RV Belgica (A962)
The Belgica in September 2003
5 2 Container
Germanischer Lloyd
IMO no. 8222563
The Belgica is an oceanographic research vessel, which is operated by the Belgian Navy. Home port is Ostend.
Construction and technical data
The ship was laid on 17 October 1983 at the request of the Belgian Ministry of Science on the Boelwerf in Temse on the Scheldt keel and ran there on January 6, launched in 1984. Godmother was the Belgian Queen Fabiola. It was put into service on July 5, 1984. It is 774 GT and 232 NRZ measured (formerly 765 GRT and 232 NRT) and displaces 1132 tons. The carrying capacity of the ship is 359 tons. The ship is 50.90 m long ( 44.95 m in the water line ) and 10.00 meters wide. The depth is max. 4.55 m.
The drive consists of a six-cylinder four-stroke diesel engine of the Anglo Belgian Company ( Type: 6 MDZC -1000 150 A ) with a power of 1,199 kW, acting on a variable pitch propeller with Kort nozzle via a transmission. The maximum speed is 13.5 knots. The ship, which can travel 5,000 nautical miles at a cruising speed of 12 knots, can remain continuously at sea for up to 20 days.
For the power supply, two Caterpillar diesel generators with a capacity of 275 kW. The ship has hydraulically driven cross beam control systems fore and aft, each with 150 kW.
Features and Tasks
The nautical crew, 15 men, is provided by the Belgian Navy, which is also responsible for the operational deployment and logistical supply of the ship. The ship, the IMO number 8222563 and ID A962.
The scientific work of the Belgica is headed by the " Management Unit of the Mathematical Model of the North Sea and the Scheldt Estuary " ( MUMM ). The equipment of the ship are five different laboratories (Fisheries Laboratory, wet laboratory, chemical laboratory, biochemistry laboratory and microbiology laboratory ); two more, specially equipped laboratories can be carried by special containers. Up to 16 scientists can be accommodated on board. At the stern of the ship is a stern gallows with a ton lifting capacity.
The main task of the ship is the study of flora and fauna in the North Sea. It cooperates with the ship Belgian universities and scientific institutes. One of the most frequent users of the Belgica is the Fisheries Department of the Ministry of the Flemish Community, created for the ship stock assessments of commercial fish species monitored human disturbances of the marine environment and tested technical innovations in the use of trawl nets. When an oil spill occurrence the ship falls the task of oil investigation in order to locate author.