RV uKwabelana
R/V uKwabelana is a 13m Category B Lee-Cat, propelled by 2 x 300hp Suzuki Outboards, has ample deck space and is fully equipped for overnight trips. It can carry up to 11 scientists and sleep up to five. Specialised equipment on the vessel includes:
- Davit and winch system to launch and retrieve scientific instruments
- Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) to measure ocean currents
- Integrated GPS Echo-sounder to map the seafloor
- ROV station
- CTD station
With a range of approximately 200 nautical miles and a cruising speed of 20 knots marine scientists are afforded the ability to sample the entire coastal ecosystem (physical oceanography, marine geology, phytoplankton, zooplankton, infauna, fish, marine mammals and birds) from near-shore to past the continental shelf.
The vessel is stationed in Port Elizabeth harbour and works mostly in and around Algoa Bay, however, if individual projects require, the vessel can be mobilised to other locations.
Users of the vessel, many of whom use her on a monthly basis for long term monitoring programmes and equipment servicing, while others require less frequent or once off use. Some of the projects include:
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