Just arrived at Dun Laoghaire Marina is a Wildcat 60 multi purpose survey catamaran. The new vessel is the latest in the fleet for the Geological Survey of Ireland (GSI) based at Dun Laoghaire Harbour.
Cork based Safehaven Marine have delivered their Wildcat 60 / 18.5m to the national geological agency for the undertaking of both offshore and shallow water coastal surveys.
Christened ‘Mallet’ the Wildcat 60 is fitted out to undertake multi beam sonar surveys, and is capable of deploying a range of sonar’s through a moon pool in her bridge deck equipped with a hydraulic deployment system. Powered by a pair of Volvo D16 750hp engines she has a 25kts operational speed and 400nm range. Her spacious aft deck is also equipped with a knuckle boom crane, an ‘A’ frame capable of deploying equipment astern through transom gates, a 1,000kg capacity deck winch and she will be capable of RIB deployment. A crew capacity of six to eight personnel are comfortably accommodated in her dual level superstructure incorporating a raided helm position providing excellent all round visibility.
The design also provides full live aboard capabilities with sleeping facilities provided in four below deck cabins. Safehaven’s Wildcat 60 has all weather operational capabilities, reassuring when operating on the exposed Atlantic coast of Ireland.
GSI contributes to environmental protection by providing decision-makers with best available geological information from up-to-date national geological databases.
Having completed in large the mapping of the deep water Atlantic seaboard off the coast of Ireland GSI is now focusing on inshore coastal waters of Ireland and hence the requirement for a new survey vessel capable of undertaking both offshore and shallow water coastal surveys.