Vessels
The Marine Institute operates a vessel fleet for its research, project support and academic programming requirements.
The Narwhal
General Description
- Year Of Construction: 2004
- Length Overall: 11.02 m
- Beam (MLD): 2.7 m
- Crew/Passenger Compliment: 12
- Fuel Oil Capacity: 340L
- Cruising Speed: 30 Knots
- Gross Tonnage: 2.56 t
- Voyage Certification: Small Commercial Vessel
Transport Canada Authorized Voyages: Near Coastal II (Within 20nm of headlands from May 1 to September 30. Restricted to 12 passengers including crew and to 1 metre waves and 15 knot winds – Vessel crew minimum credentials are SVOP certificate, MED-A3 and Radio operator’s certificate).
The Narwhal is a 38’ larger Fast Rescue Craft (FRC) type rigid inflatable boat converted to SmartBay Buoy and near shore Ocean Instrumentation service and support. In 2015 the vessel was equipped with 2@115HP Mercury marine outboards, and is outfitted with radar, plotter, GPS, EPIRB and VHF radios.
The vessel can also be equipped with a small capacity manually operated winch for deploying, recovering, or towing small marine instruments.
The R. V. Gecho II
The R. V. Gecho II is a 9.75 metre (32’) Fibreglass Reinforced Plastic (FRP), decked inshore research vessel custom built in 2009 and equipped with twin 150HP Mercury outboard engines.
Voyage Certification: Small Commercial Vessel
Transport Canada Authorized Voyages: Near Coastal II (Within 20nm off headlands from May 1 to September 30. Restricted to 4 passengers including crew, 1 metre waves and 15 knot winds).
The Gecho II is a highly sophisticated inshore fisheries research vessel custom built for the Centre for Fisheries Ecosystem Research (CFER) to conduct research in coastal bays with unique habitats, inshore spawning and nursery habitats.
The vessel provides CFER with the capability to monitor inshore and offshore species migration and is equipped with:
- two scientific echo sounders with five transducers (four frequencies)
- double global positioning systems
- a bridge echo sounder, radar, very high frequency and Sirius radios
- oceanographic winch and conductivity, temperature and depth sensors
Holyrood Marine Base offers internal and external clients a choice of open or decked small support vessels (with or without certified operators) that are typically used during sea-trials of prototype AUVs/ROVs.
Authorized Voyages: Protected water voyages. These platforms are used to deploy, shadow and recover AUVs/ROVS and other small instruments and transducers, in sheltered waters (inside headlands) within close proximity to port. Users must possess a small craft operator’s certificate and ROC-M radio operator’s certificate.
BOSR Support Vessel
General Description:
The BOSR vessel is a 6.7 metre (22’) aluminum custom built platform for oil spill response training programs.
The vessel is equipped with twin 50 HP Mercury Outboards, power props, Samson post, VHF Radio and extra fuel capacity for heavy load handling/towing.
The Gecho
General Description:
The Gecho is a 22’ decked Fibreglass Reinforced Plastic (FRP) vessel configured with an aluminum frame for mounting various transducers. During Summer 2015 the vessel was refitted for the School of Ocean Technology (SOT) projects in shallow and protected waters bottom mapping.
The Gecho is equipped with a fuel efficient 70Hp Evinrude Ecotec engine and 20Hp backup engine, radar, plotter, VHF Radio and life-saving appliances. A Honda generator is offered for auxiliary power, and the vessel can be retrofitted with a manually operated winch and various mounts for transducers. When not assigned to SOT functions the vessel is available for use by internal and external clients.
