Java Sea , West Borneo ( CNN ) The start of our 15-hour trip is stunning . Idyllic white sand beaches stretch along the coast of West Borneo , Indonesia . An occasional fishing boat is the only interruption to this part of the largely untouched coastline . A peaceful tranquility that makes the horrors some 100 nautical miles from here seem implausible . As we head out into open waters with an Indonesian Search and Rescue boat , the winds pick up and the waves increase . The weather forecast Sunday was better than previous days -- the crew confirms it is an improvement -- but conditions are still rough . Looking out at the vast expanse of the Java Sea , the crew tries to spot bodies or debris from AirAsia Flight QZ8501 . As I think I might have seen something , it disappears beneath a wave and does not always resurface . Pieces of wood , rubbish or seaweed confuse the naked eye . The challenge of spotting debris or a beloved member of a distraught family in these waters is immense . One crew member thinks he spots something , then loses sight of it . But he is convinced enough of its import for the captain to call it in so a larger ship nearby can investigate . Hunt for black box . This ship has a very specific mission . On board is a pinger locator that needs to be delivered to a vessel stationed in Sector 4 of the search zone . A crucial piece of equipment to hunt for the flight data recorder , or so-called black box , without which the mystery of the crash of this airliner may never be solved . But the captain is nervous . Captain Ahmad tells me his boat is not large enough to be in waters this choppy . `` I feel a heavy moral burden , '' he says . `` I have a responsibility to keep those on board safe , but it is so important to help find bodies and debris . '' Ahmad says he 's proud to be a part of this operation , but would not normally bring his boat out for so long in such conditions . Yet the mood is upbeat among the crew . In recent days the weather has forced them to stay along the coastline , scouring for bodies or debris that may have drifted from the crash site . They now seem happy to be able to deliver much-needed supplies to colleagues out at sea . By late afternoon , the target ship comes into view . The Baruna Jaya has been here for days and relies heavily on these deliveries . Transferring equipment from one boat to the other may sound like the most straightforward part of the long day . Far from it . The swell of the sea pushes the ships together with a dull thud as boat-side buoys collide . A crudely taped cardboard box holding the precious acoustic cargo is hastily handed over before the waves push the boats apart again . It is deemed too dangerous for the expert accompanying the equipment to make the jump between ships . An hour-long attempt to transfer the inflatable boat needed to help operate the locator ends in frustration amid rough seas and fading light . As night falls with only half a mission accomplished , the deflated crew turns for port determined to try again tomorrow . They 'll have a few hours sleep ahead of another long day.​ .
Paula Hancocks heads out to the search zone off West Borneo in rough seas looking for any debris or remains of AirAsia Flight QZ8501 . This particular ship is also delivering equipment to help to locate the crashed airliner 's flight data recorder . Rough sea conditions in the Java Sea have hampered the search , frustrating search crews .