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July 12, 2016

Currents and tides

BY: Jesús Molino

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Carrying out a campaign like this requires a great deal of coordination. Some of the operations involve the handling of very sensitive equipment and also in this area we have the added difficulty of the currents and changes in the tide. Today, while we were performing 3 ROV operations and various others with the dredge, we were planning the dives for tomorrow and the entry into port within the next week, so that everything is properly organised. Entry into port for a boat like the Neptune requires taking several factors into account. The entry into Grimsby, for example, is very shallow, which means that we can only enter at two specific times during the day, these being the moments of high tide in the area. The dives must be planned to coincide with the time that the tide changes, so that the current is at its weakest and we can both work on the seabed and also bring the ROV back on deck without damaging it. The dives by the divers must also be carried out at the moment when the tide changes, but also when the tide is at its lowest, so that the dive is as shallow as possible, at a depth of not much more than 30m. Here, the difference between high tide and low tide is 4-6m, which can mean a significant reduction of time on the seabed or very long stops during the ascent. In other words, we have not been bored in terms of logistics and manoeuvres.