The 100 drift arrows loosed in the Pacific Ocean have been wayward almost a year now.  Hoping to hear some good news this summer as people get out on the beaches. 

Here is the latest drift trajectory preditions from Jim

Arrows are moving along and some are predicted to be close to land.  The arrows aimed at Washington State are a little low but there might be still time for them to sail North?

The arrow has landed, well that is what Jim's model is predicting.  And since his tsunami arrival prediction proved to be correct based on a float that was found in the Cape Flattery Beach clean up, we need to get out and start  beach combing!

Winter is here and the seas have been stormy.  The Bering sea experienced one of the worst storms in decades and it delayed Healy from transiting through the Bering on their way to the first ever winter mission in the Arctic.  Makes one appreciate the weather man,

considering back in the day Healy would have been caught in the eye of the storm with no warning. 

Recently myself, the Port Angeles Chapter of the Surf Rider Foundation and the US Coast Guard Port Angeles Air Station worked together to remove at least a ton of flotsam from a beach South of Cape Flattery.  The beach is inaccessible to vehicles and required access via a steep hike.  The Surf Rider had collected the flotsam and had it ready for the USCG helicopter. 

On Nov 17 at least ten sling loads of trash was flown to Hobuck and trucked to Port Angeles.  It was a great success and hopefully more can be done in the future.  This could be training for when the mother load comes in from Japan…..  The Cape Flattery beach trash will be sorted in Port Angeles by Curtis Ebbesmeyer in mid December to analyze it for interesting origins.

Latest drift arrow track is in and shows the arrows getting closer to the coast.  Hopefully the beachcombers in search of Tsunami debris will report one!

The drift arrows are out ahead of the Tsuami debris field which is just crossing the date line according to Jim's compter model.  Today (Nov 8, 2011) the largest storm in years is about to thrash the Bering Sea.  The Healy will wait out the storm just south of the Aleutians and then head north with the scientists who will sail North on Healys first winter Arctic research cruise.  It should also give the drift arrows and extra push?

Here is the August 31 update from Jim at Driftbusters for 73 days a drift.  Some interesting results as the arrows from 30 and 35 N reverse thier drift and the arrows from 48N seem to be out pacing the others. 

Jim ran his computer model for July 31.  The arrows north of the Aluetians may have made it to shore already?  the others still have a long way to go but some are moving faster than others.   Thanks Jim.

Check back in a month for the next prediction.

So here is the prediction from Jim at Drift Busters that shows the arrows drift track after 12 days of being loosed from Healy.  We should be getting another update at the end of July, so check back to follow thier drift.

Well we made it.  The end of the line.  Healy did alot of pushing, leaving 2,000 miles of Pacific Ocean in its wake.... and 100 drift arrows.  Now we wait and see if and where the drifters will wash up and be reported.  Tomorrow we dock in Dutch Harbor (a day early) and the next day I get to fly home to my family.  The crew of Healy though has only begun their journey which will take them away from home for six months.