September 30, 2024
BRIX Marine research vessel rendering. Brix image.
BRIX Marine, an aluminum shipbuilding company in Port Angeles, Wash., recently announced pre-construction of a new catamaran research vessel designed for year-round environmental surveys along the Connecticut coast.
The vessel, commissioned by the Long Island Sound Survey (LISS), plays an important role in ocean and water quality research and expands on the work of RV John Dempsey, who has been active in the area since 1990, the statement said. .
The new vessel, built for the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP), is expected to collect critical data that will aid efforts to understand and protect the Long Island Sound ecosystem. This project is funded through the bipartisan Infrastructure Act, which helps fund a state-of-the-art research vessel.
The 44-foot catamaran will feature a full-width walk-around structure and an onboard laboratory, which the shipbuilder says will allow scientists to directly process data from water sampling and trawl operations.
The new lab will be twice the size of RV John Dempsey’s lab, allowing a larger research team to collaborate on important environmental research.
Plan of the new research vessel. BRIX Marine rendering.
The vessel will be powered by two Scania DI13 marine diesel engines, each producing 750 horsepower. The vessel also has a fuel capacity of two 250 gallons.
“Our LabCat hulls have built a reputation for performing on par with much larger vessels, and CT DEEP’s 4416 fits into this same category,” said Perry Knudson, Managing Director, BRIX Marine. says. “We are proud that our boats support science that promotes healthy oceans in Connecticut and the North Atlantic.”
The ship is expected to be delivered by next year.
