Logistics and other information

Here is some logistical information for the project in Sinop.

1) Weather:
The weather on the Black Sea coast is temperate. Last year we had one very hot, still day with temps in the mid-80s. Other days required sweatshirts, with temps in the 70s. In the evening it was usually cooler. It was generally windy, which meant choppy seas. We were weathered out two days due to seas. I suggest following this link for more information on Sinop's climate, including weather from previous years. As with all marine operations, it is wise to bring rain gear, a hat, sunscreen, and motion-sickness pills (Bonine is the Navy's choice).

2) Lodging:
The MIT, WHOI, National Geographic, and technical crew will stay in a hotel in the center of Sinop close to the docks. The accomodations are comfortable, but not luxurious. The rooms each have two beds, balcony, western-style toilet, and shower stall. Other team members and visitors will stay at a hotel slightly out of town.

3) Meals:
Breakfast is served every morning at the hotel, except when we decide to eat it on the boat. Hotel breakfasts typically consist of bread, cheese, honey, olives, tea and/or coffee. Lunch: A cook will be assigned to each of the three vessels we run this year, so lunch will be provided aboard. The lunches on the boat were some of the best meals we enjoyed last summer, and typically consisted of fresh bread, salad, fish or meat, and melon. During the 1998 project we ate dinner nightly in the restaurants along the quay. However, we may have a cook prepare meals for us this year since we typically work until sundown and that makes for late dinners. Alternatively we may work out an arrangement with one of the local restaurants to provide victuals on our schedule.
Note: The cost of many, but not all, of the meals will be absorbed by the project, so students should bring their own pocket money (see point #6 below). The project does not have the administrative resources to reimburse team members for every penny spent.

4) Vessels and equipment:
We will run three or four boats. One may be Saros, a yacht hired by INA and rigged for diving and research ops. This vessel will likely carry VIPs and sponsors, as well as the National Geographic team and its ROV. The second boat will be the Orkuz 2, the diesel-powered fishing vessel used during the 1998 Sinop sonar operations. Sonar ops will again be run from that boat. The third vessel will be another fishing-type craft, which will carry the SeaROVER ROV from Woods Hole. See WHOI Deep Submergence Lab web pages for information on the SeaROVER. The final vessel also will be a Sinop fishing vessel. The Orkuz II is a fairly quiet boat, particularly since during operations we generally run at idle speed. However, it is a good idea to bring along earplugs to protect hearing from hours of diesel engine background noise. The operations team members should also bring a pair of work gloves to protect hands and provide better grip during vehicle and towfish recovery.

5) Miscellaneous:
Currency - I have found the best way to arrange foreign currency transfers is to use an ATM card to access my American bank account from the foreign nation. The cost of the transaction is minimal - a dollar or so. This removes the need to carry large sums of cash, the hassle of travelers' checks, and the expense of currency exchanges. If you would like to track the exchange rate between US and Turkish currency, follow this link: http://www.xe.net/currency/  Because of the high inflation rate of the Turkish lira, American dollars were widely accepted last year.
Medicine, etc. - In addition to motion-sickness pills, it is a very good idea to take along anti-diarrheal medicine. Health information for Turkey (and other places) can be obtained through http://www.tripprep.com/. Students should confer with their university's health services travel medicine department to make sure shots are up-to-date. Tetanus, Hepatitis A, and Hepatitis B are recommended by MIT Medical.