Volunteering takes patience, and luck (part 1)
Dan back on standby… (part 1) It was raining when I opened the window shade and gazed out into the grey day. I looked at the radar on my phone and saw that it looked...
Through the eyes of a Volunteer (part 4 of 4)
Dan shifts from the present to the future of his next visit! In his words: The din of the constantly blowing wind switched from my dreams to what I slowly realized was my reality; my...
Restoring the Tower Through the Eyes of A Volunteer (part 3 of 4)
Dan continues his thoughts about his adventure on the Frying Pan Tower… I found my room eventually in the labyrinth of hallways inside the tower. A steady wind blew a cool breeze into my room....
Restoring the Tower Through the Eyes of A Volunteer (part 2 of 4)
Daniel Schmiedt came out to the Frying Pan Tower by helicopter and his adventure began. In Dan’s own words: I decided to drive to Southport on Thursday evening. What if I got a flat tire...
Why Daniel Schmiedt Became A Volunteer (part 1 of 4)
You see the Volunteer trip invitations and the images of those who come out for their Frying Pan Tower adventure, but why? Why do they do it? Follow along with volunteer Daniel Schmiedt as he...
Replace and Install New Watertight Portals
Each side of the tower, North, East, South and West have a watertight lever-lock portal doors designed to keep out the elements during hurricanes, stormy weather and other normal ocean events. Our doors have survived...
Install Seafloor Mooring and Buoy System
The sea floor around the Frying Pan Tower is a protected reef nearly a mile in diameter. This means the sea floor below has restrictions on dragging objects like anchors across it or other actions...
Replace Cross Pipes
The water-level of the ocean is a harsh environment where the corrosion by salt water is aggressive. We are focusing our efforts to prevent these structural members from becoming compromised by the yearly hurricanes. Our...
Replace Cathodic Protection System
Basic chemistry comes into play when you place a steel structure into a salt bath and watch the long-term effects of galvanic corrosion over several years! Since the tower is grounded deep into the bedrock,...
Auto-Start Generator and Charging System
Solar is great until it’s cloudy and the ever-present need for constant power is put in jeopardy. To provide the clean current that powers research, we need to keep our battery bank charged. This is where...