Swath Research Vessel Evaluation Study

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This project will evaluate the characteristics and capabilities of the world's largest SWATH ship, the Japanese vessel KAIYO. Because of its superior seakeeping characteristics, the SWATH (Small Waterplane Area Twin Hull) is of considerable interest to the oceanographic community as a platform for ocean science research. The SWATH shows promise of taking science into adverse sea conditions currently inaccessible to conventional monohull designs. This study will be the most extensive SWATH performance evaluation ever conducted. It will examine the ship's structural integrity, its acoustic and vibration transmission characteristics, its sea keeping and maneuvering ability in a variety of sea conditions including validation of and correlation with scale model tank tests. It will evaluate the ship's utility as a platform for a variety of ocean science research and the long term effects of the SWATH's motions on personnel. The project will gather data on SWATH ship design essential to long range planning for new ship construction and to the proper and safe management of the academic research fleet. The knowledge gained will be of great benefit to ocean science planning and assessment activities of National Science Foundation, the Office of Naval Research, the Naval Sea Systems Command, other Federal agencies, the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System and the academic science community. Through a Memorandum of Understanding between the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) and the National Science Foundation (NSF), NAVSEA will provide funds to NSF for this "SWATH RESEARCH VESSEL EVALUATION STUDY" to be carried out under the direction of Dr. George D. Grice, Associate Director of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution will be responsible for overall project management including subcontracts to provide engineering and technical expertise.