The Townsend Cromwell is now back at sea on our first cruise of the year. During the time in port we got a lot of much needed maintenance done, we enjoyed the Holidays, and we celebrated a change in command. We start the new year with a new Captain, a few new crew members, a new crane, newly serviced machinery, and a lot of fresh paint.

We left Honolulu on Tuesday January 30th headed for the equator. This cruise south to the equator is a favorite for many of the crew because of the unique
islands and reefs we will be visiting. We will be gone 30 days, steam over 3000 miles, cross the equator (King Neptune willing), and get to see and study some of the most beautiful and pristine coral reefs in US waters. This cruise will take us to Howland, Baker and Jarvis Islands, Palmyra Atoll, and Kingman Reef. These are five very secluded uninhabited members of the Phoenix and Line
Islands. These tiny islands are unincorporated US possessions. As of a few weeks ago, Palmyra and Kingman joined the other three islands as National
Wildlife Refuges. With that designation comes enhanced protection and the necessity to learn more about them. We have an ambitious schedule for this
cruise. Because the islands are so remote and it takes so long to reach them, we will have just two days at each island to accomplish a lot of work.

Next week we will describe the diving, the landings, and the many other projects that are planned for this cruise. We're glad to have you aboard via the Student Connection. Keep checking in for
our weekly updates.

Other Updates from this cruise:

Feb 01  Feb 05 Feb 14 Feb 19 Feb 26

Last Modified 2/5/01

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