Technology | Vessels | NOAA Ship Ferrel

NOAA Ship Ferrel

The NOAA Ship FERREL was decommissioned on November 21, 2002, and is no longer in service.

At 133 ft in length and displacing more than 450 tons, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) ship Ferrel, was originally constructed to conduct tide and current surveys. In the mid-1980s, the vessel was converted to carry out coastal and estuarine research. Modified from the design for a boat that supplies offshore oil rigs, the Ferrel has twin screws and a bowthruster. These features greatly improve both the ship’s stability and maneuverability. Based in Charleston, South Carolina, the Ferrel works throughout the year on projects along the coastal and inshore waters of the East and Gulf Coasts.

Commisioned in June 1968, the Ferrel has an endurance of 9 days at sea, and a range of 1,200 nautical miles with a cruising speed of 10 knots. The Ferrel carries a complement of three officers, eight crew members, and up to eight scientists.

Science and Research Support

Outfitted as multipurpose platform for coastal oceanographic research, the Ferrel is equipped with both wet and dry laboratory spaces. These facilities allow the Ferrel to adapt to many different types of oceanographic research, including trawling,

water sampling, bottom sampling, and geologic and bathymetric imaging surveys. The wet oceanographic lab has flowing fresh water and seawater, with room to process and analyze samples collected during operations. Though most scientific parties provide their own equipment, the dry oceanographic lab houses a standard suite of electronics. These include a microcomputer, two systems for the analysis of conductivity and temperature at depth (CTD), fish-finding and survey-quality sonar systems, and a digital global positioning satellite (DGPS) data stream. Sidescan sonar and hydrographic data acquisition systems are also available for benthic (ocean bottom) exploration. The Ferrel also has the flexibility to carry and deploy as many as four different launches, ranging from a small inflatable boat for diving to a 23 ft diesel outdrive aluminum vessel.

To conduct over-the-side operations, the various instruments used in the Ferrel’s work are prepared and deployed through the combination of a large open fantail, an aft-mounted crane, a trawl winch and, a moveable A-frame, as well as a davit arm and oceanographic winch located midships.

The Ferrel also has a valuable asset in its crew. The permanent crew members are experienced in deck machinery, research operations, project planning, surveying, and research diving, and assist with every scientific project. Three crew members are certified NOAA research divers who have made more than 400 dives. They are also trained in nitrox diving, which is useful when deeper or longer dives are necessary for a particular project. An onboard dive compressor, 20 scuba tanks, 6 nitrox (enriched air) tanks, and various dive tools provide the capability for a variety of underwater activities that would not be possible with over-the-side techniques.

Navigation and Communications

The Ferrel relies on the most advanced technologies available for navigation and communication. In addition to nautical charts to determine the ship’s whereabouts, the ship utilizes sophisticated navigation and communication electronics, including DGPS and LORAN-C navigation receivers, X-Band and S-Band radar systems, a gyrocompass, gyro steering, and depth sounders. VHF and HF radios, hand-held VHF radios, cellular and Skycell phones, and e-mail are used by scientists and the crew to communicate with other vessels and shore-based operations.

Click here for more information about the NOAA Ship Ferrel, including current research and the vessel’s specifications.

 

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