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[Martin X. Moleski, SJ]

There seems to be a missing link in the new TIGHAR Tracks for October, 2015, p. 34.

"Walt Holm's complete log of the struggle to get the ROV working is posted on the TIGHAR website in "ROV Daily Logs: Timeline of Operations for ROV Work at Nikumaroro, June 2015."

[Ric Gillespie]

Thanks Marty.  We're fixing it.  Anyone who downloaded the PDF can re-download.  Fortunately you caught the omission before the printer started printing the print version.

[Martin X. Moleski, SJ]

Thanks Marty.  We're fixing it.  Anyone who downloaded the PDF can re-download.  Fortunately you caught the omission before the printer started printing the print version.

What luck!   

I figured it was way too late ... 

[Ric Gillespie]

I figured it was way too late ...

Normally it would have been.  We received the proof copy of the printed version on Saturday and caught a couple of small errors that will be fixed today before they do the production run.  Now we'll include the correction you caught.
With a publication this big there's bound to be something else lurking in there but whatever it is we'll have to live with it.

[Karen Hoy]

Does the PDF version go out today? Looking forward to mine!

Karen Hoy #2610 ER

[Ric Gillespie]

Does the PDF version go out today? Looking forward to mine!

Karen Hoy #2610 ER

It went out this morning.  Somehow we missed you.  We'll send the TIGHARNews with the link to your solander address right away.  Let me know if you don't get it.

[Eddie Rose]

While I applaud their persistence, that reads like a list of stuff that could have been done on the mainland with help from the ROV supplier, before leaving for the big trip.

[Ric Gillespie]

While I applaud their persistence, that reads like a list of stuff that could have been done on the mainland with help from the ROV supplier, before leaving for the big trip.

A.  Neither John Clauss nor Walt Holm ever saw the ROV until it arrived in Fiji.  The ROV belonged to, and was the responsibility of, the contractor who is based in Texas.
B.  I don't know what checks were carried out prior to shipment but the contractor believed the ROV to be in good working condition at the time it was shipped.
C.  If you know how to fix something before it breaks please let me now.
D.  The principal problem was the lack of a second back-up ROV.  That lack was due to a lack of adequate funding to pay for shipping a second ROV. We tried our damndest to raise the money to fully fund the expedition.  Many on this Forum contributed (Thank You!) .  I'm not much inclined to listen to Monday morning quarterbacking from those who didn't.

[Dale O. Beethe]

Everybody's 16 and O on Mondays,  Ric!  Just got to read TIGHAR Tracks online;  Great job!

[Eddie Rose]

Then it's just poor planning. Blaming the ROV company is silly - verifying that the equipment is working and the users are capable is the sort of thing you do before you leave. You don't launch a space shuttle and wait til you're in orbit to try the can opener for the first time. The whole ROV portion of your mission could have been drilled and tested before ever leaving the mainland, and if it didn't work, then hundreds of thousands of dollars would not have been wasted.

The "harsh conditions" of the island had nothing to do with the failure. It failed before you even got on the plane and you didn't know because you didn't bother to test it.

[Dale O. Beethe]

Yep, 16 and 0..........................By the way, we've lost two space shuttles that presumably checked out perfectly before launch.  The obvious answer is to have redundant systems, and I believe Ric explained why that wasn't possible in this particular case.  It does make me wonder about these ROV companies.  That makes two of them who flat didn't deliver what they said they could do.  Is there any possibility of getting money back for services NOT rendered?

[Martin X. Moleski, SJ]

Is there any possibility of getting money back for services NOT rendered?

If I'm not mistaken, Ric asked for someone to work pro bono on suing one or other of the companies.


They have to have standing in the relevant state, I believe.

[Bob Smith]

It's time for Good Cheer, folks, and I'm not hearing any! Everybody knows how good hindsight is! Can't we just get off this subject and move on? Save your energy for the next endeavor.

[Ric Gillespie]

Is there any possibility of getting money back for services NOT rendered?

If I'm not mistaken, Ric asked for someone to work pro bono on suing one or other of the companies.


They have to have standing in the relevant state, I believe.

That's right Marty.  The 2012 contractor was grossly negligent.  We'll sue them if we can find a law firm that will do it pro bono or on contingency.  The 2015 contractor voluntarily decided not to charge us anything.  We paid only for shipping the ROV to Fiji and back.

[Ric Gillespie]

It's time for Good Cheer, folks, and I'm not hearing any! Everybody knows how good hindsight is! Can't we just get off this subject and move on? Save your energy for the next endeavor.

Thanks Bob.  Merry Christmas!