Photo by David Harp, chesapeakephoto.com

R/V Bay Commitment is a 41 ft. aluminum-hulled, multipurpose research vessel based near Annapolis, Maryland. The vessel supports NOAA field operations throughout the Chesapeake Bay. Formerly a U.S. Coast Guard Search-and-Rescue vessel (UTB 41) operating out of Cape Canaveral, Florida, the R/V Bay Commitment was transferred from the Coast Guard to the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Offfice in 2004 to support fisheries and habitat monitoring and assessment surveys in the Chesapeake Bay.

Originally built at the Coast Guard Yard in Curtis Bay, Maryland, in 1976, R/V Bay Commitment has undergone several significant modifications to accommodate a wide array of environmental monitoring and marine research activities. The core missions of the vessel are habitat assessment, including acoustic seafloor mapping; biological assessment, via net sampling for macrofauna; and benthic grab and core sampling for benthic invertebrates. In addition to assessment work, R/V Bay Commitment supports other NOAA activities such as logistics for Chespeake Bay Interpretive Buoy System operations as well as field research demonstration trips for teachers, students, lawmakers, and the public.

 R/V Bay Commitment Technical Specifications

Length: 41 ft.

Beam: 14 ft.

Max Draft: 4 ft.

Displacement: 26,000 lbs.

Power: twin inboard electronically controlled 405 h.p. turbo diesels

Max. Speed: 25 knots

Max. Range: 300 nautical miles at cruising speed

Fuel Capacity: 480 gal. (diesel)

Fuel Consumption Cruising: 27 gph @ 20 knots

Fuel Consumption Working: 3.2 gph @ 5 knots

Typical Crew: 3

Passengers: 11

R/V Bay Commitment is powered by two Cummins QSL-9 electronically controlled turbo diesel engines of 405 hp each. Electrical power is provided by a ONAN 17 kw generator. A hydraulic A-frame and 4500# winch combination on the aft deck provide approximately 1,200 lbs of lift, and is used for deploying nets, grabs, and coring devices, acoustic mapping devices such as side-scan sonar, sub-bottom profilers, dual frequency single beam echosounders, and for servicing CBIBS data buoys.