ST. JOHN'S, NEWFOUNDLAND

5:00 p.m. — I have just arrived back at the Keldysh from the 10-day break between legs of the expedition. The time off was different for everyone on the crew. Some went home for R & R, some worked with the video from Leg 1 around the clock, and some went to work other jobs.

The crew has been trickling back into St. John's for the last 24 hours. Many of the technical issues from Leg 1 have been addressed and new or replacement equipment has been installed on the Keldysh. For this leg of the expedition, we also have a support boat coming along to bring additional personnel both for the live show and for a separate show being created for Channel 4 in the United Kingdom.

The final details are being worked out as to who is sailing on which boat. A new tower has been installed on board the Keldysh to lift the satellite dish higher and remove some of the physical obstructions that were blocking our signal. We will not know for sure how well this is working until we arrive on the Titanic site.

7:00 p.m. — The crews of both the Keldysh and its support boat meet for dinner before we begin steaming to the Titanic site. Last-minute details are worked out and it is decided that the support ship will wait to depart until some of the crews' lost luggage is delivered from the airport.

8:00 p.m. — The Keldysh departs St. John's. After watching land fade into the distance from various points on the deck, the production team heads down to the control room to start familiarizing themselves with the tapes shot and edited in the last few weeks. Others break off to work on the rigid hull inflatable boats (RHIBs) and other equipment.

10:00 p.m. — We have a bit of a scare when some popcorn inside a microwave on deck No. 7 catches fire, but the crew quickly extinguishes the flames. There is considerable smoke, but luckily not enough to set off the ship's sprinklers, which could have damaged the television equipment on board. Afterward, some crew members tell stories of their time off. Others head to sleep.

Bob Sitrick is vice president of live production for Discovery.

More Leg 2 Expedition Logs: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 | Day 8 |

Also read the entries from Leg 1 of the expedition. |