My Dad's best original guess for the start of their dredging for gold was August 1st. They have been in Nome since around June 8th, and have essentially established a home and rebuilt a boat since then. Amazing!!! The crew has been in constant motion to get this project up and going. There have been many things that have gone quite well, and some things that have gotten in the way of progress (as anticipated). One of the crews most recent discoveries was that the life raft (to be pulled behind the boat in case of emergency) had been chewed through by mice while in storage. And, there has been some vibration of the boat when the speed is increased. Therefore, there have been some mechanical adjustments to make. Remember, Goldenrod is a first ever designed and built ocean dredge of its kind. It is considered 40 ft long (with the engines and mechanical arm) and is 12 ft wide and weighs 15,000 lbs. She is equipped with a sonar system that will determine seafloor density and such. And, her two camera led suction hoses will be operated by the crew in the cab (as opposed to diver led). No dredge divers necessary or allowed from Goldenrod. She is complex, powerful and will certainly get the job done! So far, we are ahead of schedule. Actual dredging to begin in a day or two, after all equipment checks out and life raft replaced.
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