NOAAS Delaware II

I apologize for the lack of a post this past week folks; I have been having pretty serious computer and network issues; it resulted in me having to re-install my operating system which was a pain. But I'm back and up and running with this week's ship: The NOAAS Delaware II, who I was fortunate to be able to visit this week.




Stats from the NOAA site for the Deleware II:

Launched: December 1967
Commissioned: 12 March, 1975
Length: 155 ft
Beam: 30 ft
Draught: 16.6 ft
Displacement: 897 tons
Compliment: 10 crew, 14 scientists max
Speed: 10 kts
Power Plant: 1200 HP GM geared diesel

The NOAAS Deleware II is a Fisheries Research Vessel for the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), a component of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), homeported in Woods Hole, MA. Commissioned in 1975, the Deleware II underwent servicing and upgrades in 1996 which allowed her the capability to operate well into the 21st century. She is currently slated to be decomissioned and replaced in the next 5 years.

The Deleware II is utilized to provide research on a variety of fisheries along the North East coast of the United States, specializing in Georges Bank, off the coast of Cape Cod. She posesses a stern trawl with a variety of nets for research catching, as well as an acoustic profiler and Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) in order to provide scientists with information regarding both fish concentrations and information about currents. She is usually deployed for 2 to 3 week cruises, during which her range allows her to conduct research on fisheries from the coast of main down to the northern coast of North Carolina.