UNCW new state-of-the-art research vessel undergoing sea trials in Pacific Northwest

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — UNCW’s newest research vessel is getting closer to coming to Wilmington’s shores.

UNCW Center for Marine Science has posted several photos and videos online showing sea trials for R/V Osprey.

UNCW officials said the sea trials are being conducted in Bellingham, WA with All American Marine, the developer of the vessel.

The Center’s previous vessel was called the R/V Cape Fear and compared to her, the Osprey is much larger.

Plans to build a new research vessel were first announced in 2024.

R/V Osprey is a catamaran, meaning it has two hulls, and it’s outfitted with a dry lab, a wet lab, 10 bunks, a galley, two bathrooms, a deck crane, an A-frame with 5000 lb. capacity, state-of-the-art marine electronics, acoustic Doppler current profilers and a multibeam sonar system.

“We have something called a WASP system which will allow us to map the bottom so we can go over areas off the coast of North Carolina, see what the bottom looks like, is there a ledge” is there a wreck,” said Ken Halanych, executive director of UNCW’s Center for Marine Science.

He said he’s thrilled about the new vessel.

“Getting this new vessel makes me feel excited, makes me feel hopeful for research, makes me feel like there are some really good things to come down the road because of the awesome opportunity we will have with this amazing resource,” Halanych said.

The Osprey can accommodate up to 30 people at a time, allowing programs like UNCW’s Marine Quest to give K-12 students hands-on learning experiences out on the water.

The vessel is 15 feet wider than the Cape Fear and, combined with its catamaran design, offers a more stable and larger platform to conduct research.

“This is a primary way to study the blue economy. Whether we’re talking about understanding how ocean currents work and how that affects weather patterns, whether we’re talking about fisheries, And understanding how fisheries go up and down,” Halanych said. “Whether we’re talking about understanding the geology of the system and how that affects how everything works. We will be able to study these types of things with this vessel.”

Halanych added that the Osprey will help attract the best and brightest students to the Center.

“The university, and actually the residents of North Carolina have made a large investment in this ship. It is funded by state funds. And so, we will be able to do a number of things with this. Obviously, we will be able to recruit students both at the undergraduate and the graduate level. We will be able to train the next generation of Marine scientists.”

Once UNCW provides approval of the vessel, R/V Osprey will be loaded on a transport ship and travel through the Panama Canal to Port Everglades.

From there UNCW’s crew lead by Captain Jay Styron will bring the vessel home to UNCW’s Center for Marine Science.

While UNCW officials note that transport by sea can have challenges, the university hopes the vessel with arrive in Wilmington in August.