Crossing paths...

When sailing the seas you can sometimes come across a team of friends on the other side of the world, and over the course of an evening you can recall your sailing experiences and swap tips on particular ports of call. So it was that we stumbled across the Solea crew, who have come from France and are en route to Madagascar. This small freighter, loaded with humanitarian cargo, is about to take its turn in braving the harsh, South African seas and we wish them a safe passage. Whatever the project, different crews partaking of lengthy voyages will share a common passion for the sea and for the encounters they accrue at the mercy of the shipping lanes.
 
For us, the countdown has now begun and in less than a fortnight Tara will return to the sea. The time has come to change the team since it will be this new team which will lead the boat to South America via the island of Ascension, located a few miles south of the Equator. So the handover will begin this week upon arrival of Olivier Marien who will be in charge for the next three months. The ship must be ready by the end of the week in order to return to the port of Cape Town. The equipment which had been unloaded in order to prepare the boat will be reinstalled, food supplies will be loaded onboard and the holds will be filled. The cable, which allows us to probe at depths of up to 2000 meters, has also undergone inspection and will be rewound on its powerful winch. Excitement is growing as our departure date approaches and this technical stopover draws to a close. Everything has been done, during this time to ensure that the boat is ready so that the new crew, as well as the team of scientists, can continue their work on the oceans. The sailors’ interaction onboard can often be limited to just a few hours, so any opportunity to discuss the modifications and improvements which have been made is of vital importance.

With regard to the scientific work, a similar handing-over process is also taking place because the study of gyres (eddies), which was being carried out in the Indian Ocean, is about to continue. In fact, the boat will be going back to those areas of strong current which occur where one ocean flows into another and are known to regulate global temperatures. Thanks to satellite maps, gyres studied a few weeks ago will be rediscovered and new soundings will be carried out. Data will then be taken from the Benguela Current which runs along the west coast of Africa. These regions teem with nutrients and the sheer density of life which exists there is extraordinary, so it is important that we are able to collect samples which encapsulate all the richness of our oceans.
 
Amélie Bétus