Building the Western Flyer

The 1996 Groundhog's Day delivery of the WESTERN FLYER to MBARI was the culmination of many year's planning, frustrations, failures, and ultimate success. The following photos vaguely allude to the complex nature of building a unique, SWATH hulled research vessel. In addition to the the several hundred tons of aluminum, miles of cabling, scads of pumps, motors, computer circuitry, hydraulic systems, protective coating schemes, and general habitability items, the vessel required the close working relationships of MBARI project managers, engineers and the SWATH Ocean Systems Shipyard workers. Truly the WESTERN FLYER follows David Packard's vision of MBARI: "The Institute cherishes the peer relationship between scientists and engineers, and it is a fundamental part of its mission to uniquely nurture this relationship."

Figure 1. Main deck and haunch web frame sections before the struts, pontoons and upper deck sections were attached. October 1993

Figure 2. Struts and pontoon sections (inverted) during initial assembly. January 1994

Figure 3. Bow section on dock before attachment to main deck/haunch and strut/pontoon sections. January 1994

Figure 4. Upper hull and main deck, top view looking aft and starboard with moon pool opening. March 1994

Figure 5. Flattened stern area of starboard pontoon section ("whale's tail") with propeller shaft trunk. August 1994

Figure 6. Forward end of pontoon section with strut. This space will contain ballast tankage and bow thruster compartment, see figure 11. September 1994

Figure 7. Cabin deck area in what will become four staterooms. September 1994

Figure 8. Looking across the pilot house (bridge) as the dashboard takes shape. September 1994

Figure 9. With the vessel on the dock, a view upward through the moonpool area. November 1994

Figure 10. From inside the galley, about where the preparation island now stands, looking out through the service window. March 1995

Figure 12. David Packard getting a first-hand progress report while the vessel takes shape on the pier apron at SWATH Ocean Systems Shipyard, San Diego, California. April 1995

Figure 11. Bow thruster installed inside the forward bow section. March 1995

Figure 13. Ready to be the painted, the Western Flyer is tented to reduce wind effects and prevent environmental contamination. July 1995

Figure 15. Moonpool area with Dynacon Umbilical Handling System crane, through which MBARI's new ROV, Tiburon, will be deployed. February 1996

Figure 16. Western Flyer sea trials, off Moss Landing. May 1996

VESSEL PROFILE

The Western Flyer will serve the oceanographic community as a stable platform for deploying, operating and recovering, a tethered remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to a depth of 4000 meters, conducting hydrocasts (CTD) and other oceanographic activities with state of the art equipment. General ROV operations will, however, be the vessel's primary mission. Vessel operations will typically consist of day voyages having a duration of 12 hours or less and near-coastal voyages of an average duration of three days. Extended voyages of two to three weeks' duration will be infrequent, with three extended voyages being planned over an operational year. The Western Flyer will on occasion be temporarily redeployed to a new home port which, for example, could result in an open ocean transit to a port in Hawaii.

For the first year after delivery of the Western Flyer MBARI will finish: outfitting lab spaces, integrating of the MBARI designed and built ROV Tiburon, and performing operational sea trials in the waters of Monterey Bay. Science missions are planned to commence January 1997.

General Arrangement

Accommodations are provided for a combination of 25 crew members and scientists in 14 staterooms located on the bridge deck. The crew complement is 9 for all voyages and the combination of ROV staff and scientists (16) brings the total vessel complement to 25.

Equipment and Control/Monitoring Systems

The main machinery plant is diesel electric with a common power bus connecting five generators. Any combination of generator operation will provide power for both propulsion and other vessel operations. This design arrangement provides a high level of machinery plant redundancy and operational flexibility. Propulsion power is transmitted through two duplicate drive trains, each consisting of a DC electric motor and fixed pitch propeller. Silicon controlled rectifiers (SCR) are used to convert generated AC power to DC propulsive power. Two electric motor driven bow thrusters are installed to enhance maneuvering and station-keeping.

For more information on the Western Flyer visit our web page at http://www.mbari.org/dmo/