Oceanographic Research
The R/V Shearwater is a 77-foot hydrofoil-assisted aluminum catamaran built to support scientific research in coastal waters. The vessel was designed by Teknicraft in New Zealand and constructed by All American Marine in Bellingham, WA to UNOLS standards. The Shearwater was delivered to Duke University in 2019 and is home-ported at the Duke Marine Lab in Beaufort, NC. The Shearwater has everything one would expect of a regional-class research vessel including wet and dry labs and a galley.
The vessel can cruise at speeds of up to 22 knots to take advantage of brief weather windows. It can accommodate a science party of 8 comfortably for overnight cruises and 30 for day trips. Trip endurance is dictated primarily by fuel availability, which is dictated by vessel speed. All research operations are supported by an experienced captain, mate, and marine technician. The Shearwater is designated as an Oceanographic Research Vessel by the U.S. Coast Guard and is part of the UNOLS non-ARF vessel inventory.
The Shearwater was designed intentionally to support studies of biological, chemical, and physical oceanographic processes, marine archaeology, and marine biology. The vessel has a covered flying deck that is suitable for marine mammal and seabird surveys, radio tracking, and observational work. The vessel is capable of deploying and retrieving a variety of oceanographic equipment, including gliders, buoys, hydrophone arrays, and acoustic recording packages.
The R/V Shearwater can also be used as a classroom-at-sea to provide students at all levels with an immersive hands-on experience that enhances traditional classroom learning. The Duke University Marine Lab offers an annual RFP to make the vessel available for cruises of up to five days of fully funded research led by teams of Duke undergraduate and graduate students. An example of the type of the type of research generated from these student-led cruises can be found here.
The vessel has been chartered by researchers from a variety of academic institutions, including the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the Scripps Institute of Oceanography, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, East Carolina University, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Institution, and many others. Funding for these cruises has come from the NSF, NOAA, BOEM, and the Department of Defense.
The R/V Shearwater is managed by the marine operations group at the Duke University Marine Lab in Beaufort, N.C. An affiliation with Duke is not required for groups to charter the vessel and we encourage enquiries from interested research organizations.
High Speed
The R/V Shearwater has a maximum speed of 22 knots to take advantage of brief weather periods suitable for offshore work. Typical cruising speed is 8 – 12 knots. The vessel carries 1500 gallons of fuel; charter rates do not include fuel.
Cost Effective
We designed the R/V Shearwater to have a very affordable daily charter rate for users at Duke and for external charter parties. Daily charter rates are significantly lower than that of most comparable research vessels. Please visit our Rates page for pricing details.
Seaworthy, Stable Operation
The catamaran design results in a smooth, comfortable ride and a stable platform for conducting research.
State of the Art Instrumentation
The R/V Shearwater has a large working deck, an A-frame, winches, a crane, and a 16-foot Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat (RHIB). Onboard scientific equipment includes a CTD and an EK-80 scientific echosounder system. The enclosed main deck space includes separate wet and dry labs and a flow-through sea water system.
Charter the R/V Shearwater
The R/V Shearwater is available for charter by both internal (Duke) and external users.
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