Launch was delayed briefly to replace CO2 adsorbent, then into the water ~0832L.
We landed well east of the vent field and drifted to the north while adjusting for neutral trim. We then set a course toward Milli-Q, the first target. We immediately lost navigation from the 11.0-7.5 pair. Along the way we passed an area with live tube worms (~1000?). I chose not to stop and examine the extent of the activity at this location, but we should be able to fix the location from the 11.0-10.0 pair which were both giving good returns (unless we were too close to that baseline, in which case we could locate it by driving a constant distance from the 11.0 transponder. After some time without fixes, we stopped to try to get one. By this time I was suspicious that the strobes for the overhead still cameras were causing the problem. They were set for a 15 second period and were close to in phase with the navigation cycle. With the cameras off, we immediately began getting fixes again from the 11.0-7.5 pair. I set the cameras to a one minute cycle time; applying power to get a trigger time within the ship cycle portion of the minute.
Milli-Q was to our southeast by this time and we began to transit in that direction, passing just to the northeast of the Bastille complex and adjusting course again when the large fissure on which Milli-Q lies was reached. At some point in the transit along this fissure, the pilots screen jumped from target 1 (Milli-Q) to target 2 (Puffer), although the thumbwheel switch still read 1. We swung onto the new course, which put us back into the Bastille cluster; finding the problem we got the correct target back on the screen, returned southeast to the fissure, and traveled down the fissure to Milli-Q promptly finding marker AZ and A4. Temperature probe "Jenny" was deployed at the marker AZ vent.
Our next target was marker AM which proved difficult for us to locate. We passed just to the south of marker P, but not seeing marker AM and encountered the talus of the west valley wall; we then looped around north of Peanut and returned by passing Peanut to its west, turning to port and driving the gap between Puffer and the Bastille complex but bypassing it again, then looping back one more time, this time finding AM. I judged that it was not suitable for deployment of the temperature probe, at least from what could be seen from our position and so opted for Puffer. Beginning about this time we lacked navigation. We turned south toward Puffer finding marker AE easily. The deployment of the second temperature probe 1A was completed with great difficulty. A second marker BF was put in place immediately adjacent to AE because of the extent to which it had been covered.
Our next objective was to sample fluid from Dante. We transited to the north passing between Grotto and Dante, then made a series of passes toward the supposed position of the A6 marker as recorded in the marker log, (4981,6176,2179). In several passes it was not sited, although marker 101 was seen (the map puts marker 101 at Milli-Q). At this point I carefully compared the target and the map, seeing that there was a discrepancy of about 20 meters in the mapped location of A6 (and Dante) and this target. We drove slowly to the south, climbed Dante when it was reached, to find marker A6 at (4935,6154,2179,h071). Temperature on the manifold probe was 346.3 degrees. Samples were taken in the order port outer major, port inner major, port gas tight, and gas tight 5 stripes. Note that there was a problem with the bolt length mating with the hydralic ram on the gas tights; this was brought to Marv's attention for resolution after the dive.
The next objective was to sample a smoker on the southwest corner of Dante, an area not yet visited this field season. We transited 225 over the structure, coming down to the seafloor once the Mesotech indicated we were past the southern edge, then returned to the north. A reasonable candidate was found and sampled with the manifold. Temperature was 331.0 degrees. Samples were taken in the order starboard inner major, starboard outer major, starboard gas tight. Marker AU was placed at the site (4921,6419,2182,h133).
Power was low but the pilot agreed to transit the 50 meters southeast to Dudley to retrieve the J-hook deployed there in June. As we approached from the south, markers AA and B9 were visible as well as the anchor polypropylene line for the J-hook. We recovered the J-hook anchored then ascended up the face to retrieve the J-hook, discovering that the anchor line had nothing attached to it. After talking with the surface to confirm its location and some further searching, weights were dropped to begin ascent to the surface.
During this ascent above Dudley the three Niskins bottles were fired at nominal altitudes of 30, 60 and 90 meters: red bottle at 2160 meters, blue bottle at 2130 meters, yellow bottle at 2100 meters.