY."

THE FORCE OF THE WAVE, ESTIMATED AT 12 TO 16 FEET, SHIFTED ALVIN ON ITS
CRADLE AND KNOCKED OVER SOME OF ALVIN'S BATTERIES, SPILLING A SMALL AMOUNT
OF SUFURIC ACID.  ONCE SAFELY INSIDE THE HARBOR, COBURN SAID THE CAPTAIN
ANCHORED AND TOOK THE PRECAUTION TO IMMEDIATELY SEND SIX PEOPLE TO A LOCAL
HOSPITAL TO BE CHECKED FOR POSSIBLE EFFECTS FROM FUMES.  "NO ADVERSE EFFECTS
WERE FOUND AND ALL PERSONNEL WERE RETURNED TO THE SHIP AS SOON AS IT TIED UP
IN NEWPORT," HE SAID.  THE ELECTRICAL STEERING SYSTEM WAS REPAIRED AND THE
SHIP WAS CERTIFIED READY FOR SEA BY THE U.S. COAST GUARD.  THE SUB WAS
UNDAMAGED.

THE SHIP HAS WORKED IN THE AREA BEFORE AND HAS MADE PORT STOPS IN 
NEWPORT.  COBURN SAID THAT AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT THE SHIP'S CAPTAIN
WAS IN CONTACT WITH THE U.S. COAST GUARD AND A LOCAL PILOT AS THE VESSEL
CROSSED THE BAR.  CAPTAIN HOWLAND HAS FORTY YEARS EXPERIENCE SAILING
ABOARD WHOI RESEARCH VESSELS AROUND THE WORLD.

ATLANTIS II AND ALVIN WERE MAKING A SCHEDULED PORT STOP IN NEWPORT TO
EMBARK SCIENTISTS TO CONTINUE THE RIDGE OBSERVATORY EXPERIMENT (ROBE),
A STUDY OF THE GEOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL CHANGES OVER TIME AT DEEP-SEA
HYDROTHERMAL VENT SITES ON THE JUAN DE FUCA RIDGE OFF THE COAST OF
WASHINGTON AND OREGON.  A TOTAL OF 20 DIVES BY ALVIN WILL BE MADE AT FIVE
SITES TO COLLECT VENT FLUID SAMPLES, TO CORE SULFIDE CHIMNEYS AND TO MAP AND 
OBSERVE VOLCANIC ERUPTION SITES.

THE SHIP AND SUB ARE SCHEDULED TO ARRIVE IN ASTORIA, OREGON, JULY 9.  THEY 
WILL SPEND THE SUMMER WORKING IN THE AREA BEFORE HEADING SOUTH IN 
SEPTEMBER.  ATLANTIS II AND ALVIN DEPARTED WOODS HOLE IN JULY 1993 FOR
THE PACIFIC CRUISE AND ARE EXPECTED TO RETURN TO WOODS HOLE IN DECEMBER.
END QUOTE[A.