All American Marine to Build Research Vessel for Cal Poly Humboldt

Bellingham, Wash. shipbuilder All American Marine (AAM) announced it has been awarded a contract to build a new research vessel for the marine sciences program at  the California Polytechnical Institute at Humboldt (Cal Poly).

The vessel is a 78’ x 26.7’ semi-displacement aluminum catamaran that was developed by Nic de Waal of Teknicraft Design in Auckland, New Zealand.  The vessel will be inspected to U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Subchapter T standards and will operate as a multipurpose research vessel in the Near Coastal Waters of Northern California and Oregon, as well as Offshore on Ocean Routes. 

The vessel integrates the signature Teknicraft Design symmetrical and asymmetrical combined hull shape, bow wave piercer, and a patented dynamic hydrofoil-assisted hull design. The hull and hull components are designed to break up wave action and ensure reduced drag while enhancing passenger comfort. This design is proven to have both low-wake wash energy and increased fuel economy. 

For the operator, the most valuable feature is the excellent fuel economy, which consumes approximately the same gallons per nautical mile throughout the estimated cruising speed of 18-24 knots, with a fuel-efficient survey operation speed of 4-8 knots, fully laden. With a large fuel capacity of 1,600 gallons, this design will be able to hold up to 40 total day passengers, or 14 live-aboard.

“From the outset, our discussions with All American Marine have been highly productive in designing a vessel that is being built specifically to advance our academic vision of educating future scientists, while keeping the latest environmental standards in mind. They have an excellent record designing and building state-of-the-art research vessels to the performance specifications we need on California’s North Coast, and this was a key consideration when we chose them as our builder. Upon completion, this vessel will become the centerpiece of our academic fleet, supporting our marine research and teaching efforts for decades to come, ” said Eric Riggs, Dean, Cal Poly Humboldt College of Natural Resources & Sciences.

The propulsion package includes 2x fixed pitch propellers powered by twin MAN D2862LE438 EPA Tier 4 engines, including a diesel particulate filter (DPF). These engines, rated at 1,182 bhp at 2,100 RPM, are designed to meet current, stringent California requirements. Onboard the vessel, scientists and crew have comfortable live-aboard quarters, large state-of-the-art wet and dry lab spaces, as well as a range of the latest oceanographic equipment with which to conduct a variety of missions.  It will be outfitted with a Kongsberg ADCP electronics suite augmented by a fixed WASSP multibeam system.

Ron Wille, All American Marine President & COO, said, “All American Marine remains on the leading edge of manufacturing techniques and is an industry innovator, merging the latest technology into a functional and proven vessel.  We are thrilled to receive this contract for another multi-mission research vessel that will service a variety of critical missions such as offshore research, oceanographic surveys, and ocean monitoring, as well as informing the emergent offshore wind market on the west coast. This vessel will open a new era of ocean conservation and research capabilities.”