Leg 178 began when the JOIDES Resolution docked in Punta Arenas, Chile, on 6 February 1998, three days earlier than scheduled. The Leg 178 technical crew boarded the vessel on the morning of 9 February for crossover activities with the off-going crew. On 12 February we departed Punta Arenas with a ship's complement of 111: 66 Sedco and 45 Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) representatives. The technical staff consisted of 17 members, and one additional technician joined the cruise: Roberto Laterza transferred from the Polar Duke on 26 February after successfully recovering a current meter that had been deployed the previous year. He participated as a marine laboratory specialist for the remainder of the leg. Four of the 18 technicians sailed for their first time on the JOIDES Resolution. Leg 178 ended on 9 April after a 3660-nmi transit from Site 1103 to Cape Town, South Africa, that took 14 days.