Stranger danger

Last week we received the NOAA R/V Hi'ialakai for half a day.  They swung by on their cruise through the NW Hawaiian islands that happens several times a year to pick up and drop off researchers.  On this occasion, the vessel was asked to bring out some strategic supplies from Honolulu since we've been without regular transportation.

They all seemed like good folks and it was a shame to have them leave so quickly.  Though in past years the crew has raised hell, causing them to usually be restricted to their vessel.

I had a great time chatting with their Medical Officer/PA and got shown around the ship's 'sick quarters' in just a few minutes.  Of the 18 NOAA vessels, only 4 have a PA on board.  Of the 4 large research vessels, only this one has a dive compression chamber on board; used to treat decompression sickness from SCUBA accidents.

Because of the ongoing transportation difficulty, I got offered the chance to cruise back to Honolulu aboard the vessel, but wasn't able to get my replacement to Honolulu before the boat had to set sail.  So I'll have to miss out on the adventure of a lifetime, spending 9 days cruising through the NW Hawaiian islands - a place most people don't even realize exists.