Bellingham shipbuilder awarded a contract for this NOAA research vessel
Bellingham shipbuilding company All American Marine has been awarded a contract to build a 52-foot-long research vessel for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
NOAA will use the boat as a multipurpose research vessel off the coast of Sapelo Island, Georgia, in the Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary.
The vessel will be able to hold up to 18 people and will be used to conduct seafloor mapping, characterize habitat, collect data and monitor the health of ocean species and marine wildlife, according to a news release from All American Marine.
“This vessel will expand Gray’s Reef environmentally focused research activities and will aid them with their conservation efforts in the southeastern United States,” All American Marine President and COO Ron Wille said in the news release.
The boat’s design will feature elements from another boat recently built by All American Marine, ‘Storm Petrel,’ which was made for use by NOAA in the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary off the coast of Washington.
The vessel will be built with 250 square feet of working space, features for secure gear placement on the deck and capabilities for smooth launching of scientific equipment.
It will also include a wet laboratory for examining specimens, a dry laboratory for processing data and temporary living quarters.
The aluminum catamaran hull for this vessel was developed by Nic de Waal of Teknicraft Design in Auckland, New Zealand.
