Abstract
Marine biologists at Swansea have a new vessel to help
them work effectively in the tough conditions of the
Bristol Channel, which is strongly affected by the
adjacent Irish Sea, with its high waves and strong
currents. RV Noctiluca was officially launched by the
School of Biological Sciences, University of Wales, in
April 2002. This state of art boat was built in Finland
by Mobimar after an innovative design process conducted
with close co-operation with the end-users. RV Noctiluca
is a small diesel-powered catamaran. It is capable of
speeds in excess of 20 knots and at a more modest speed
of 16 knots it has a range of 500 nautical miles. The
vessel provides a "floating laboratory", the deck of
which serves as a highly-flexible working platform from
which a wide range of sampling gear and oceanographic
equipment can be deployed. Catamarans differ from
single-hulled vessels in many ways: two narrow hulls
permit a wide working area and high stability without
making big waves at speed. Dynamic responses of
catamarans in waves are also favourable for marine
survey.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 11 |
| Journal | Ocean Challenge |
| Volume | 13 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| Publication status | Published - 2004 |
| MoE publication type | D1 Article in a trade journal |
Keywords
- ship design
- marine research