California institute orders new research vessel

The California State Polytechnic University at Humboldt (Cal Poly Humboldt) has placed an order for a new research vessel for use by its marine sciences program.

The vessel will be a semi-displacement aluminium catamaran developed by Teknicraft Design of Auckland, New Zealand.

The vessel will be inspected to US Coast Guard Subchapter T standards and will operate as a multi-purpose research vessel in the near coastal waters of Northern California and Oregon, as well as offshore on ocean routes. The operating speed and fuel efficiency will ensure immediate access to coastal environments and deep-water environments of continental shelves, slopes, and canyons.

The Cal Poly Humboldt research catamaran will also be capable of supporting the offshore wind industry on the US West Coast beginning in the near future. It will be outfitted with a Kongsberg ADCP electronics suite augmented by a fixed WASSP multi-beam system.

The vessel will provide scientists, students, and guests with a state-of-the-art platform, allowing them to access and study a wide array of marine environments.