Halter Marine Launches R/V Roger Revelle

In late April, Halter Marine, Inc. christened and launched the R/V Roger Revelle, the U.S. Navy's newest oceanographic ship, from its Moss Point, Miss. yard. Scheduled to be completed this month, Roger Revelle will be operated by the Scripps Institute of Oceanography of the University of California, San Diego, as an all-season, general purpose, oceanographic ship in coastal and deep waters.

The vessel is 274 ft. (83.5 m) long and has a diesel-electric propulsion system with three 715 kW and three 1500 kW diesel generators integrated to provide power for propulsion and ship service electrical systems. The ship is equipped with a dynamic positioning system which provides automated precision trackline and stationkeeping capability.

Roger Revelle has the capacity to tow large scientific packages and vehicles (10,000 lbs. tension at five knots), and has more than 4,000 sq. ft. of space for various scientific labs. Typical scientific missions will include physical, chemical and biological oceanography, multi-discipline environmental investigations, ocean engineering, marine acoustics, marine geology and geophysics, and survey tasks.

This vessel is the second oceanographic ship built by Halter Marine for the Scripps Institute. The namesake of the vessel, Roger Revelle, was a distinguished scientist, scholar, wartime naval officer, a creator of the Office of Naval Research, the officer in charge of what is currently Naval Sea Systems Command, director of the Scripps Institute, and founder of the University of California at San Diego. His widow, Ellen Revelle Eckis, christened the ship in his honor.

Halter Marine is part of The Trinity Marine Group, a group which includes 19 U.S. shipyards. For more information on Halter Marine Circle 61 on Reader Service Card