Page 36: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (December 2012)

36Maritime Reporter & Engineering News Great Shipsof 2012The 3,800-ton Alaska Region Research Vessel (ARRV) R/V Sikuliaq was launched on Oct. 13, 2012, at MarinetteMarine in Marinette, Wis. Sikuliaq (pro- nounced see-KOO-lee-ack) will be oper- ated by the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences for the National ScienceFoundation as part of the University-Na- tional Oceanographic Laboratory System(UNOLS) fleet. The 261-foot global class ice-capable research vessel R/V Sikuliaq was designed by Glosten Asso- ciates."R/V Sikuliaq is one of the most ad-vanced research vessels in the world," said NSF Director Subra Suresh. "Its ca-pabilities to operate in extreme ecosys- tems will serve the science and engineering research communities fordecades to come, while providing oppor- tunities for educators and students tolearn first-hand about the Arctic environ- ment."Sikuliaq is an Inupiat word meaning "young sea ice." "The name 'Sikuliaq' re-flects both our Alaska heritage as well as our focus on arctic research," said UAF Chancellor Brian Rogers.According to Gary Smith of UAF, the Sikuliaq project director, the ship will be available for science operations begin- ning in 2014. UAF's Seward Marine Cen- ter in Seward, Alaska, will be her home port. The vessel will be uniquely equipped for operating in ice-covered waters, with a reinforced double hull, two rotating thrusters, and scalloped propeller bladesenabling it to break through first-year ice up to 2.5 feet thick. The integrated 5,750 HP diesel-electric plant features AC propulsion motors and tractor style Z-drives. ?Sikuliaq?s electric propulsion system makes it exceptionally quiet,? Smith said, ?so it?s an ideal platform for acoustics re- search and observing marine life.? The ARRV was designed to be envi- ronmentally friendly from the keel up, and to ?Incorporate commerciallyavail- able ?Green Ship? technologies to the maximum extent practicable without sig- nificantly impacting the cost of construc- tion or the vessel?s daily rate,? with ?particular attention?placed on alternatefuels and propulsion."It?s also the most accessible research ship, built to ADA standards, with eleva- tors, automatic door openers, handi-capped accessible passageways and heads.According to the NSF, Sikuliaq will op- erate year round in the challenging wa- ters of the Chukchi, Beaufort, and BeringSeas, as well as in the open Gulf ofAlaska, coastal Southeast Alaska, and Prince William Sound, including opera- tions in seasonal ice of up to 3.9 ft. thick.?R/V Sikuliaq will provide a sophisti- cated and significantly larger platform for scientists, graduate, and undergraduate students to participate in complex multi- disciplinary research activities and will enable the training of the next generation of scientists with the latest equipment andR/V Sikuliaq Builder: Marinette Marine Design: Glosten Associates Operator: University of Alaska - FairbanksMR#12 (34-41):MR Template 12/4/2012 2:22 PM Page 36