This is our research vessel under construction. It is composed of welded steel. The shell is 10 gauge steel (a little over one eight inch) and the frames are three sixteenths by two inch flats. It is 26 feet long and will displace 12000 pounds. The range is 800 miles with 150 gallons of fuel and 50 of water. The draft is 25 inches. It has a nice bathroom with privacy guaranteed. It is fully insulated and can easily be heated and cooled.
It was designed to provide a comfortable, stable environment for deploying the BROV in near shore and inshore waters. The interior is roomy and provides plenty of dimly lit space for the computer and instrumentation suit while providing a steering and navigating area with excellent visibility out the seven forward windows.
The stern is equipped with a five foot wide ramp to the water line and a crane to facilitate handing of over-the-side equipment. The entire rear wall can be folded away in sections to provide access to the rear deck. This boat is nearly completed with essentially details to finish up.
The engine was purchased new in Oct. 2000 and was installed in 2003. It is 50 HP with a huge 2:1 reverse gear and it weighs 1500 pounds. It is 200 cubic inch and normal RPM will be about 1800. This engine is made by the Shanghai Tractor and Internal Combustion Engine Corp. Everything about it is two or three times bigger and heavier than any other engine of similar horsepower. It is a truly amazing engine.
