DELIVERED BUILD

Research Catamaran

A purpose-built research catamaran whose twin aluminum hulls give scientists a quiet, level deck for sonar, coring, and ROV work across the continental shelf.

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Hull: H-245
Class: Catamaran Class
Client: Gulf Marine Institute
Delivered: 2024
LOA: 82 ft

§ 01OverviewHull H-245

The brief, and how we answered it

The Gulf Marine Institute needed a mobile laboratory that could hold a precise line in a seaway while sensitive instruments ran for hours. A monohull rolls; a catamaran does not — so the geometry chose itself.

We built two fine, low-drag hulls bridged by a wide working deck and a wet lab, with a moon pool and an A-frame for deploying coring gear and ROVs. Hull-mounted transducer pockets keep sonar arrays in clean, bubble-free water.

Quiet was a spec, not a nicety. Resilient engine mounts, a faired running gear package, and a fuel-efficient cruise profile let the science team gather acoustic data the old boat simply drowned out.

Challenges Solved

A rolling monohull ruined the data

Instruments need a level, predictable platform. The institute's old monohull rolled enough to corrupt long sonar runs and cut survey days short.

No deck for over-the-side work

Coring and ROV deployments had nowhere safe to launch and recover. The new boat needed a true working deck built into the design.

§ 02The BuildCatamaran Class

A laboratory you can take offshore

Research catamaran wet lab being outfitted

Hull H-245

The wide bridgedeck carries a climate-controlled wet lab, a moon pool, and an A-frame, while transducer pockets keep the sonar arrays in clean, bubble-free water.

Moon pool and A-frame for coring and ROV work
Hull-mounted transducer pockets for clean acoustics
Climate-controlled wet lab with 8 instrument stations

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§ 03SpecificationsABS / USCG reviewed

Built to spec, down to the weld.

Research Catamaran side elevation blueprint — Hull H-245Catamaran Class82 ft

Length Overall82' 0"

Beam30' 0"

Draft3' 8"

Hull Material5086 Aluminum

PropulsionTwin 800 HP

Cruise Speed22 Knots

Lab Area340 sq ft

Endurance5 Days

§ 04The Outcome

A stable platform that extended the survey season

The catamaran's level ride let the institute keep crews and instruments working in conditions that once sent them home. Survey days per year rose sharply, and the quiet hull opened up acoustic studies that weren't possible before.

Survey Days / Year: +38%
Deck Roll: Under 2°
Instrument Stations: 8

§ 05Project Gallery4 frames