Might tell you tonight

Morning, afternoon or ...night? We have been told that it was pissing with rain in Samil... otherwise we know nothing of the IEO activity planned there yesterday as part of its Centenary celebrations. You should also know that famous Spanish writer Arturo Perez Reverte will speak, invited by IEO, in Madrid, but we do not remeber the date. If you are interested you should check our website (http://www.ieo.es/).

We have had yet another very foggy day with mad activity. The dog lifted for a very short while during the third haul but missed us so much that it was back within the hour. Work has proceeded at a very constant pace and nobody had a minute to spare (or nearly nobody). In the kitchen, the workload increases over the weekend, as if offering six different courses wasn't enough, and they go out of their way to add lots of tapas to the menu. Luckily we get lots of exercise, with all this weight lifting and stairs climbing (there are six decks from the washing machine to the deck above the bridge). Anyway, those of us who will be on board only for Platuxa are two weeks away from the trip home, a fine day to try on our “land clothes”, just in case...

Late on Saturday the weather worsened and we in the bridge decided to change plans to ensure a not-too-shaky working day, and once more everything went to perfection. Eight hauls, eight CTDs and another CTD will be taken in a while to spare time tomorrow. Nair is working very hard... The sharpest readers will have guessed by now that if we took eight hauls we were all day in the shallows... and speaking of hard work, remember what I said of Saturday's catches? Redfish in five of the seven hauls, 7500 kg, American plaice also present in five hauls (actually most of the catch was from a single spot), 960 kg, plus about 500 kg of cod and 400 of yellowtail flounder. Now you can estimate how many boxes and fish lifted each of the people participating in the sampling.

Nevertheless, several of the biologists have found the energy for a guided tour of the engine room in their time off. They were very impressed and happy with the opportunity, so much that Juan and Nair have promised to share their experience with us. While they were doing touristy things, the seamen Luis and David were busy saving a seabird (Puffinus gravis) that got trapped on the gear during the hauling operation. There was no harm done. Only the Spanish ham has reasons to complain here, they hardly last the week despite the culinary offer, and despite the fact that several other sausages of different types hang besides them.

Tomorrow Monday we will shoot the first haul at six in the morning and it is already ten in the evening. This blog is going to bed but before we close shop here are our positions to leave you open-mouthed at our progress:

L40:	43º 51.97 -	50º 15.35
L41:	43º 48.27 -	50º 00.57
L42:	43º 39.04 -	50º 04.55
L43:	43º 30.03 -	50º 02.24
L44:	43º 23.09 -	50º 07.27
L45:	43º 23.61 -	50º 56.54
L46:	43º 17.29 -	50º 53.90
L47:	43º 00.22 -	50º 56.96

See you tomorrow!