Page 55: of Marine Technology Magazine (March 2025)

Courtesy Captain Sid Hynes ment, reducing risks and ensuring stable installations with ering underwater structures, particularly in deep waters where considerable savings on Capex and Opex. visibility is limited and every small ? uctuation in data can im-

For offshore infrastructure inspections, multibeam echo- pact survey outcomes.

sounders provide data that assists in monitoring pipelines, For commercial users, the ability to achieve near-survey- cables, and underwater structures. The application of Norwe- grade heave accuracy without the need for RTK (or more ex- gian Subsea MRUs ensures that this data remains highly ac- pensive MRUs) is potentially game changing, or at least a pos- curate even in dynamic sea conditions. Marine researchers, itively disruptive force. WASSP’s integration of Norwegian often constrained by limited grants and government budgets, Subsea’s MRU has now made this level of performance acces- will bene? t from the ability to study deep-sea ecosystems with sible to a much wider audience. By providing a cost-effective greater precision while keeping costs lower than ever before, alternative to high-end motion sensors, this collaboration is ultimately enhancing conservation efforts. enabling more operators to conduct precision surveys without

And while this MRU technology is only now coming to sub- the traditional barriers of cost and technical complexity.

sea data circles, it is well proven in other applications. For WASSP’s Nick Fogarty has emphasized the importance of instance, many offshore helideck monitoring systems are making advanced technology accessible to a broader user equipped with Norwegian Subsea MRUs. base, stating that the goal has always been to ensure that high-end capabilities are not restricted to only the most well-

From Shipwreck Hunting to Commercial Solution funded operators.

Sid Hynes originally tested the MRU and multibeam combi- As offshore industries continue to demand greater accuracy nation in one of the most challenging survey environments in and ef? ciency at lower costs, solutions like Norwegian Sub- the world. The Grand Banks of Newfoundland, known for its sea’s MRU are becoming increasingly valuable. With WASSP unpredictable wave patterns and severe weather conditions, now offering the Norwegian Subsea MRU as a recommended presents a unique set of challenges for any surveyor. motion compensation solution, more users than ever can ben-

His work has resulted in remarkable discoveries, including e? t from stable, high-quality multibeam data. Whether for the identi? cation of multiple shipwrecks that had remained deep-water surveying, ? sheries management, or shipwreck undetected for decades. One of his most signi? cant ? nds in- detection, the combination of WASSP’s multibeam technol- volved two sister ships that sank two years apart, located just ogy and Norwegian Subsea’s motion compensation is proving miles from each other. This discovery underscores the critical that cutting-edge performance does not always have to come role that high-accuracy motion compensation plays in uncov- at a premium price.

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