Vessel Profile
Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences – Operational Directorate Natural Environment (RBINS-OD Nature)
3de en 23ste Linieregimentsplein, B-8400 Ostend, Belgium
65N – 32N & 15W – 15E
North Atlantic shelves from Norway over Ireland to Morocco.
Length |
Breadth |
Draught |
Gross Tonnage |
Ice class |
DP |
Service speed |
Max No. Scientific Berths |
No. of EF+ Scientific Berths |
|
50.9 |
10 |
4.6 |
765 |
NO |
NO |
9 kn |
16 |
16 |
Technical Detail
The vessel has a free aft deck of 140 m² and is equipped with 6 laboratories and two areas reserved for scientific operations on the bridge: 110 m² in total. Side working deck: 20 m²; Wet lab: 20 m²; Dry lab space microbiology: 12 m²; chemical lab:10 m²; biology lab: 12 m²; Fish lab: 20 m² with direct access to the rear deck; Computer room: 12 m²; Pilot house: two zones are reserved for scientific work: 17 m²;
Cold store to – 25°C: 8 m²; to 0°C: 6 m²;Storage 70 m² at the intermediate deck; Two 20 feet containers can be installed on the upper deck (level 1)
AUMS (Autonomous Underway Measurement System): An elaborate “ferrybox” system for measuring physical, biological and chemical seawater properties (temperature, conductivity, salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH, turbidity, chlorophyll, algae classes, fluorescence, dissolved organic matter, pCO2, etc.) with position-controlled automatic water sampler.
See: https://odnature.naturalsciences.be/belgica/en/equipment
CTD equipment: Sea-Bird SBE19 CTD (2x), Sea-Bird SBE9plus CTD (2x), Sea-Bird SBE21 thermosalinograph (2x)
Water sampling equipment: Sea-Bird model 32 carousel for 12 10 liter Niskin bottles (2x), Various Niskin and Go-Flo water sampling bottles
Various plankton nets can be deployed.
Kongsberg EM3002D shallow water multibeam echosounder system
Kongsberg EA400 with 33, 38 and 210 kHz transducer
Over the side system can be installed
Coring systems up to 5 m length (gravity & vibro), box corers, etc.
* Telescopic crane: Effer Marine 44.000-3 ton/1 m SWL;
* Net winch: 14.8 tons outer layer, capacity 7 m³;
* A-frame aft: H 5.9 m, W 5.0 m, capacity 2 x 6 tons;
* A-frame SB: H 3.0 m, W 1.3 m, capacity 1.0 ton;
* Davit SB: H 1.8 m, outboard 2.5 m, capacity 0.5 ton;
* 2 Fisheries winches: 8 tons, 6.4 tons at 60 m/min;
* Oceanographic single drum winch: 365 kg at 60 m/min, 1000 m (RVS) cable 5 mm;
* Oceanographic double drum winch: 365 kg at 60 m/min 1000 m (RVS) cable 5 mm and 1 700 m coaxial 6.45 mm STD profiling cable.
VSAT: KU Band 512 Kbps up/256 down CIR, burstable to 1536/768 Kbps
ICOS AUMS underway system
Ability to switch from direct diesel propulsion to silent electrical propulsion
Suitable for all kinds of research campaign from the shelf (10 m water depth) to the shelf slope (1500 m water depth):
- Oceanographic surveys
- Fishery surveys
- ROV & AUV surveys
- Geologic incl. seismic survey
- Biological surveys
- Hydrographic surveys
- Chemistry surveys
The ship is limited for operations up to 1500 m water depth. Due to the size restrictions large workhorse ROV deployments can’t be performed
Smaller ROV types have been deployed successfully (e.g. VLIZ ROV Genesis)
All vessel equipment will be made available to EurofleetsPlus Users on request. Technical support on vessel equipment will be available during the entire survey.
Vessel availability by location and by year/time of year for Eurofleets+:
Year |
Location |
Availability by Month |
Ports of operation in the period of availability |
2020 |
Normal operation areas (65N – 32N & 15W – 15E) |
TBD |
TBD |
2021 |
See RV Belgica II |
See RV Belgica II |
See RV Belgica II |
2022 |
See RV Belgica II |
See RV Belgica II |
See RV Belgica II |
Contact Details
Applicants are welcomed to discuss the initial feasibility of their work while they prepare their application with the operator of RV Belgica at e-mail address: Lieven.Naudts@naturalsciences.be
Medical certification required for joining the vessel and the list of acceptable certificates.
No certification required. Any possible health issues should be discussed prior to the campaign with the Coordinator RV Belgica and the Commander RV Belgica.
Are additional medical checks required
No medical checks required. Any possible health issues should be discussed prior to the campaign with the Coordinator RV Belgica and the Commander RV Belgica.
Survival training certification required for joining vessel
List of acceptable equivalent certification:No certification requirements.
Additional certification required e.g. Ship security awareness / other
No certification requirements.
Diplomatic clearance required for area of operation
Yes, for operation in neighbouring EEZ’s e.g. UK, France, Netherlands, Spain, Ireland (and others as applicable). Required to be submitted to MSO@naturalsciences.be 6 months prior to cruise
Additional clearances required for area or type of activity
Requirements for other jurisdictions to be addressed via the diplomatic clearance process.
RV Belgica is a multipurpose oceanographic & fisheries research vessel built in 1984. She will be replaced at the end of 2020 by RV Belgica II.
