Academic vessels operate throughout the year, and research cruises are scheduled during seasons when the weather is good enough for scientific operations. I am lucky to have research targets in tropical latitudes; the downside is that cruises to these regions are often scheduled when the weather is poor at higher latitude – in this case, smack during the holidays.
With round-the-clock shifts, there are precious opportunities for Santa to slip onto a research ship unseen. But slip in he did, leaving treats and gifts around the R.V. Langseth to brighten our day. In the main science lab, the midnight shift’s usual stash of Starbursts and Sour-Patch Kids expanded into a orgy of Pringles, summer sausage and pepperjack cheese, chocolate-covered Pretzels, and a six-pound bag of Gummy Bears. My Charlie-Brown Christmas tree suddenly blossomed with ornaments, from simple paper snowflake cut-outs to handmade fish spun from copper wire snagged from the electrician’s shop. Beautiful paper wreathes appeared on several cabin doors. Over in the OBS lab, Santa delivered a set of pop guns with rubber darts; after briefly considering storming the bridge, the boys entertained themselves with target practice while retrieving the last instrument.