Kvichak Marine Industries recently constructed and delivered the R/V Bay Hydro II, a 54 ft foil-assisted catamaran, to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which will be based at NOAA’s facility in Solomons, MD. The contract was awarded early last year following a competitive tender process.
NOAA will deploy the all-aluminum, 54 ft x 20 ft catamaran as their work platform for an ongoing, three-part mission:
• Conduct hydrographic surveys to update nautical charts and improve navigation on the Chesapeake Bay
• Utilize as a test platform for NOAA’s charting efforts
• Public relations and educational outreach to schools from elementary to university level
The catamaran is fitted with a 3 ft x 7 ft moon pool cut through the main deck amidships. The moon pool is closed by a sliding structural hatch in the bottom of the tunnel and a top-mounted deck grate when not in use. NOAA will mount their sonar equipment on a retractable strut that is fabricated and installed by Kvichak. Additional sonar equipment includes two hull-mounted Airmar M42 dual-frequency transducers and an Interocean survey winch for towing side-scan sonar equipment.
Obtaining a top speed of about 30 knots, the catamaran is powered by twin MTU 6062 HK31 engines rated for 740 BHP at 2,300 RPM each. The engines are coupled to ZF 360A transmissions that drive Michigan Wheel 5-blade propellers.
Additional vessel features include:
A-Frame davit rated for 2000#
(2) 12KW Northern Lights generators
52,000 BTU/hr HVAC system
Survey acquisition space
1200 gallon fuel capacity
150 gallon fresh water capacity
Full galley
Crew accommodations
(www.kvichak.com)