Drift arrows release from the icebreaker CGC Healy
The Drift Arrow project was conceived by Dave Forcucci, the Marine Science Coordinator for the U.S. Coast Guard Arctic icebreaker Healy, as a novel (and fun) way to study ocean surface currents. The idea was to loose arrows from an underway ship in hopes that they would be found and reported after their journey riding the wind and ocean surface currents to a distant shore. A traditional archer and hunter, Dave enjoys the opportunity to promote the art of traditional archery, which has played a major role in human culture since prehistoric times. Interestingly, the Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. uses the acronym ARCUS (www.Arcus.org) which means bow and arrow in latin.
In 2011 the first drift arrows were loosed from Healy during a summer transit from Honolulu to Dutch Harbor Alaska, just ahead of the 2011 Japan Tsunami debris field. Consulting with Dr. Curtis Ebbesmeyer and Jim Ingraham of Driftbusters Inc., the predicted arrow drift trajectories were used to determine potential release locations along the ship track. Some of the arrows were "aimed" toward the Washington coast with the chance the arrows would be recovered in our home state. Once the arrows were adrift, Jim Ingraham employed his OSCURS computer model to provide monthly updates of predicted drift trajectories.
In 2012 the Drift Arrow project will go to the Arctic and will be aiming at the circumpolar drift. The science program aboard Healy will be servicing moorings that have been collecting data along the continental shelf break of the Alaska coast. During the cruise, drift arrows will be loosed across the Arctic from Alaska to Canadian archepelago. The company www.PacificGyre.com has donated a GPS-enabled Iridium satellite drifter buoy that will be deployed in the Arctic Ocean along with a quiver of arrows. The buoy will transmit daily positions of the arrows so that the ice floe can be tracked in near real time. The drift arrows will be loosed using bows replicated from those used by the indigenous people since prehistoric times until about 150 years ago. Sitka Spruce, which was available as driftwood in the Arctic, will be worked by the well known bowyer Jay St. Charles to craft replica bows that will be backed with an artificial sinew cord. The sinew cord backing was employed in most of the indigenous Arctic cultures to give the driftwood, which does not have optimal properties for bow building, more resilience and strength.
As any experience archer knows, the quality of the arrow is what determines the accuracy of an archer. The success of the drift arrow project is also dependent on the arrows. Because the drift arrows will be completely biodegradable, with no manmade materials such as plastic or polyester resin, they will be susceptible to deterioration in the harsh ocean environment. In 2012 the drift arrows will be Tonkin Bamboo which has physical qualities that will allow it to with stand the environment naturally and allow it survive the long journey across the sea.
