A new catamaran research vessel will soon be handed over to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP).
The custom-built aluminium vessel Sound Outlook will support DEEP's marine research and environmental monitoring operations, particularly in the shallower waters of Long Island Sound.
The newbuild has an LOA of 48 feet (15 metres), a beam of 16 feet (4.9 metres), and two Scania DI13 diesel engines that each produce 750 hp (560 kW). The engines drive two Hamilton HJ403 waterjets and are fed by tanks with a total capacity of 500 gallons (1,900 litres).
The vessel is purpose-fitted for survey and sampling work. The port side of the main cabin houses two laboratory workstations with solid-surface countertops, a stainless-steel double sink, and a dedicated RODI cold-water rinse system. The starboard side provides two survey workstations.
On the roof deck, a Morgan Marine 200.3 hydraulic knuckle crane, two Kolstrand trawl winches, and a Rosette winch support active deployments, alongside a hydraulic A-frame and anchor winch.
A drone deployment pad and forward instrument plate are also integrated into the deck layout.
Navigation systems include three Garmin 8616 multifunction displays on a NMEA 2000 network, an 18HD radome radar, and a Wave WiFi cellular and wi-fi system. A Northern Lights 20kW diesel generator and a Victron MultiPlus inverter-charger provide power independent of shore supply.
Climate control is handled by two Dometic AC units and a Webasto forced-air diesel heater.
Pre-acceptance trials were conducted in Port Angeles Harbor in Washington prior to departure. Final assembly, acceptance trials, and vessel orientation will be completed in Connecticut with two builder's representatives on site.
