On the NOAA trip concluding July 18, ROPOS has worked so well it has been almost boring.

Returned from offshore yesterday. The seal replacement tool manufactured by ISE worked like a dream. I think it took all of one minute to install the seal. The tool actually replaced an ROV docking skid, two hydraulic ratchets, and a 95 lb seal replacement tool that required two dives to install one tool. SOI (Shell Offshore Inc.) was impressed with the turn around time... Job well done.

The answer to this belongs to a lot of people. However, if I narrow it down I would say Jim McFarlane Sr, President of ISE in Vancouver. I worked for Jim in the very early days of ROVs. Whilst I had been on manned sub ops for two years, his knowledge of design and concept from first principles has stood me in good stead ever since and has enabled me to develop my own company along these essential parameters.

Thanks for checking on us. We are doing well, and the Hammerhead has been working great - ISE builds a solid vehicle.

ROPOS performance has been outstanding. It has required little maintenance and most time, when in the water, has been dedicated to science equipment installation, removal and repair.

I just wanted to thank you for the great ROV Handbook you generated. At the ROV conference in Florida, I picked up a copy at the ISE booth and thought you did a real find job in collecting all the formulas you would (and probably still do) come up with during sea trials to explain system performance, and design criteria... Looking through the wide range of unique systems that ISE has put together is proof that your manufacturing goals of specialized systems is valid in our industry.

In the relatively short time that Eastport International has owned this system (HYSUB 25 ROV), we now receive "request to bid" packages specifying the HYSUB 25 as the primary system. In fact we have had a client state in the bid proposal to us that if the HYSUB 25 was not available they would elect to use another ROV contractor. This type of notice from an offshore operator has previously been unknown in the oilfield. The outstanding reliability and versatility, together with the support that Eastport International has experienced with this system has shown me, that not only do we purchase an ROV system from International Submarine Engineering, we become a member of an engineering and support team.

I understand International Submarine Engineering Ltd has received the Distinguished MTS Compass International Award, and for this accomplishment I am pleased to congratulate you. I understand that your peers have awarded you this prestigious award for the second time.

You have shown great leadership in the field of undersea development, robotics and remotely operated vehicles. This distinguished award will go well with your most impressive collection of industry awards.

The absolutely exciting news is that ROPOS has been working successfully at a water depth of 4900m off Alaska continuously for the past 14 hours. In addition, we found the most interesting venting communities yet at a subduction zone setting. We are exhilarated; everybody did an outstanding job.

Thanks to the brilliant organization of the ISER team, the demos have been a full success with more than 30 foreign guests from 16 countries. All were impressed by what they have seen, and we have created or improved links with them.

I would also like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to both yourself and your company for the swift and expert attention to our problem... We are pleased that this episode has given us the opportunity to work with ISE at long last and you may be assured that we will be calling upon its services again in the future.

This is to formally thank you and everyone on your team for the excellent work performed by ISE on the MCDV program. The MIN payload has met all its requirements with flying colors including finishing ahead of schedule. Considering the differing products and cultures between MDA and ISE, I think we can by very proud of the excellent working relationship established on this program.

I believe your personal leadership has a large part in this. While I know you will be the last to take the credit for this, I think credit should be given where credit is due. I would also like to thank ISE for the cooperation and assistance been given to us from a marketing perspective in the USA. This is a further example of the cooperation between our two companies, and I look forward to doing more business with you in the future.