Day 5 - Testing the platform.

Today was an exciting day. We took the platform and transducers to the boat. It was a four man job because we estimate it weighs about 100 kg. We attached cables to the transducers and rotated the platform so it was on edge so we could add the pole.

Next the platform was loaded onto foam floats so it would be easier to move in the water.

Jean-Christophe judged it was enough floatation to support his weight.  It was a tough job, but we were able to move the platform and pole to the boat. The pole was attached to the boat, but I forgot to take a picture today.

The water level in Lake Geneva is quite low so Jean-Christophe and Laurent took a small boat out to test depths and find a way for safe passage out of the safe harbor so as to not run the boat or the platform aground. That would be very very bad. During this time I connected cables, and made power connections, and turned on the echo sounder system to see if it work. It did!

Later JC, Jean, Orlane & I took a boat ride on Lake Geneva for a short trip to test data collection when stationary and when we moved at about 3-4 km/hour. Everything worked well,  but my GPS shut itself off. It must be a factory setting that needs changed. Here is video of the platform as we traveled.

So thanks to hard work by Jean-Christophe we are ready to collect acoustic data. Tomorrow we shakedown the larval fish trawl. I also have to give a speech tomorrow at 10 am at the French lab. My talk is entitled, "Who is Dan? What does Dan do? Why is Dan here?". I need to practice some tonight so it is good.