The FERREL is a highly capable, multipurpose platform for coastal oceanographic research. The FERREL has thirteen permanent crew members and berthing for up to eight scientists. The permanent crew provides their combined experience in deck machinery, research operations, project planning, surveying, and research diving to every scientific project. With two cranes, an A-frame, and two winches, the FERREL can adapt to many different types of oceanographic research, including: trawling, water sampling, bottom sampling, geologic surveys, and bathymetric surveys. She has the flexibility to carry as many as four different launches ranging from a small inflatable boat for diving to a 22-foot gasoline outboard aluminum boat, with a davit arm and winch, for conducting over the side operations in inshore waters. Crew members are trained and certified NOAA research divers. They are also trained in NITROX diving, which is useful when deeper or longer dives are necessary for a particular project. An onboard dive compressor, 20 SCUBA tanks, 6 NITROX tanks, and various dive tools provide the capability to do a variety of underwater activities that are not possible with over the side equipment.

Though most scientific parties provide their own equipment, a standard suite of electronics is available aboard the FERREL. This includes two CTD's, a 450 MHz Pentium PC, fish finding and survey quality sonar systems, and DGPS positioning data stream in the Oceanographic Lab. The Wet Oceanographic Lab has flowing fresh and sea water and room to process samples collected during operations. Ship's navigation and communication electronics include DGPS and LORAN-C navigation receivers, X-Band Radar with an ARPA display, S-Band Radar, gyrocompass, gyro steering, depth sounders, VHF and HF radios, hand held VHF radios, cellular phones, Skycell phone, and E-mail.

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•  Updated: February 19, 2002