Traveling to Palau this year was a hassle. Moving a group of 12 people through five international airports is a mess. Not only did we have to worry about the equipment that we were taking through the airports, but also trying to catch our flight to arrive on time.
The biggest challenge that our team faced in palau was troubleshooting the ROV and repairing it to get back on the water. We solved this problem by dividing our efforts among fixing the ROV tether, and taking the deep trekker back onto the boat to minimize down time. By using this strategy we avoided wasting a boat day due to malfunction. The second part however, failed to work.With the second team returning to the hotel, we were able to help finish the repairs to DINGAR and get ready for the next day.
The most memorable part of this trip was knowing that we had a working ROV that could perform the tasks that we needed it too. Over the past two years of going to Palau, and watching our equipment fail, I was relieved to see that dignar was surviving the conditions and continuing to work. The ROV was exceptional better this year than last. more control, stability, and reliability.
Seeing that dingar could fight to the bitter end and keep on trucking while only 75% operational, had a very large impact on me.
The one thing that i will remember most from this trip is diving for the first time.
Palau is a very amazing and dynamic place, and seeing all it has to offer top-side is mind blowing. Diving in Palau takes you into a whole different realm of awesome that can not be explained or experienced anywhere else on earth.
If I could go to palau again, Wait, how do you even ask this question? Is this a trick question?
YES! why wouldn't I is a better way to ask, Palau presents you with so many opportunities that it is mind boggling. Not only the Bentprop and robotics aspect, but also history, culture, and variety.
It gives you a chance to be independent and free. You have no worries in Palau; you sit at bottom time bar and grill watching the tv, you see all the problems back home on the news and it gives you a different perspective. You look out across the harbor to an orange plastered sky, to the sailboats moored at the yacht club, to the rock island and there jungles. Every thing goes away.
The one thing that i learned about myself on this trip was all the things that i can do.
I learned that you should never pass by an opportunity when it arises. Dont be a could have, should have, would have type of person, you'll miss out on all the things that show you the rest of the world. There is more than just Stockbridge MI.
This experience will help me decide what to do with my future. It shows me that my potential is unlimited and that I can go places and do things. It exposed me to a wide range of skills other than engineering, from public speaking to communication to what clothes to show up to a fancy event in.
The only thing we can do next time is focus. We need to focus our mission, our equipment our selves, and each other. Each year we learn new things and new techniques. We need to employ these techniques to better ourselves for next year, and remain on- task .
Jeremy Spink,Junior,Engineering Team Leader
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