RMS Titanic, Inc. - 1998 Research and Recovery Expedition

Paul climbs out of the Nautile, a little frustrated but clear about the work he has ahead of him. "We now know where the weak points are in our cabling system," he says. "For some reason, water was able to penetrate the off-the-shelf equipment we installed, though our laptops and strobes worked like a charm. Fortunately, we’ve got time to get everything functioning before our imaging project gets fully underway on August 20."

Frustration seemed to be the theme of the day on the Ocean Voyager, too. The vessel’s bow thruster blew out again, making it difficult for the ship to hold position. As a result, Magellan couldn’t be launched until late into the night—and then the ROV had its mission suddenly aborted when its cameras failed.



		Reports written by Susan Wels	Images produced by Matt Tulloch

		Saturday, August 8, 1998 "Wireless reports were coming in through the day from various ships, of ice being sighted in different positions." --Charles H. Lightoller Second Officer The Titanic
		This afternoon, our neighborhood traffic suddenly doubled in the North Atlantic. A container ship appeared on the horizon—the first passing vessel we’ve seen—and our third expedition ship, the Abeille Supporter, finally arrived on the Titanic site from Bayonne, France. With her yellow A-frame on the fantail, the brawny Abeille will be standing by to receive the Big Piece, if it makes it to the surface. On board are Titanic historians John Eaton and Charles Haas, as well as the ROV Hysub and more members of the expedition team. Here on the Nadir, the test dive Paul Matthias planned has been delayed due to compatability problems with Paul's cameras and Nautile’s electric cables. At 3:40 p.m., the sub is finally launched—but in just two hours, Nautile is once again back on board Nadir, having dived only halfway to the bottom before the crew called the experiment quits.
		Paul climbs out of the Nautile, a little frustrated but clear about the work he has ahead of him. "We now know where the weak points are in our cabling system," he says. "For some reason, water was able to penetrate the off-the-shelf equipment we installed, though our laptops and strobes worked like a charm. Fortunately, we’ve got time to get everything functioning before our imaging project gets fully underway on August 20." Frustration seemed to be the theme of the day on the Ocean Voyager, too. The vessel’s bow thruster blew out again, making it difficult for the ship to hold position. As a result, Magellan couldn’t be launched until late into the night—and then the ROV had its mission suddenly aborted when its cameras failed.
		Gary Hines, a Stardust Visual producer who was on the 1996 Titanic Expedition, is philosophical about all the technical glitches. "You just have to take it as it comes out here on the ocean," he advises. "You’re dealing with the weather, with metal and the sea. Plans and schedules don’t mean too much out here—but then again, that’s all part of the story." Back to the Expedition Calendar
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