Amidst all the rush, push and craziness of our final refit stages, Sea Dragon and her crew took two full days for a public open house. We chose the Dana Point Ocean Institute, about halfway between San Diego and Los Angeles CA. On top of all this we even squeezed in our annual UK Maritime and Coastal Agency (coast guard) survey – Tim Petit flew in from London! Departure for the core 2012 expedition to cross the Pacific and back is set for the 23rd. Taking time to engage the public like we did this weekend is what we really do. The last several months have been all about the “stuff” we have to do, just to be able to to get out and do our real mission- sail the world’s oceans for conservation, education and exploration…

The Dana Point Ocean Institute is a perfect example of exceptional environmental education. They do the hard, constant, day-after-day grunt work of exposing thousands of people – principally school kids and their teachers- to marine conservation issues. All the high profile work that scientists and agencies do all over the world- including our Pangaea team – means nothing were it not for this last mile. These are the people – in organizations like them all over the world that make it happen. They take the data, the photos, gear, stories and occasionally the actual people and translate them into powerful lessons that all of us must learn. Without the connection to real people, the citizens that make the daily decisions affecting our oceans – nothing we do matters. I personally view this connection as far more critical and vital than all the lobbying and policy discussions some find so attractive. The fortunate among us live in democratic societies that ultimately, only do what we ask them to do.

So this weekend, Sea Dragon – as is her way – did most of the talking. Her sleek gray hull now with over 100, 000 sea miles on her stood firmly at the dock as hundreds of people took her in. They saw the machine- with powerful sailing gear spanning almost 120′ vertical feet from keep to mast. Electronics, her complex systems, working cabin space and huge amounts of gear conveyed a sense of pure capability. The team, led by Dale Selvam, made you believe in the mission and the ability of this team to go out there and get the mission done in almost any conditions. She was wonderfully complimented by the team at Algalita Marine Research and 5Gyres- most spectacularly by Captain Charles Moore talking to a full hall on Saturday.

Together, something much more important comes across- a commitment to serve. We as a team are guided by the wisdom and hard work of so many before us. Two of our mentors come to mind. Patagonia founder Yvonne Chouinard put it so simply… “In order to do good….you have to do something (see post May 2010) Finally we are never far from the graceful syntax of the the Lorax:

Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get Better. It’s not.

Thank you to all who came to see us the last two days.

Ron

Sea Dragon, Pangaea and our Partners at Algalita and 5Gyres are now in active preparation for an important 2012 expedition to the center of the predicted Tsunami Debris field. Sailing from Majuro to Tokyo and then back to Hawaii, the teams will conduct important research on this evolving crisis- watch here

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

I write this New Years Eve note sitting in Miami, the working home of Pangaea Explorations. We have an important year behind us and one of great promise before us. This is as it should be; pleased with what we have done, excited about what lay ahead.

2011 was a foundational year for our team and close partners Anna Cummins and Marcus Ericksen. Together we completed a tour de force of all the major oceanic Gyres. In August, Sea Dragon sailed smoothly into Vancouver Canada closing a long productive trip to the place where it all began- the North Pacific Gyre. In this year the teams traversed the South Atlantic from Africa to Uruguay, via St. Helena Island – one of the most remote locations in the world today. Rounding South America, Sea Dragon entered the Pacific for the start of what will be an almost two year stay. Up through the South Pacific Gyre, the team achieved a second “first” documentation of a never before visited Gyre. Clive Cosby, Dale Selvam and Emily Penn then worked the boat through Tahiti, the Cook Islands and the Line Islands ending in Hawaii. This island run was an important first for us. We now have a much deeper understanding of the many critical issues facing these remote tropical islands. Here the team encountered remarkably open local people with serious challenges in marine habitat condition, fishing pressure, the ever-present plastic marine debris waves, and much, much graver threats in long term sea level rise and acidification. The last three months of the year saw Sea Dragon…and Dale, remarkable still. The boat has been in a major refit and preparation for her next year of work. The most visual change is the new, sleek gray hull (which has proved a wonderful backdrop for our new logos and colors!). New air conditioning/heater units are on, dedicated freezers, sinks and tons of more efficient, capable electronics. Deep inside all the bilges were scoured and painted, walls stripped down, covers redone, tanks opened, winches stripped and greased and a new coat of anti-skid on the top decks. To power all this, a new super quiet Fischer Panda generator is on board, with 2x the capacity. Mission critcal new CO2 and water quality sensors are on board. Ultimately driving all of this are new set of exceptionally powerful state of the art North sails. We go into 2012 a much more efficient, solid and capable boat. Thanks go to Dale, Emily and our working partners at Outbound Yacht Services for this.

2012 will be an extraordinary year that has us crossing the Pacific, reaching Asia for the first time, and ultimately transiting the Panama Canal for Christmas in the Caribbean. The first leg begins late February as we transit south to Cabo San Lucas via Guadalupe Island. Then an important, and likely very, very fast sail down the trades to Hawaii. Onto Majuro, then a major round trip to Japan and back to Hawaii. This leg is a vital re-look at the western Pacific Gyre- an area SE of Japan that has not been visited for marine debris research in 25 years. Then crossing back to Hawaii, we will take on the serious and very sensitive mission of assessing the route and status of the debris from Japan’s 2011 Tsunami. From here we begin working back in the Line Islands, before beginning a long crossing via the Galapagos and Marqueasas to Central America.

This year is also important for our partners, We begin an important phase of work with the Algalita Marine Research Foundation -the original discovery team that first identified the “garbage patch” phenomenon. With 5Gyres, they are leading the Western Gyre and Japan Tsunami Debris expeditions. We also will begin extensive work with the One World One Ocean project led by IMAX film makers Greg and Shaun MacGillvray.. This partnership began with a lunch (see blog from 2010 )and now will step into a hopefully long term role with Sea Dragon acting as a roving ocean platform to report in from faraway corners. OWOO promises to be an epic contribution to marine conservation by tying together a vast range of media, exploration, education and research. We are proud to work with them.

Our sponsors and crew will continue to be vital parts of our work. Spinlock, Henri Lloyd and Sherwood carry forward their support for our team. North Sails has been a generous and hard working partner with our exceptional new canvass. Most important, our volunteer crew who give their time, spirit and financial resources to make these expeditions happen. We feel very good about this core part of our mission. Without these hardworking team members, we simply could not carry out these important trips.

We of course would be nowhere without our core team. Dale Selvam has proven himself an exceptional mariner under a vast range of conditions and trials. He has put up with long stretches of full on work, constant uncertainty and unpredictable challenges and finally a major overhaul of the boat. Emily Penn has made fantastic progress in developing our expeditions, partnerships and sponsors. She has been the first and last point of contact for virtually all of our crew and supporting team. Skipper Clive Cosby (and his family) made great personal sacrifices to bring the boat from the Cook Islands over 5,000 miles to Canada. Clive’s wife, Val, also took a bit of time “off” to win triathalon in the big island of Hawa’ii. Kriszti Mendonca carried us through massive improvements to our website and social media presence. We will depend on all of them in the new year.

To close our my thoughts, I think of my own last two days here in Florida. Yesterday, my junior explorer son Atlas and I went to the Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium in Sarasota. Besides giving him (another) chance to hang out with sharks and put his hands in every possible fish tank, this gave me confidence about our own future. William Mote founded the lab to provide a place where “young scientists could work freely”. He went on to say that “For countless ages man has taken from the sea. Now it is time for us to give back to this precious source of all our planet’s life”. That was more than a half century ago. They worked hard and have now built an enduring institution that really matters. We aspire to this.

Second, I went today on a dive off Miami Beach. Dropping off the dive boat in flat seas and 80 degree air, I spent almost 2 hours visiting two great ship wrecks that are part of the city’s artificial reef program. Sea turtles, coral growth on old steel hulls, good schools of fish prove the value of our restoration efforts. I also cleaned up two two drink containers and a plastic bag over 90′ down. This reminds us of the vital need of the role we at Pangaea can play in restoring the oceans for our children.

Thank you to all our exceptional team, sponsors and partners. Feel good about 2011 and get ready for a dramatic year ahead!

Ron Ritter
Founder

Emily Penn, our Program Director, just received an important and well deserved honor. She was inducted to the prestigious Royal Geographic Society due to her extensive work in marine conservation. We are proud of the recognition and more so that Emily has become such an important part of Pangaea Exploration. Well Done!

Dateline – Ensenada – Baja California – Mexico – November

So here we are in the Baja Naval yard in Ensenada,Mexico.
We’ve been working hard the last couple of months.Outbound Yacht Services installing new Furuno instruments,Air-con(lovely),freezer as well as sorting out lots of electrical bugs.Old crew Jordy Orwig and Jeffrey Ernst have been on hand stripping out broken and old parts to be refurbished,they also helped me move the boat down from San Diego to Mexico in a lovely motor sail surrounded by dolphins on a crisp autumn morning.

Check this: even the forward bilges are spot clean!

So it’s all go here,today SeaDragon is getting her first coat of primer,we have a surprise in store with the all new look of our flagship vessel.
You’ll just have to wait to see the results,(maybe a sneak preview sometime)

The job list is endless and always growing.We are working with North Sails to fit a brand new set of Sails.The trademark yellow will be gone to be made into expedition bags,more on that later as well. – Check out the size of the old sail relative to the boat (the cutout will be kept). These sails have close to 60,000 miles of sea behind them including one circumnavigation and rounding the Horn!

Time always seems to be running out but we’ll get the job done.The Mexicans are amazing,they can do anything,if the water tanks need cleaning they get a little guy and put him in the tank. Need more hands ,they’re there.

We have another few weeks here then back up to San Diego to refurbish the Perkins Motor,Install a New generator and rebuild the aft area which is going to be a revelation.

So as I said a lot of work ahead but it’s all part of the fun of being part of Pangaea Explorations.
More later.
Dale

Sent from SeaDragon

Sea Dragon is now deep into her heavy maintenance and overhaul cycle. Dale has just moved the boat down to Baja Naval…a well know yard in Ensenada Mexico. Here we start seeing some of the most fundamental… and really cool refit work.

After almost 35,000 miles of heavy sailing and research work, covering four oceans and ports in four continents she is setting down for much deserved overhaul work. In Ensenada, the underwater hull will be cleaned, fared and repainted with anti-foul (we use a special water based paint that is much less risky for the environment. This makes the hull cut a clean, smooth…and fast shape in the water.

The above water sections will be repainted a luminous Navy Blue – Sea Dragon’s trademark color. The topsides will be stripped clean and repainted with a new anti-slip work surface. Down below, the bilges get a detailed inspection, corrosion check and repainting. Unlike the connotation of “bilge” it is vital that we keep Sea Dragon super clean. The bilge is the interior skin of the boat, it is the hull and our buoyant shield against the very deep seas we cross.

Stand by for more…

After a whirlwind week following the development of an idea with a friend I find myself enrolled, active and catching-up with my fellow students on the inaugural Circular Economy PG Certificate course, exciting times. The course run by the University of Bradford in partnership with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation is an introduction to the principles and application of the ‘circular economy’.

My inspiration to reach this point has mostly come from recent years having worked with, managed and lead teams of scientists, journalists, volunteers, educators and activists offshore voyaging into the ocean Gyres (accumulation zones) researching plastic. Our findings have been quite a revelation.

Anything plastic released into the environment be it through landfill, littering, dumping, wind blown, even inadvertently discarded can, and invariably does end up in a water course, all courses lead downhill, down stream to the ultimate dumping ground – out of sight out of mind, the ocean.

Despite their enormity and seeming endlessness they are not infinite. Over two-thirds of the surface of the planet is ocean and it is such a vital factor in our survival here on earth, and yet we still know so little about it. Species are still being discovered, more people have been into space then have visited the bottom of the ocean and we are still unsure as to the mating behaviour or breeding grounds of the largest animal ever to have roamed our planet – the Blue Whale.

Technological advances abound and yet nature still holds so many secrets. One thing we do know is that our impact away from land is far reaching and negative on this vital beautiful wilderness.

In the environment plastic fragments and photo-degrades (breaking down in many pieces). Uniquely unlike glass, wood, metals, card and paper which (in their simplest form) will go back into the earth it does not bio-degrade, in effect everything plastic ever produced is still out there. Recycling rates whilst increasing are still low. Concerningly there is growing evidence that fish are consuming plastic which is known to absorb harmful chemicals such as POPs, banned in the world today. We eat the fish.

And so here I am embarking on a fantastic opportunity to learn more about the Circular Economy model, look at ways of applying it to the plastic issue, develop workable solutions and partnerships with manufacturers, scientists, policy makers and stakeholders. I will also be continuing to raise awareness on the (often) unnecessary use and wasteful disposal of this finite resource in new and engaging ways.

Watch this space for developments and keep in touch with ideas.

Clive

With Sea Dragon parked quietly in and all in pieces (Dale!) for her refit, the Pangaea team is satisfying their water needs in other places. One of us recently had a chance to run a series of cave dives in Central Florida, and then the awesome underwater-underground land of Mexico’s Yucatan.

Cave represent a distinctly alien habitat for our ocean going vessel Sea Dragon – for obvious reasons. The vast majority of explored caves are vast systems of landlocked fresh water with little access to the sea. They are also what we call “overhead” environments- with no direct access to the surface.

Water cave systems are, however, an area of interst for our team given their unique biodiversity and often critical conservation concerns. Here in Florida, Pangeas home base, the region is home to one of the highest concentrations of “karst” systems. Significant spring and sinkhole sytems exists principally in the north central part of the state. Often ranging several miles laterally and 100+ feet below surface, they are an integral part of the regions water supply. They are also home to several unique species. Several of Pangaea’s team have explored regional caves. One really strking example is “Eagle’s Nest” in Citrus County. Miles from any paved road, an incredbily ordinary looking pond opens through a short shaft into the ceiling of a room large enough to park a Boeing 747 airliner. Super clear water extends off two main passages to deep tunnels ove 400′ deep.

We have also had a recent, short visit to the exceptional caves of the Yucatan. Here surface holes in the limestone rock, punch a short distance into elaborate systems. These caves, unlike those in Florida, formed with extensive dry phases. This critical difference means they now have fantastic karst features called “speleothems” – or cave formations. Stalactictes, stalagmites, flowstones and even helictites absolutely cover interior surfaces. Also, due to their dry phases, the contain extensive fossil and pre-historic human artifacts. They are also, unlike Florida caves, remarkably shallow.

In both cases, we have made great use of our Sherwood regulators – and appreciate their continued support. The best test was the smooth breathing of the SR1 at 230′ in Eagle’s Nest. This mixed gas dive gave us alot of confidence.

Article from The New York Times on Wednesday October 12th 2011

Full article available here: http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/12/tracking-the-debris-from-japans-tsunami/

Tracking the Debris from Japan’s Tsunami

Just over six months have passed since a huge tsunami slammed into northeastern Japan, killing thousands of people and wrecking towns and villages along the coast.

The devastation on land was terrible, but the disaster also left a mark on the ocean that generated the tsunami: tens of thousands of tons of debris, including entire houses, cars and boats, were swept out to sea that day. This mass has now dispersed over an area covering several hundreds of miles in the northern Pacific Ocean.

Now scientists from California are inviting the public to join them on aresearch trip into the debris field next May and June.

The 7,000-mile research voyage is being organized by the 5 Gyres Instituteand the Algalita Marine Research Foundation, two nonprofit groups that campaign against plastic pollution, in collaboration with Pangaea Exploration, which operates an expedition vessel known as the Sea Dragon. The boat will sail from the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands to Japan and then on to Hawaii.

Nine crew spaces are available on the Sea Dragon for each of the two legs of the voyage, at a cost of $13,500 per person for the first leg and $15,500 for the second, to help finance the expedition.

The scientists’ goal is not just to get a clearer idea of the sheer amount of trash in the ocean and the speed at which it is dispersing, but also to monitor how quickly the debris is being colonized by marine life and whether it is transporting invasive species, Marcus Eriksen, the expedition leader, said by phone from Los Angeles.

This could help them assess whether the debris could ultimately travel as far as the West Coast, Mr. Eriksen said. For now, Hawaii is expected to bear the brunt of the traveling debris.

Even if it does not journey as far as the West Coast, the debris will not simply disappear. Items made of non-decomposing materials like plastic crates, building insulation, furniture and everyday household items — will keep traveling the oceans, probably for years, joining the mass of plastic trash that has been accumulating there for more than a half century.

In essence, as devastating as it was, the March 11 tsunami affords a unique opportunity for studying the phenomenon of marine pollution. After all, rarely are such huge amounts of debris swept simultaneously into the ocean from a single location.

No previous seafaring experience is necessary to join the trip. You do, however, have to be prepared to earn your keep, whether by hoisting sails, hauling lines or cataloging samples. “It’ll be all hands on deck,” said Mr. Eriksen, who is also executive director of the 5 Gyres Institute.

The results should be published within about three months after the group wraps up its trip, Mr. Eriksen said. Watch this space.

Like commercial airplanes, ships and big trucks, Sea Dragon is a complex machine that deserves alot of careful attention. Operating in tough, remote and unforgiving environments she needs go for months on end, keeping her crew safe and productive. Part of making this possible, is her exceptional design and on board crew. This rugged, capable boat has delivered flawlessly for over 35,000 miles in three oceans in just the last 18 months alone. Her crew, led by Dale, Clive and Emily have been a big part of making this work. We follow a simple motto 24/7 in any ocean: Protect the Boat, Care for the Crew, and Be Productive.

An important part of this is the periodic “heavy” maintenance and refit work we do in select ports. The first, of course was the 8 months we spent back in the UK in 2009. The next major stop was South Africa in late 2010 when we pulled the mast and totally rebuilt the sailing rig – a huge job that is essential to the power and safety of the boats main engine….her sails. Now, in San Diego California we have begun the next major phase of refurb and refit. This is about catching up on wear and tear first. Second we look at ways to streamline and simplify the boat systems – further increasing their reliability and efficiency. Finally there are several important upgrades that will make Sea Dragon – already one of the world’s most capable expedition yachts, even more mission ready.

Our good friends Kevin and Colleen Ryan at Outbound Yachts in Dana Point CA are leading this important work. We’ve know Outbound for many years and trust them to our most critical work. In our view, you will find no better team to hande this type of work ( Outbound Yachts )

In the first group there are important tasks that keep us running well. Out of the water, her hull will be smoothed down and painted with a super low toxicty “anti foul” paint that keeps a clean fast shape in the water – and a minimum of chemicals in the water. The side hull will be repainted a shiny new color (looks do count ), and the top decks will be repainted to renew her anti-slip work surfaces. Bilge steel is cleaned an cleared of rust. The main engine and generator are set to get major overhauls that increase reliability and also decrease fuel burn. Lines and rigging are being redone – with some exciting new technology we wil reveal at a later date.

In the second, we are adding a new in-board freezer system, removing a bulky,smoky diesel heaters, and re-doing much of the fuel systems. Exciting for the working 14 person crew, all bunks will now have a/c and 12V dc power – you cannot believe what a huge deal this is for the laptop that used to lie all over the boat. The boats vital navigation systems are being upgraded with a new Furuno NAVNET 3D main display. this will take the prior laptop computer out of the loop – also saving power. New battery chargers – very advanced versions of what you might use on a car, will dramatically increase our ability to recharge main batteries- and therefore save fuel. A new 400′ (130m) anchor chain increases our safe anchor depth to over 100′. We are adding purpose built storage space to tighten up space on the boat. Most important for some….two advanced air conditioning units will be on board that allow us to heat, cool and dry air inside the boat- very important in the tropics!

The latter category of major capability upgrades holds a few very important items. Foremost, Sea Dragon’s entire stern section is being redesigned to create a working platform, new hoists and much, much easier access to overboard diving and work. Originally set up for intense offshore racing, she will now be much better suited to the expedition and research work we do.

This work is underway – stand by for more updates and photos!