Sikuliaq takes to the water
University of Alaska Fairbanks
The R/V Sikuliaq slides into the water at her christening in Wisconsin on Saturday.
The R/V Sikuliaq was officially christened and launched into the cold waters of the Menominee River in Wisconsin on Saturday. Constructed by Marinette Marine, the Sikuliaq will be put through its paces in Lake Michigan sea trials pending the vessels completed outfitting and full operation in 2014. The 261-foot research ship displaces over 4,000 long tons and supports up to 24 science staff, technicians, students and observers beyond the full complement of 20 crew.
Two UAF emeriti served as co-sponsors for the Sikuliaq: Vera Alexander, dean emerita of the School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, and Robert Elsner, professor emeritus. Both scientists have spent decades lobbying for a research vessel designed for science operations in the Arctic. Alexander christened the ship and Elsner initiated the side-launch of the 261-foot vessel into the Menominee River.
Funding of $139.8 million specifically for the Sikuliaq’s construction came from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, colloquially know as Stimulus Funds. The overall cost for the project includes facilities for staff and equipment in Seward and totals approximately $200 million. Owned by the National Science Foundation, the vessel is unique in its combination of state-of-the-art research facilities and ice-breaking capability.
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Years in the planning and building the ship will ply northern waters on her research missions.
The Sikuliaq, a Inupiaq word that translates as “young sea ice,” will be home ported in Seward and operated by the University of Alaska Fairbanks. The moniker is apropos as the ship is designed as a double hulled ice breaker rated to cruise through ice thicknesses over 3 feet. The ship will also be outfitted with the latest technology for oceanographic research, including advanced navigation systems, acoustic mapping systems and sensors, and systems for deploying a wide array of science equipment into and out of the water. The Sikuliaq will primarily support oceanographic research in polar and sub-polar regions of the world.
The ship will leave the Great Lakes bound for the Bering Sea in April where the builder will check performance in typical sea ice conditions.
The vessel is scheduled for delivery unto the NSF and UAF in July and is expected to arrive in its homeport of Seward by January 2014.