NAVIGATION CAPABILITIES: Furuno GP-170 x 2, DGPS as primary navigation and inputs to dynamic positioning, Furuno Doppler speed log. Furuno 3 and 10 cm radars, Kongsberg dynamic positioning system, Ashtech ADU GPS attitude-sensing system, Simrad Taiyo ADF, Portable Kongsberg HIPAP Ultra Short Base Line Underwater Navigation, and 2 Sperry gyros.
WINCHES: Markey DUTW-9-11 traction-drum winch with dual storage drums. Normally 15,000 m of 9/16" 3 x 19 trawl wire is on one storage drum and 10,000 m of 0.680" electromechanical cable on the other. Wires over the side lead to A-frame or main deck crane. Capable of fiber optic cable through A-frame.
(One) Markey DESH 5 hydrographic winch, with 10,000 m of 1/4" 3 x 19 hydrographic wire OR 10,000 m of 0.322" three-conductor electromechanical CTD cable on Lebus grooving. Wire drums are interchangeable; one is stowed while the other is in use. Wires lead over starboard side via retractable hydroboom.
CAST-6/Allied Crane CTD Handling System with 10,000 m of 0.322” three-conductor electromechanical CTD cable on Lebus grooving. Wire leads over starboard side via Allied crane articulating boom.
Assorted portable winch and wire combinations available for cruise-specific requirements.
SUPPORT EQUIPMENT: Main cranes (North Pacific) on starboard quarter, main deck, and on port side, 02 level. Smaller Morgan (HIAB), Marine cranes (2) normally carried on foredeck and fantail. Other locations possible to suit mission. Fritz-Culver A-frame at stern, retractable hydroboom on starboard side forward of staging bay door. DMG 1200 Extension crane on starboard 01 level aft of rescue boat davit.
Extensive (~3,000) bolt-down fittings for securing removable equipment on all decks and inside laboratories (2' X 2' pattern). 1” sockets outside, 1/2” sockets inside.
Uncontaminated seawater supply to all labs.
Through-hull instrument well in staging bay, nominal 24" diam. tube.
PERMANENT AND REMOVABLE SCIENTIFIC EQUIPMENT: 12 kHz Kongsberg EM124 multibeam echosounder that can record depths up to 12,000 meters; providing bathymetry, and sidescan imagery. Kongsberg EM712 multibeam echosounder that can record depths up to 2000m; providing bathymetery, and sidescan imagery. Knudsen Engineering 3260 3.5/12 kHz singlebeam echosounder sub-bottom profiler. Turo Quoll XBT system used with Sippican Fast Deep XBTs. Currents are measured by RDI 75 and 150 kHz broadband/narrowband ADCP, and 50 and 140 kHz HDSS (High resolution Doppler Sonar System). A comprehensive MET system has several sensors on the forward and main masts for meteorological data, and sensors in the bow thruster room and hydro lab for underway seawater data. (See more in the COMPUTER SYSTEMS section.)
Wired and wireless ethernet as well as a point-to-point serial network (SIS - Science Information System) exists. Ethernet and serial feeds are available in the science laboratory spaces.
For computer capabilities, see COMPUTER SYSTEMS.
The ship has a fine-adjust temperature-controlled laboratory to facilitate chemical analyses, also two temperature-controlled walk-in chambers for sample storage/preparation.
Use of isotopes is prohibited in ship's laboratories. Isotope isolation vans are available by request.
An extensive inventory of instrumentation and technical services is available, e.g., dredges, coring equipment, plankton nets, trawls, CTD/rosette systems, MOCNESS systems, single and multichannel seismic systems, submersible strobes, and transmitters, etc. Specific equipment and services can be requested through the MFP.us cruise planning workflow.
VANS: Numerous vans can be carried, on main deck (with access to hydro lab), 01 level port side, forward on 02 deck (for storage).
COMMUNICATIONS: Sealink C/Ku-band satellite system, Fleet Xpress back-up system, VHF, HF radio, SSB voice, teletype, GMDSS. Please see our contacts web page for current phone numbers.
Sealink and Fleet Xpress systems provide limited internet access to the ship. Everyone has Internet access, but bandwidth use is managed through onboard systems. Satellite phone calls are available as needed.