VESSEL REVIEW | Melite – Research and training newbuild for French engineering school

French multi-disciplinary engineering school ENSTA Bretagne recently welcomed a new boat to its fleet of hydrographic survey vessels.

Melite was built by local company ACEBI to a design by Netherlands-based Stormer Marine as a replacement for Panopee, an earlier boat in the ENSTA Bretagne fleet. Like its predecessor, the newer boat will be used to train hydrographers and oceanographers as well as operate in a secondary role as a marine research platform capable of deploying robotic vehicles and underwater sensors in the Iroise Sea off Brittany.

Measuring 10 by three metres, Melite is larger than Panopee, allowing a maximum of 10 personnel to be embarked whereas the older boat was limited to carrying no more than five. The new boat also offers greater space for equipment while the modular layout allows various operational configurations to be accommodated depending on mission requirements.

A draught of only one metre – including the propeller – means the newer boat can more effectively perform seabed mapping missions in shallow coastal areas. The flat-bottomed hull meanwhile ensures greater stability for students to more easily move about on board. The electronics suite includes a Raymarine radar, a GPS, an inertial navigation system, a multibeam sonar, and various underwater sensors needed for research and seabed mapping.

Power is provided by two Yamaha 223kW outboard engines, which is an adequate installation for training and research trips beyond the confines of Brest Harbour. The outboards can also propel the boat to a maximum speed of 30 knots.

Displacing only approximately five tonnes, Melite is also transportable by trailer, allowing greater flexibility in deployment to work and training sites off the coast.

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