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Welcome to the R.V. CELTIC EXPLORER
Immersive 360 Virtual Degree Tour.
The R.V. Celtic Explorer is a 65.5m multi-purpose research vessel run by the Marine Institute.. The Celtic Explorer is suitable for fisheries acoustic research, oceanographic, hydrographic and geological investigations as well as buoy/deep water mooring operations and remotely operated vehicles (ROV) surveys.
The vessel is based in Galway, Ireland, which is ideally located as the gateway to the Atlantic and enables the Celtic Explorer to facilitate both national and international research and exploration with ease.
The Duty Mess is used by the crew when on duty and the vessel is transiting between survey stations.
Personal storage space is available for the crew and the scientists in the Locker Room.
Medical assistance can be provided in the hospital. The Hospital has a stretcher, first aid kit and an oxygen supply.
A bath is also available for treating hypothermia. The ship’s captain has a high degree of medical training to provide treatment in case of emergencies.
The Crows Nest is used for Cetacean observations. Marine Mammal Observers (MMOs) use this area to search and monitor whale, dolphin and porpoise activity.
The Marine Satellite Broadband system allows email and internet usage as well as WiFi access for phones and laptops. Telephone calls are also made using this system.
Iridium satellite phone is used as a back-up communication system. GMDSS, VHF and HF radios are used for communicating with other vessels and the shore.
The Dry Laboratory is a 75m2 space used for data acquisition across a range of scientific disciplines. Oceanography research, Seabed mapping & Fisheries echosounder surveys are primarily carried out here.
Scientists can view meteorological variables, e.g. wind speed and direction, using the NOAA Scientific Computer System (SCS).
The Celtic Explorer has an endurance of 35 days. This means it can stock enough freshwater and produce to stay offshore for 35 days. The store contains the dry goods section and freezer space.
These are the vessels hydraulic power packs which provide hydraulic power for all the vessels hydraulic systems.
Dual Kelvin Hughes ECDIS, Maxsea and OLEX plotters are the systems used to navigate the vessel and plan science activity.
Depth measurements are displayed using the ‘Skipper GDS 101’ depth sounder and the Furuno FCV 1200L echosounder.
The Celtic Explorer can accommodate up to 35 personnel: 20-22 scientists, 13-15 crew, depending on operational requirements.
Scientists’ quarters: 9 double berth cabins, 4 single cabins. All cabins are en-suite.
Equipment available in the Work Shop includes a lathe, milling and drilling machine, hydraulic press, band saw, welding machine, workbench with vice, portable power tools and a comprehensive tool kit.
The Meeting Room is used by the chief scientist & scientific personnel to discuss survey plans and progress.
Scientists can use the meeting room for Presentations & Q&A sessions. Post cruise meetings are held here at the end of surveys.
The Dynamic Positioning Station is a computer-controlled system which automatically maintains a vessel’s position and heading by using its own propellers and thrusters.
Position reference sensors, combined with wind sensors, motion sensors and gyrocompasses, provide information on the vessel’s position, magnitude and the direction of environmental forces.
The Drop Keel is a large well in the middle of the ship which allows a large 3 metre long “keel” to be lowered into the water. Sensors are located on the drop keel to gather scientific data e.g. fisheries echo-sounder transducers for assessing quantities of fish below the vessel and multibeam echo-sounders for mapping the seabed.
The Drop keel is lowered into the water column by a winch and can be lifted clear of the water to allow new sensors to be fitted. The drop keel is 3 metres below the bottom of the hull which allows the sensors to operate in undisturbed water in bad weather.
The Chief Scientist is responsible for the overall execution of the scientific programme as laid out in the pre-cruise plan/sailing instructions.
During the course of the survey the Chief Scientist oversees the scientific operations and adapts/adjusts the programme if he/she sees necessary in order to obtain maximum scientific value. The Chief Scientist may modify the cruise programme freely to suit conditions taking best possible advantage of weather and unexpected observations.
An Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) is available in the chief scientist’s cabin for keeping track of survey progress.
These are the vessels main Direct Current (DC) propulsion motors. These are used to drive the ship’s propeller.
The vessels Engine Room has three engines: 2 x Wartsila 9L20 and 1 x Wartsila 6L20.
The vessel is acoustically silent (ICES 209) which minimises fish avoidance and provides an ideal environment for the collection of high quality acoustic data.
Additional Storage space on the vessel.
The Gym has a treadmill, rowing machine, exercise bike, spinning bike, free weights and sauna available for use.
The Crows Nest Lower houses the Radarscanner which allows the vessel to monitor shipping traffic and aids navigation in times of poor visibility.
The Bosun Store is the ship’s main storage space for items such as ropes, bridles, nuts, bolts, shackles and life jackets. The deck crew members or Able Seamen (ABs) operate from this area.
The deck crew are responsible for all operations on the deck such as shooting and hauling fishing nets, deploying scientific equipment and setting up/repairing of nets and scientific equipment.
The Aft Deck area is a 165m2 space comprised of non-slip painted steel. It has the capacity to carry 7 x 20ft containerised labs.
Support systems include 220VAC, 400VAC (300kW), LAN, phone, seawater, freshwater and waste drain.
The SBE 911 CTD with SBE 32 Carousel is used in physical and chemical oceanography surveys. The unit can be lowered to 6000 metres depth and provides a real-time readout of Conductivity, Temperature and Depth as it descends.
The carousel is fitted with 24 sampling bottles which are triggered to capture a sample of water at any desired depth.
The treatment and analysis of samples is carried out in the Chemistry Lab. Facilities available include 6 gas lines and a laminar flow fume hood.
The Central Console is the main area used for controlling the vessel. This is where the main propeller, bow thruster and stern thruster controls are found.
The vessel is also steered from this position and all vessel alarms are located here in easy reach of the vessels officers.
The Water Lab is used for analysing water samples retrieved from different depths using the CTD. Available facilities include a Smart2Pure purified water system and a glassware dryer.
The Wet Laboratory is a 70m2 space and scientific operations include fisheries sampling, oceanography research, benthic ecology & microbiology.
The fish lab has a conveyor belt sorting system, a walk-in freezer room, 1 x 60kg weighing scales, 3 x 15kg weighing scales, four work benches and LAN connections.
There are Two lounges on board both with Sky+ TV, DVD and VCR.
The Enclosed Forecastle area is where the anchors are operated from using windlasses.
The vessels mooring lines are secured here. This space also contains the vessels emergency generator.
The Port & Starboard Controls are used to control the vessel when coming alongside when in harbour.
There are Two lounges on board both with Sky+ TV, DVD and VCR.
The Winch Cab is the area where the crew control the winches and deck equipment.
The broad view of the deck ensures operations are conducted safely.
Engine Control Room is where the engineers monitor and control the vessels generator and propulsion systems.
The ship’s canteen is known as the Messroom. Mealtimes take place three times a day.
The ship’s kitchen is known as the Galley. There are two cooks onboard the vessel, who cook for up to 35 personnel and can cater for any special dietary requirements.
Controls
In order to navigate through the R.V. Celtic Explorer Virtual 360 Degree Virtual Tour the user will need to use certain buttons in order to do so. Please familiarize yourself with the Navigation Buttons before entering the Virtual Tour.
Research Vessel Operations
Marine Institute,
Rinville,
Oranmore,
Co. Galway
H91 R673
Tel: +353 91 387200 Fax: +353 91 387201
Electronic measuring boards are used to collect length data from a variety of fish species.
Otolith (inner ear bone) removal takes place here, along with the collection of weight and biomass data for each species.
The -80°C freezer is primarily used for storing deep-sea species.
Three fridges available for storing samples.
The catch is transferred into the wet lab from the fish hopper using a conveyor belt system.
Scientists line up along the conveyor belt and can sort the catch into species specific boxes.
Midship crane has a 16TM with a 2 tonne hook load
The Aft crane has a 6 tonne SWL at 15m.
The Hydrographic Winch is used for deploying grabs, corers and plankton nets to a depth of 2000m.
The Drop Camera winch is fitted with a fibre optic cable which is used for deploying a drop camera which sends live images of the seabed to the vessel from as deep as 2700m.
Headline transducer winch is located on the Starboard Gantry. The headline transducer allows scientists and crew to observe the movements of the fishing nets.
Forward crane has a 1.5T SWL at 10M
The “Tom Crean” is a 5.5 metre heavy duty workboat with 82hp inboard diesel engine which is operated from the R.V. Celtic Explorer via a heave compensated davit.
▪ The “Tom Crean“ is fitted with VHF radio, navigation lights, GPS, depth sounder as well as all required safety equipment .
▪ The “Tom Crean” is to be operated by suitably qualified ship’s crew only.
The MOB Boat is a 4.3 metre inflatable boat which is used for rescue operations in the event of a man overboard.
A MUSTER DRILL is conducted prior to embarking on a voyage. SECOND MATE sounds an alarm & scientific personnel gather at the muster station.Crew members go through escape routes and the correct emergency procedures and provide life jackets.
This prepares scientists for SAFE EVACUATION in the event of an emergency.In the event of an abandon ship, the crew board the life rafts from the muster station.
This CTD Winch is used for deploying the CTD unit. The winch holds almost 7000 metres of wire to allow the CTD to reach the deeper depths of the ocean while measuring conductivity, temperature and salinity.
The winch has a passive heave compensation system which enables the CTD work to be completed even in very rough sea conditions.
The A-frame has a 25 tonne Safe Working Load (SWL) with a 4m outboard and 4m inboard reach and a 10.5m clearance from deck.
Moveable aft pins are located below the A-frame.
The Holland 1 Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) is an underwater survey and science tool designed for deployment from the Celtic Explorer and other vessels of opportunity. The Holland 1 has a depth rating of 3000m.
The entire system consists of an SMD Quasar work class hydraulic ROV, Tether Management System (optional), A-frame launch and recovery system and a deep-water winch. The ROV system is controlled from a 20’ control room and comes with a fully equipped 20’ workshop container.
The ROV Holland 1 was purchased in 2008 with the support of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). It was supplied by Soil Machine Dynamics (SMD) of Newcastle, UK.
The ROV is designed for deployment from the Marine Institute vessel RV Celtic Explorer primarily but can also be deployed from other vessels which fulfil certain requirements such as dynamic positioning, USBL system, deck capacity for 2 x 20' containers and 9m x 4.5m A-frame and winch. Download Celtic Explorer/ROV brochure.
The system has been equipped with a survey skid to accommodate a wide range of scientific equipment including various biological and sediment sampling systems.
It has seven and five function manipulators and a high definition camera system (video and stills) as well as powerful lighting to ensure high quality observation and documentation of sea floor images. The ROV is designed to be used in Tether Management System or live boating mode.
The ROV is also equipped with a high level of auto control features including auto hold which is invaluable in the completion of delicate scientific tasks.
Navigation systems available include QINSy navigation software, Seapath 330+, C-Nav DGPS, Sonardyne Ranger 2 USBL and iXBLUE GAPS USBL.
Other software systems available include the EA600 hydrographic single-beam echosounder (ship’s sounder), ADCP, K-Sync, ECDIS monitors and CTD operating software.
The EK60 and the SP70 echosounders are used during fisheries acoustic surveys. The EK60 can operate seven echo sounder frequencies simultaneously ranging from 18 to 710 kHz.
The SP70 is a long range, low frequency fish finding sonar. It can operate from 20 to 30 kHz. The fisheries acoustic station allows scientists to view shoals of fish and carry out data processing.
Workstations for EM1002/EM2040/EM302 multibeam echosounders. The EM 1002 operates at a frequency of 95 kHz and allows for high-resolution mapping in shallow, coastal waters to 1000 meters.
The EM 2040 is a high-resolution, shallow water echosounder which has an operating frequency ranging from 200-400 kHz. The EM 302 is a full ocean depth multibeam system with a normal operating frequency of 30 kHz.
The T Frame is used to allow equipment to be deployed over the side of the vessel.
It has a 10 tonne Safe Working Load (SWL) and a 3m reach.
These large net drums are used to store and operate demersal and pelagic fishing nets.
This is the General Purpose Winch. It is the vessels main winch for deploying equipment over the stern.
It holds 3500m of dynex cable for deploying heavy grabs and corers.