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Blog 2 - Life on Board the Louis S. ST-Laurent (LSSL)


Blog 2 - Life on Board the Louis S. ST-Laurent (LSSL)

Written by:
Darren Hiltz
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO)-Canadian Hydrographic Service (CHS)


July 24, 2021
Lat: 44.8401° N, Long: 61.0133° W
13:32 UTC
Winds: West at 13 knots
Sea State: 1.0-1.5 meters

As a rookie aka “Greenhorn” of the Galway 2016 Expedition team, one of the first things that I wondered before our departure was what life on board the CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent would be like. In the days leading up to the departure from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, a lot of questions crossed my mind. How would the ship handle if we had rough seas? What would the food be like? What would my cabin look like? How would it be to interact with the crew? It didn’t take long for my questions to be answered and for my worries to subside.

I am surprised at how fresh and delicious all the food is, and how every meal has a wide selection of choices. It’s hard not to try each one! The cabins are comfortable and spacious, with a desk and office chair available for some quiet time outside of the multibeam lab. The beds are comfortable, allowing me to get some much needed sleep at night.

The sea conditions have been relatively calm and the trip has been very smooth, especially considering that the Louis is an icebreaker and performs at its best in heavy ice, which we will not encounter on our transit to Norway. These calm seas likely also contribute to being able to sleep at night.    

Although my experience so far has been very positive, the one aspect that has been challenging is communicating with the outside world. With a young family at home, it would be nice to have access to emails or be able to make a clear phone call. Even with access to satellite internet and telephone, the foggy and rainy conditions at sea make these connections unreliable.     

Current location of the LSSL on July 24th, 2016 on route to Tromso, Norway

Blueberry Glazed Rack of Ribs

The view of my cabin in its usual state