Abstract
Proposed here is a Sailing CATamaran Research Vessel with a third the fuel consumption of today's research vessels. SCAT-RV has large labs, superior heavy weather gear handling ability, quiet operation under sail and a reasonably soft and level ride with her modest water plane area. Catamaran ships have been little developed because they lack bulk cargo applications. However, the very different requirements of research, coupled with greatly reduced fuel weight, make a SCAT-RV in the 130'-170' range an efficient and quiet platform for acoustic and oceanographic sur- veys. In the last 10 or 20 years, since the heavy displacement motor powered catamarans were designed and built, substantial advances in multi-hull naval architecture, materials and control have occurred. It is entirely feasible to build a research vessel with the speed of a clipper ship under sail; the lab space of Atlantis II; and the gear handling ability on station of LULU. TROPIC ROVER, a 150' catamaran sailing ship built for the tourist trade has demonstrated that a SCAT-RV is a practical alternative to wholesale research vessel lay ups.