It’s very strange being on a ship in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Time doesn’t seem to have any real meaning here. Although I have only been on the ship a couple of days I still have to check as to what day and for that matter what time it is!

Everyone on board the Keldysh is very friendly and the food is excellent. I’ve also noticed that the gentle rocking motion of the vessel is very good at sending you too sleep!

Yesterday (Friday) Dad and I attended lectures on the ocean, the submersibles and Titanic herself. The Titanic lecture was particularly interesting for me as it gave me a much larger insight into the ship itself. It was conducted by Ralph White, a Titanic expert who was part of Robert Ballard’s team who originally discovered her. I have managed to talk to Ralph on a number of occasions and I feel very privileged to have him share his stories with me.

This morning we arrived at the wreck site. The sea is very calm and the sky clear although we are expecting rain tomorrow. We held a short service on one of the decks to pay our respects to the people who died in the tragedy. To be at the spot where this all happened is a very moving experience. Oddly I find myself feeling almost guilty for going to see the wreck, as if I had to ask permission from someone to be there, and shameful that I should be getting excited about viewing the wreck of a ship that changed and took away so many lives.

I also got my first glimpse inside Mir 1 today, the submersible that I will be travelling 12,465 ft in to the wreck of Titanic. Although the Mir is small inside, about 2.3 metres, there is plenty of room to get reasonably comfortable. It’s a bit like sitting in the cockpit of a light aircraft. The outside is a lot bigger and holds all the ballast tanks, batteries, lights, etc to make the journey possible. I also found out that I will be diving with chief pilot Anatoly Sagalevitch who has been piloting the Mir’s since they were built in 1987. I consider it to be a great privilege to dive with Anatoly as he is probably the most experienced man in the world to pilot these amazing crafts. I will also be diving with David Bright, president of the Nautical Research Group and an expert on Titanic. This will be very helpful for me as he has said he will assist me the best he can.

The dives start tomorrow and the Russian crew of the Keldysh have been preparing the Mir’s since we left dock. They are a highly experienced crew and I’m looking forward to seeing them in action. According to Ralph White it’s so well orchestrated it’s like watching a ballet. I already have my dive date, but that would be telling wouldn’t it….