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Enlarge Image The research vessel Tioga. (Photo by Tom Kleindinst, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)
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Enlarge Image Since its delivery to Woods Hole on April 16, 2004, the coastal research vessel Tioga, shown here approaching the WHOI dock, has been used to collect water samples during harmful algal blooms (“red tides”) and oil spills; to recover autonomous “gliders”; to test and deploy new instruments; to tag right whales with behavior-monitoring instruments; and to provide an introduction to ocean sampling techniques for undergraduates and graduate students. The aluminum-hulled vessel, capable of cruising 20 knots, is nearly twice as fast as the ship it replaced, Asterius, and carries twice the weight. Scientists working in finicky New England weather with heavy, bulky equipment say both attributes are vital to their oceanographic research. (Photo by Tom Kleindinst, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)
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Enlarge Image The nimble and speedy Tioga mostly plies the waters around Cape Cod and Boston, though it has worked as far south as New Jersey. Above, Tioga carried WHOI researchers about 24 miles southeast of Nantucket, Mass. to study a decomposing female finback whale. (Photo by Tim Voorheis, Gulf of Maine Productions)
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Tioga Slideshow
Photo highlights from Tioga's first five years.
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| The newest member of the WHOI fleet is R/V Tioga,
an aluminum hulled coastal research vessel that serves ocean scientists
and engineers working in the waters off the Northeastern United States.
Tioga is solely owned by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
Launched in 2004, this small, fast research boat was designed and outfitted for oceanographic work close to shore. Speed allows Tioga
to operate in narrow weather windows, meaning researchers can get out
to sea, complete their work, and make it back before approaching foul
weather systems arrive.
Tioga can accommodate six
people for overnight trips—including the captain and first mate—and up
to 10 people for day trips. The boat is equipped with water samplers, a
current profiler, and an echo-sounder, used by scientists to conduct
seafloor surveys. Tioga has two winches, including one with electrical
wires to collect real-time data from towed underwater instruments.
Buoys can be deployed using the A-frame on the stern, which is similar
in size to those on WHOI’s large ships.
Since its delivery to Woods Hole in April 2004, Tioga
has been used to collect water samples during harmful algal blooms
(“red tides”) and oil spills; to recover autonomous “gliders”; to test
and deploy new instruments; to tag right whales with
behavior-monitoring instruments; and to provide an introduction to
ocean sampling techniques for undergraduates and graduate students. The
boat has made dozens of trips to WHOI’s Martha’s Vineyard Coastal
Observatory.
Designed in part by Roger Long Marine Architecture of Cape Elizabeth, Maine, Tioga was engineered and built by Gladding- Hearn Shipbuilding of Somerset, Massachusetts.
The name Tioga comes from an Iroquois word meaning “swift current.” It is also a Seneca name meaning “the meeting of two rivers.”
High Speed -- 18 kts Cruising
- Efficient access to coastal waters, including Martha’s Vineyard Observatory, Massachusetts Bay
- Operate within narrow weather windows
- Cost effective use to distances of 150 miles (e.g., New York Harbor, western Gulf of Maine)
Competitive Day Rate
- Cost-effective for instrument testing, coastal studies, education
- Single operator for day trips
- Non-WHOI users please contact scheduler for current rates
Seaworthy, Capable Design and Operation
- Handle coastal moorings - 4,600 lb A-Frame; powerful winch
and capstan
- High-quality diver support - dive platform, big shower
- Tow new instrument systems - versatile fantail, boom
- 3-point moor in moderate sea states
- Endurance - usually 1 day
- WHOI operator expertise
State-of-the-Art Instrumentation
- Flow-through water sampling
- Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP)
- Full Met measurements
- Clean power
- Dedicated Conductivity, Temperature, Depth (CTD), conducting wire win
More about R/V Tioga
» Specifications
» Ship Scheduling
» Ship Layout & Accommodations
» Work Areas
» Scientific Equipment
» Data Archive
» Cruise Planning
» Contact Information
Last updated: January 6, 2010 |
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