VESSEL REVIEW | Azimut – Compact and durable survey boat to be operated in Russia's Magadan Port
Russian port operator Rosmorport has taken delivery of a new hydrographic survey boat built by local shipyard Timax.
Azimut (Азимут) is the eighteenth overall vessel to join the current active fleet of Rosmorport's North-Eastern Basin Branch, which is responsible for a number of ports in Russia's Far East. She is also the second vessel from the same series to be handed over to the branch.
The all-aluminium boat utilises a design originally developed for leisure use with enhanced manoeuvrability and a cabin to provide some protection from the elements.
Stable yet highly agile platform for port waters
Azimut has a length of 5.9 metres (19 feet), a beam of 2.2 metres (7.2 feet), a draught of only 25 centimetres (9.8 inches), a depth of one metre (3.3 feet), a payload capacity of 950 kg (2,100 lb), and space for up to six people.
A Marlin 96kW (130hp) outboard motor with a 3,800mm fixed-pitch propeller can deliver speeds of up to 20 knots. A separate 7kW (9hp) outboard mounted on a transom is available for emergency use if the main outboard is inoperative.
The hull has a thickness of four mm on the bottom and three mm on the sides. This makes the boat durable enough to withstand slight bottom contact, ice sludge and harsh conditions, especially in higher latitudes.
A deep V-shaped bottom with a deadrise of 22 degree amidships meanwhile provides a smooth ride and improved stability.
The vessel can also be equipped with a mobile automated survey setup consisting of a chartplotter and both single-beam and multi-beam echosounders.
Part of a growing port and coastal survey fleet
The vessel's dimensions make her trailer-transportable, and she can even be launched into and recovered from the water from a gently sloping unprepared shore with the aid of a specialised trailer.
Azimut will be operated in the waters around the Port of Magadan. Her sister vessel, which was handed over in 2024, is currently performing similar duties for Rosmorport in the waters off the Port of Okhotsk.
