Once we finish a system and ship it to the customer one of the most exiting steps in the life cycle awaits us. The installation and test of the OceanPack at its final location.
Last week we had the honour of commissioning two of our systems on the IMOCA yacht of French skipper Fabrice Amedeo. With a combination of our Microplastic sampler and our OceanPack RACE Fabrice will collect valuable scientific data in the upcoming races.
Our job at SubCtech is to ensure that the process of data collection runs as smooth as possible for the skipper so that he can fully concentrate on sailing.
This begins with finding a good spot for the systems, were they are easily accessible when needed and can be safely fixed to the vessel. When this is ensured, we establish the water supply to the systems so that sea water can be pumped through the systems for continuous measurements. After connecting the gas bottle for calibration of the pCO2 sensor, the GPS for georeferencing of the data and the power supply, we are ready to test the systems at sea. This is an important step as it allows us to see the performance of the systems in their intended deployment location.
Every installation is different and holds new challenges and surprises that we need to find solutions for together with the customer. We thank Fabrice and his team for all the help and support during the recent installation and look forward to the upcoming races and the consequent scientific insights!
