The fifth ICON Station is vertical! On July 7-8, 2009, the CREWS/ICON pylon was erected at the pin/plate site offshore of LCRC. Led by CCMI staff member Jon Clamp, a composite dive team of Cayman Islands Department of Environment personnel and local divers secured the Pylon to the previously installed anchoring pins through the use of lift bags and manual methods. Technical advice and training on deployment procedures was provided by NOAA/AOML oceanographer Jules Craynock. Construction divers included D.O.E Keith Neale, Delwyn McLaughlin, Robert Walton, and Wade Moore of Power and Light, Little Cayman. CCMI staff member Lowell Forbes assisted Jon Clamp in the rigging and tensioning of the pylon structure. U/W photographic coverage of the operation was conducted by Myfanwy Rowlands (on a scholarship from the Our World-Underwater Scholarship Society) and CCMI staff member Claire Dell. The pylon was properly secured with a blinking navigation light visible from dusk to dawn and at a distance of rougly 3 nautical miles. Planned Instrumentation installation on the pylon and final transmitting of oceanographic data will be for July 21-23, 2009.Jules Craynock
Photos by Myfanwy Rowlands