With the WET-NZ in the water and the mooring system installation underway, the deployment continues to move forward as planned. We'll keep you posted on our progress with daily emails throughout the week, and just let us know if there is someone you'd like us to add to the distribution list.
Best Regards from your Deployment Team:
Justin Klure Steve Kopf Patrick Branje
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WET-NZ in the Water! 
Device Launched, Ready to Go
WET-NZ is in the water! The device was launched yesterday afternoon at the Port of Toledo, using the same travel lift that launched the Ocean Sentinel on Friday. After conducting pier-side tests to check the operation and integration of all the WET-NZ systems, it was transported to the Wiggins Tug dock in Newport. The WET-NZ arrived at the dock at 5 PM yesterday afternoon and is ready and waiting for deployment!
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Trial Anchor Deployment
Successful Practice Run Aboard NRC Quest 
With Captain Rich Kruse at the helm, the NRC Quest left the dock at 6:45 AM yesterday morning and headed out the Columbia River for a practice run of the WET-NZ anchor installation. Along with Captain Kruse, NRC Director of Marine Operations Rob Huston, Deck Foreman Kyle Sparrow, and Marine Engineer Tim Buckendahl were on hand for the exercise. The conditions were mild, with calm winds and seas and just 2 knots of current, and we reached the practice deployment site at 8:45 AM.
As soon as the Quest was at anchor, the trial run got underway. By 10 AM the anchors and mooring buoys had been deployed, and, reversing the process to retrieve them, the crew had everything back on board by 11:30 AM. With a successful trial run under their belt, the Quest and crew began the 14 hour transit south to Newport.
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Mooring Installation Begins
First Two Anchors to be Set Today
After a successful trial run in the Columbia River yesterday, the NRC Quest arrived in Newport early this morning. Kopf, Klure and Branje, along with Tony Petrillo of Bluewater Services and Carl Gowler and Bill Daly of Sound and Sea Technologies boarded the Quest shortly after its arrival, around 4 AM. Special thanks to Commander Parker and all NOAA staff for arranging berthing for NRC Quest!
With the full deployment team on board, the Quest headed for the project site to start installing the mooring system. The WET-NZ uses a three-point mooring system, which is installed in two phases: the two seaward mooring legs will be deployed today, and the single seaward mooring leg is scheduled to be installed tomorrow.
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