All American Marine to Build Hybrid Ocean Sampling Vessel

All American Marine (AAM) has secured a contract to build a 63-foot hybrid catamaran for the Orange County Sanitation District (OC San).

The Teknicraft Designed vessel, designed to support ocean sampling and scientific research, will feature a hybrid propulsion system powered by Cummins QSB 6.7 engines paired with ABB’s Series Hybrid technology.

The vessel is designed to meet California’s zero-emissions standards, providing 30% of its operational power through a BorgWarner Energy Storage System (ESS), which stores up to 588kW of clean energy.

Built for the Southern California coast, the vessel will enable OC San to carry out environmental monitoring, marine research, and ocean sampling efficiently. Equipped with a Teledyne Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP), an Okeanus dual-drum winch, and a custom-built A-frame, the vessel will handle complex oceanographic research and sample collection. The deck design will accommodate over 10 scientists, and the main cabin offers both a dray and wet lab as well as live-aboard features for extended research missions.

The hybrid catamaran will be built with dual propulsion permanent magnet motors that will receive their power from the ESS. The auxiliary generators that provide charging power are acoustically insulated to minimize noise pollution, providing a quiet work environment for scientists in the wet and dry lab spaces. Additionally, the winch system will allow for accurate deployment of research equipment in offshore environments.

Construction will take place at All American Marine’s facility in Bellingham, WA, where the vessel will be built to meet US Coast Guard Subchapter T standards.

OC San is dedicated to protecting and preserving the marine environment off the coast of Orange County in Southern California. The primary mission of OC San’s Ocean Monitoring Program is to monitor the potential environmental impacts of OC San’s discharge of treated wastewater into the Pacific Ocean, ensuring compliance with local, state, and federal regulations.