ITP35 Recovery Operations

After the deployment, the profiler on ITP-V 35 was only able to send the first CTD file to the surface package, but no other files. However, status and locations from the surface package were still regularly being received, so recovery of the system was very much desired to determine the cause of the communications failure and especially to recover any data from the prototype instrument. Consequently, after recovery of BGOS mooring B on October 1, a helicopter reconnaissance was undertaken to the latest location broadcast by the ITP-V and the unit was found intact in a refrozen lead, but without any evidence of the O-Buoy or IMB that were originally deployed nearby.

The following morning, another helicopter flight was conducted to the site to rig a handle, pickup sling, and flag to the buoy for recovery. The only way to recover the buoy, frozen into the ice as it was, would be to break the ice containing the system and recover the unit from the side of the ship. The Captain of the CCGS Louis St. Laurent skillfully guided the ship up to and over the buoy, which successfully disengaged the unit from the ice. A man basket was lowered to attach the winch line, and the surface package was brought on board. The wire was spooled onto the dual capstan winch used for the mooring recoveries and at the end of the wire, the profiler was found somewhat battered from dragging on shallow bathymetry sometime during its drift, but intact. The recovery operations from the side of the vessel took only 1 hour to complete. ITP 41 was deployed the same day not too far removed.

More information and photos on the recovery operation are also available at: https://www.whoi.edu/page.do?pid=66817

During the evening helicopter reconnaissance on October 1, ITP-V 35 is found intact and refrozen into a lead nearly one year after deployment. (Kris Newhall)

The following morning, the buoy is revisited again to attach a handle and Canadian flag to aid in the recovery. (Chris Swannell)

After breaking the buoy out of the ice by skillful maneuvering of the icebreaker, Kris Newhall tags a line to the manufactured handle with the assistance of Seaman Dan MacLean. (Rick Krishfield)

Bosun Derrick Walsh signals the crane operator to haul up the ITP-V surface package. (Rick Krishfield)

The profiler had evidently dragged on the bottom as it was covered in mud, and the MAVS sting was damaged. However, the integrity of the sealed cylinder remained intact, and all of the data was recovered from the internal memory card. (Rick Krishfield)