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RESEARCH VESSELS AND PLEASURE BOATS

Research vessels carry out a number of roles at sea. Some of these can be combined into a single vessel, others require a dedicated vessel.

Fisheries science requires platforms which are capable of towing a number of different types of fishing net, collecting plankton or water

Pic. 17. The French research vessel “Pourquoi pas?”

samples from a range of depths, and carrying acoustic fish-finding equipment. Fisheries research vessels are often designed and built along the same lines as a large fishing vessel, but with space given over to laboratories and equipment storage, as opposed to storage of the catch.

Hydrographic survey vessels are used to conduct hydrographic and seismic surveys of the seabed and the underlying geology.

This information is useful for both producing navigational charts for shipping, and for detecting geological features which are likely to bear oil or gas. These vessels usually mount equipment on a towed structure, for example, air-cannons, used to generate a high pressure shock wave to sound the strata beneath the seabed, or mounted on the keel, for example, a depth sounder.

Oceanographic research vessels carry out research on the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of water, the atmosphere and climate, and as such, are required to carry equipment for collection of water samples from a range of depths, including the deep seas, as well as equipment for hydrographic sounding of the seabed, along with numerous other environmental sensors.

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s the requirements of both oceanographic and hydrographic research are very different to those of fisheries research, these boats often fulfill a dual role. Due to the demanding nature of the work these ships have to deal with, research vessels are often constructed around an icebreaker hull, allowing them to operate in polar waters.

When one speaks about pleasure boats first of all he imagines a yacht, of course. While the word Yacht in the dictionary sense is merely a small boat, in modern use designates two rather different classes of watercraft, sailing and power yachts

Pic. 18. A sailing yacht

(we also must distinguish between racing and cruising yachts). Yachts are differentiated from working ships mainly by their leisure purpose: they are comfortable conveyances owned by the wealthy.

There are many different yacht types depending on their purpose, construction model and propulsion. Here can be named:

1. Day sailing yachts, having no cabin and being designed for hourly or daily use and not for overnight journeys;

2. Weekender yachts, possessing a single "saloon" with bedspace for two or three people;

3. Cruising yachts, being quite complex in design and capable of taking on long-range passages of many thousands of miles. Such a vessel will usually have many rooms below deck. Typically there will be three double-berth cabins; a single large saloon with galley, seating and navigation equipment; and a "head" consisting of a toilet and shower-room. The interior is often finished in wood panelling, with plenty of storage space;

4. Racing yachts, with the light hull but having a deep and heavy bulb keel, allowing them to support a tall mast with a great sail area.

Yacht lengths generally start at 32–35 feet (10–11 m) and go up to hundreds of feet. A mega yacht generally refers to any yacht (sail or power) above 100' or 34 m and a super yacht generally refers to any yacht over 200' or 70 m. This size is small, of course, in relation to say cruise liners and oil tankers.

In recent years, small- to medium-sized private yachts have evolved from fairly simple vessels with basic accommodation into sophisticated and luxurious boats.

Ex. 18. Make up the classification of research vessels and yachts.

Ex. 19. Speak on the topic “Specialized Vessels”.