NAVIGATION CAPABILITIES: Furuno GP-150 x 2, DGPS as primary navigation and inputs to dynamic positioning, Furuno Doppler speed log. Furuno 3 and 10 cm radars, Kongsberg dynamic positioning system, Ashtech ADU GPS attitude-sensing system, Simrad Taiyo ADF, Nautronix RS916 combined short- and long-baseline acoustic positioning system, and 2 Sperry gyros.
WINCHES: Markey DUTW-9-11 traction-drum winch with dual storage drums. Normally 15,000 m of 9/16" 3 x 19 trawl wire is on one storage drum and 10,000 m of 0.680" electromechanical cable on the other. Wires over the side lead to A-frame or main deck crane. Capable of fiber optic cable through A-frame.
(One) Markey DESH 5 hydrographic winch, one with 10,000 m of 1/4" 3 x 19 hydrographic wire, one with OR 10,000 m of 0.322" three-conductor electromechanical CTD cable on Lebus grooving. Wire drums are interchangeable; one is stowed while the other is in use. Wires lead over starboard side via retractable hydroboom.
CAST-6/Allied Crane CTD Handling System with 10,000 m of 0.322” three-conductor electromechanical CTD cable on Lebus grooving. Wire leads over starboard side via Allied crane articulating boom.
Assorted portable winch and wire combinations available for cruise-specific requirements.
SUPPORT EQUIPMENT: Main cranes (North American) on starboard quarter, main deck, and on port side, 02 level. Smaller Morgan (HIAB), Marine cranes (2) normally carried on foredeck and fantail. Other locations possible to suit mission. Fritz-Culver A-frame at stern, retractable hydroboom on starboard side forward of staging bay door. DMG 1200 Extension crane on starboard 01 level aft of rescue boat davit.
Extensive (~3,000) bolt-down fittings for securing removable equipment on all decks and inside laboratories (2' X 2' pattern). 1” sockets outside, 1/2” sockets inside.
Uncontaminated seawater supply to all labs.
Through-hull instrument well in staging bay, nominal 24" diam. tube.
Two installed Price A300 compressors provide 1850 psi air for seismic work.
PERMANENT AND REMOVABLE SCIENTIFIC EQUIPMENT: 12 kHz Kongsberg EM122 multibeam echosounder that can record depths up to 12,000 meters; providing bathymetry, and sidescan imagery. Knudsen Engineering 3260 and 320B 3.5/12 kHz singlebeam echosounder sub-bottom profiler. Turo Quoll XBT system used with Sippican Fast Deep XBTs. Currents are measured by RDI 75 and 150 kHz broadband/narrowband ADCP, and 50 and 140 kHz HDSS (High resolution Doppler Sonar System). A comprehensive MET system has several sensors on the forward and main masts for meteorological data, and sensors in the bow thruster room and hydro lab for underway seawater data. (See more in the COMPUTER SYSTEMS section.)
Wired and wireless ethernet as well as a point-to-point serial network (SIS - Science Information System) exists. Ethernet and serial feeds are available in the science laboratory spaces.
For computer capabilities, see COMPUTER SYSTEMS.
The ship has a fine-adjust temperature-controlled laboratory to facilitate chemical analyses, also freezer and temperature-controlled walk-in chambers for sample storage/preparation.
Use of isotopes is prohibited in ship's laboratories. Isotope isolation vans are available by request.
An extensive inventory of instrumentation and technical services is available, e.g., dredges, coring equipment, plankton nets, trawls, CTD/rosette systems, MOCNESS systems, single and multichannel seismic systems, submersible strobes and transmitters, etc. A user fee to recover expenses for operating supplies, calibration, maintenance and repair is typically charged for each of these.
VANS: Numerous vans can be carried, on main deck (with access to hydro lab), 01 level port side, forward on 02 deck (for storage).
COMMUNICATIONS: HiSeasNet C-band satellite system, FleetBroadBand back-up system, VHF, HF radio, SSB voice, teletype, GMDSS. Please see our contacts web page for current phone numbers.
HiSeasnet and FleetBroadBand systems provide limited bandwidth Internet to the ship. Everyone has Internet access, but is limited by a quota system. There are also public terminals for both science party members and crew members to access the Internet. Some websites and high bandwidth functionality is disabled to maximize the usefulness of the connection. Limited VoIP is available on the ship’s office phone (dependent on availability of HiSeasNet bandwidth). FleetBroadBand also provides a satellite phone service, though a calling card must be purchased before the cruise.