Consultancy
The newbuilding of a research vessel requires preparations, which need to be addressed by the future owner, the fundraising agency and a consultant.
As consultants for the owner we make it a point to develop the vessel from the requirements of the sea area and the planned operations.
After a first analysis of these requirements we prepare an outline specification. This specification is accompanied by the basic documents/drawings, among them the general arrangement plan and the list of equipment.
From this stage the development of the full specification, typically a text of a few hundred pages, will take longer time, in particular since a lot of subcontracters have to be consulted. At the end of the specification a budgetary price can be given.
As consultants for a shipyard we will start from this specification worked out by the owner`s consultant. In this case we have to “translate” the owner`s specification into material to be purchased, building places and –facilities to be identified according to needs and time to be allotted to work and operations. The decisive document however will at the end be the detailed price calculation.
Whereas the owner presents the technical specification together with commercial conditions in a tender, the shipyard prepares an offer on this basis.
In most cases we have given consultancy to shipyards, but we have prepared technical specifications for owners as well.
The classical consultant will give advice to the contract-and-purchase-department, to the design-office and to the supervisors and workers at the construction site as to the requirements of the scientific equpiment, it`s operation and integration. Nowadays however the general shortage of staff will often put the consultant into an executive role. We have worked in both constellations to everybody`s satisfaction.
Our expertise is based on experience acquired during 40 years of giving consultancy to shipyards on research vessels. Special attention is given to
- hydroacoustic compatibility in the area of position, hull integration, choice of frequencies and in rare cases-blanking and triggering measures
- avoiding pollution of samples taken from the sea during the deployment and retrieval of the survey equipment
- streamlininig working processes from sea to deck to laboratory and equipment in accordance with ergonomical standards
- optimising winches and lifting/handling gear in order to ensure swift and safe operations
- system integration of equipment from various sources and interface design/agreements
- development of specifications, acceptance procedures and trial programmes
- laboratory design
The research vessels we helped to build are:
| Name | Owner | Shipyard | Delivery |
| SAGAR KANYA | Government of India | Schlichting Werft | 03.83 |
| METEOR | Government of Germany | Schlichting Werft | 03.86 |
| ATAIR | German Hydr. Office | Kröger Werft | 08.87 |
| WEGA | German Hydr. Office | Kröger Werft | 10.90 |
| SAGARDHWANI | Indian Navy | Garden Reach S + E | 07.94 |
| KOMET | Royal Malaysian Navy | Hong Leong Lürssen | 10.98 |
| PERANTAU | German. Hydr. Office | Kröger Werft | 12.98 |
| CAPELLA | German. Hydr. Office | Fassmer Werft | 01.04 |
| MARIA S. MERIAN | Government of Germany | Kröger Werft | 02.06 |
| BAIA FARTA | Government of Angola | Damen shipyard | 07.19 |
During our cooperation with the shipyards we have prepared around 100 offers for research vessel newbuildings, conversions of second hand vessels and refits/repairs.
Taking part in scientific cruises on SONNE, GAUSS, KAPITAN SOROKIN and the a. m. newbuildings we have continuously acquired and updated our practical experience with scientific equipment on board.
We are cooperating with nearly all the manufacturers of scientific marine equipment and are frequently in discussion with scientific colleagues in institutes and universities worldwide.