R/V Melville
Our fourth
installment of important people who make all the difference on
this cruise, is dedicated to Captain Murray Stein (see photo).
The Captain’ main job, as he sees it, is to see that everyone
who boards the ship in San Diego makes it safely to port in Costa
Rica. This involves not only steering the ship clear of obstacles
and storms but also overseeing onboard safety. For instance, when
hydraulic fuel sprayed out of the A-frame all over this journal-keeper
(don’t worry mom, I’m fine), the Captain had to make sure I was
not hurt or burned at all, and replaced the eyewash container
I used, etc. Let’s hope that is the most we need of him in that
department! Although the science is of secondary importance to
the Captain in terms of his duties, he does take an active interest
in what the scientists are doing on the ship and why, and enjoys
working on research vessels. Captain Murray started working on
the ocean in 1978 on offshore oil fields, then attended the Marine
Transportation program at Texas A and M. He came to Scripps in
1985 as an able-bodied seaman and has been a captain for the past
2 years. Actually handling the ship is his favorite part of the
job, while his least favorite has been having to pass on bad news
from the mainland to crewmembers; although, this harsh duty has
become fairly unnecessary since the ships have been equipped with
e-mail.
