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UD's research vessel one of top ships in North America
1:07 p.m., Nov. 17, 2006--The University of Delaware's 146-foot research vessel, Hugh R. Sharp, is highlighted as one of the top ships built in North America during the past year, in the latest edition of American Ship Review. Hugh R. Sharp is one of seven ships, and the only research vessel, featured in this year's edition. The magazine's “ship of the year” honor went to the Louisiana-based Harvey Discovery, a 265-foot dive-support and well-intervention vessel for the offshore oil industry. UD's new ship was built by Dakota Creek Industries in Anacortes, Wash., and commissioned into service this past May. The vessel is named in honor of the late Hugh R. Sharp Jr., who served for many years on the University's board of trustees and was a staunch supporter of marine research. In the article “The Pickup Truck of Research,” writer Larry Pearson describes how Hugh R. Sharp serves marine scientists as “an all-purpose vehicle, like a pickup truck”--a description coined by Matthew Hawkins, UD director of marine operations. Hawkins oversaw the research vessel's construction and now manages its busy schedule. “The modular design of the vessel allows it to support a wide range of oceanographic disciplines, including chemical, physical and biological sciences, as well as acoustics, fisheries and marine mammal research,” Hawkins says in the article. Also quoted in the article, naval architect David Bonney, president of Bay Marine Inc., in Barrington, R.I., refers to Hugh R. Sharp as “the most complex and technologically advanced ship” his firm has designed, as well as being the most advanced coastal research vessel in the United States. He relates how the project team worked together to achieve one of the vessel's hallmarks--its low radiated noise signature--enhancing the ship's use in studies of fish and marine mammals. Noise Control Engineering in Billerica, Mass., managed the design of the vessel's quiet acoustics, incorporating such features as sound-dampening tiles, “resilient floating mounts” for various equipment, extensive insulation of the hull and the diesel-electric propulsion system that powers the ship. A 12-foot portion of the ship's keel also is fitted with sonar and other sensors that can be lowered several meters below the bottom of the ship, avoiding the noise of the ship traveling through the water. Other unique features spotlighted in the article were the vessel's two laboratory vans, which can be tailored to the particular needs of scientists on a research cruise or be used for refrigerated space or extra berthing. A state-of-the-art dynamic positioning system can hold the vessel at a pinpointed location to collect research data. In addition to the Hugh R. Sharp, the publication featured the 418-foot Coast Guard cutter Bertholf; the 95-foot hovercraft Suna-X, built for an Alaskan village; the 124-foot Warbaby Fox, a new catamaran for Bermuda's ferry service; the 160-foot offshore supply boat Fast Tempo; the 120-foot U.S.-built European “mega-yacht” Vanquish; and Grand Luxe, a 228-foot yacht serving as a floating art and antiques gallery. Professional Mariner has been produced by Navigator Publishing in Portland, Maine, since 1993. The trade publication has a circulation of 26,000 readers. Article by Tracey Bryant |
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